Best College Orchestra

musicprnt
Tue, 09 Feb 2016 19:54:29 +0000

U michigan and Vanderbilt have strong orchestras, in large part because both schools are places where kids wanting to do dual majors go because they have both strong academics and music. MSM and SF conservatory are both good music programs, but from what I know of their orchestras (I have heard MSM orchestras performing, SF conservatory is from reputation so take that fwiw) they aren’t quite the top level, though very good. St/ Olaf’s IMO Is not that strong, I have heard their orchestras perform, and they are not up in the top tier IMO, which is not surprising, because St. Olaf is most strong in their choral program, in terms of instrumental music they aren’t quite as strong as other programs (and this is just my opinion). Keep in mind this doesn’t mean it is a ‘bad’ program, I am not talking a hobby orchestra or whatnot, just simply in terms of a performing ensemble compared to the top ones, it isn’t.

Again, you may want to divide the list between orchestras in programs for and by music students (for example, in schools where they offer performance, they may not allow non majors to get into the orchestra with majors) and those that are there for the general population (the ivies, for example, where they are auditioned, but are not music majors), simply because they are different.

“Some of the best Masters programs in music performance have strong interest in kids with diverse backgrounds like Yale or Harvard, etc. with extraordinary talent who then choose to pursue a music career and use the masters program to get them there.”

While that is true (there are strong music students who go the ivy route for example, play in the school ensembles, have private lessons, often with top teachers, do chamber, then go for an MM), the fact that they come from a diverse background will not get them into a master’s performance program, with MM’s they will get in the same way as the kid who went the conservatory route, it is based on how they audition. The admissions department doesn’t look at a kids CV and say “Oh, wow, they went to Harvard”, it is all based pretty much on the audition and how well the kid is prepared for it. If they were going for a master’s in music theory, or finance, going to Harvard would be a plum, with grad music admissions, doesn’t matter. That doesn’t mean that kids shouldn’t think of that route, just saying that when it comes time to get into a master’s program, factors like diversity (ie the kid didn’t go to a conservatory, or dual majored, or went to an Ivy and got a degree in whatever) don’t matter, unless it affects their playing.