+ manhattan

i'm planning on transferring to one of those schools for undergrad (i'm a freshman student right now) but have no idea how hard it is.

i've heard a lot of times that juilliard and colburn are extremely competitive, but then i still don't really know what the standard is about.

and what about the other two? (RCM in London + Manhattan in New York)

i think manhattan is not impossible to get in because another piano player in my school got accepted to the school even though she didn't get any scholarships from our school. (but i'm like the best for performance out of first year piano majors and have been offered scholarships as well. not saying i'm good... it's just my school is really easy to get in.)

plz answer!@@ thank you for reading!!

I don't see a question.

If you're wanting to know how hard it is to get into those schools, then it's impossible to know given that we have no idea what your repertoire is and how well you play.

So...what's your repertoire list like? What's your competition and performance history? What does your current teacher think? (I'm assuming they're involved in the decision to transfer. If not, then they need to be, because you'll likely need a letter of recommendation.)

If you have considerable performance experience and have a strong rep list that includes some pretty heavy repertoire, then you've got a chance.

If you're trying to get into Juilliard or Colburn with the Tempest sonata and a Chopin nocturne, then it's probably not going to happen.

my repertoires are:
bach prelude&fugue book II d minor
beethoven piano sonata op.57
chopin scherzo no.3
debussy prelude "ondine" + another prelude
rachmaninov etude 33-6
chopin etude 10-4

i don't know if these are heavy enough...

i don't really have much of competition or performance history though. if you know kreisler, do they weigh more than audition?

Your audition will be by far the most important factor in the admissions process. Your repertoire seems sufficient for and undergrad audition at these schools. You'll most likely have to choose between the two etudes though. If you don't have much performance history, GET SOME before you go to one of these auditions. I know that Juilliard, especially, has a pretty intense audition process, and you must be able to keep your wits about you.

Your repertoire is fine, but you will have to play these pieces extremely well to gain admission. They've certainly heard your pieces a thousand times before by a thousand different pianists. You need to make yourself stand out, and that doesn't mean by playing faster than everyone else (or by wearing a hello kitty t-shirt).


Good luck!

I auditioned at Manhattan for a transfer but I didn't turn in my other financial aid form (they have another one beside fafsa you have to do. Manhattan is at least $50,000/year. My audition was

Mozart K.332
Two Scarlatti Sonatas K.119 and the other one was in D minor
Chopin Scherzo no. 4
Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin Tocatta and Fugue.

What I am trying to say is that they've heard everything and you need to find a way to stand out so they remember you. If at all possible try and schedule your audition to be near last. You never want to go first or, chances are, they'll most likely forget about you even if you played well. Good luck sir!

What I believe Kreisler is saying is that you need to have some performance experience behind you if you are planning to audition at one of this top-level schools. Not performance history on your résumé but performance history that will give you confidence and enable you to give a high-level performance before a critical jury.

That jury isn't looking to spoon-feed or encourage a candidate who is nervous in front of their critical eyes and ears; they want pianists who can show considerable tehnical command and musicianship and who are not performance-intimidated because of their lack of experience before critical judges.

If you are already a freshman in college and you are hoping to transfer to one of the schools you mentioned, you need to be well aware of what the criteria are that are going to be used to judge your candidacy. At this stage, saying that you are not really sure what the standards are for these schools, suggests to me that its relatively late to be trying to find out. Contact the schools directly with your full credentials and become informed of your chances.

Regards,

No, the audition will weigh more. Your repertoire is at the right level, but at the schools you mentioned, most of the applicants will have fairly significant performance experience.

The major concern is that you're asking a bunch of strangers whether or not you're good enough to get into Juilliard or Colburn. Since we don't know you or the audition committees, we're flying blind.

Sorry if we seem skeptical or unhelpful, but we see quite a few posts around here from people wanting to skip to the ending of the audition novel.

The only way to know you you have what it takes is to do it and let the committee decide. Juilliard has a tape round, so get everything recorded and send it in. I'm not sure on Colburn's policies.

Something you should know is that Juilliard and Colburn are the top conservatories on the coasts. They receive an enormous number of applications and turn away many highly qualified and excellent pianists each year. You have to be a great pianist, exhibit the potential to have a strong career, and get lucky. And connections help.

That being said, these schools are always looking for great students, so if you feel you will be a valued addition to their community, then by all means apply.

can i ask why you want to go to these schools?

"Something you should know is that Juilliard and Colburn are the top conservatories on the coasts. They receive an enormous number of applications and turn away many highly qualified and excellent pianists each year. You have to be a great pianist, exhibit the potential to have a strong career, and get lucky. And connections help."

****

Is Mannes just as competitive?

Not quite as much as Juilliard, but everything in NYC is competitive.

Manhattan and RCM are more accessible than Juilliard or Colburn, but as it was mentioned before, Manhattan is around 50K a year, and it's really the scholarship here that is the competitive, determining factor rather than admission.  Of course, I don't know your playing level, so I can't say anything on way or the other.