<p>I am going to apply for the Master’s degree in Piano Performance for the several schools in Texas, as well as Northwestern, and UCLA.
What universities are hardest to get into?
What good schools offer Piano Performance and Collaborative arts program?
What good programs offer an assistentship/scholarships?
How hard is to get into Rice, or Northwester, or Texas Chrtistian?
What do you think about UCLA Piano performance major?
I am new in USA, and in my countri everything is different…
I just need help</p>
<p>You will need to be aware of any institutional requirements for internationals at the grad level, which will vary among institutions. Did you get your undergrad performance degree in the US or abroad? There may be some minor specifics that will need to be addressed accordingly as well. </p>
<p>Financial assistance is institution specific, and can vary widely by discipline, instrument, department, as well as how your skill set and depth of knowledge in specific disciplines fit the needs of a school within their applicant pool. Typically, the top students are awarded fellowships, scholarships, or assistanceships, and the amounts can range fro generous to paltry.</p>
<p>As for how hard is it to get in, I can’t speak specifically to piano, and my knowledge base lies in strings, and chamber.</p>
<p>Generally, Rice/Shepherd is a graduate focused program, historically a very competitive admit both from an audition standpoint and academic criteria. It is historically a top choice for serious high level grad performance and music academic disciplines.</p>
<p>Northwestern is also on a similar plane with Shepherd. Stiff competition both academically and from a talent standpoint.</p>
<p>Thorton at UCLA is also on a similar level, possibly a tad less stringent academically, but I would assume a similarly skilled audition pool. </p>
<p>Texas Christian, Univ of Texas/Austin, Southern Methodist University, University of North Texas are all extremely respected programs. </p>
<p>Current piano faculty at each may increase or decrease the competitiveness of the audition pool. Instructors in high demand may attract the very best, or a sub-specialty may also sway the applicant pool to a specific talent.</p>
<p>I don’t know enough about the piano world to offer concrete assessments of these schools specifically. My comments are based on general knowledge. </p>
<p>Many of the details you seek are extensively covered on each school’s music department graduate admissions websites. They are school specific and vary widely, so the best information is by reading each institution’s requirements, policies, financial assistance/fellowship opportunities.</p>
<p>Visa requirements, TOEFL scores, academic requirements are detailed in depth as well.</p>
<p>Regarding your other thread on a contemporary piece, the choice should be in consultation with a current or recent instructor that knows you and your talent, ability, and skill level.</p>
<p>Perhaps those with piano specific knowledge will add more depth to my comments. </p>
<p>I neglected to mention your knowledge of theory will be tested, and may or may not be a deciding factor in an admissions decision at the Masters level.</p>
<p>Slight correction to above, I believe Thornton is the name of the music school at USC, not at UCLA.</p>
<p>Editorial comment - I understand that universities want to name their music or other schools to honor major donors, important figures, etc. but think it would be easier for many of us “consumers” if they just had, for instance, the Indiana University School of Music (as in the old days) rather than Jacobs, Northwestern Music rather than Bienen, etc!</p>
<p>Duh. fiddlestix, thank you for correcting me. A major faux pas on my part. The next step is forgetting the names of my kids. (Was it two or three?)</p>
<p>Shameless plug for my school:</p>
<p>UT-Austin only recently launched a collaborative piano program for Masters degree seeking students. This program is headed by Anne Epperson who is nationally respected both as a collaborative artist and educator (she was also formerly a collaborative pianist for Heifetz when she was at USC). She has set up similar programs very successfully at numerous schools around the nation.</p>
<p>All the students in the program are at a very high performance level and the opportunities for working with artists of all disciplines in the music school are tremendous. From personal experience working with Professor Epperson, she is one of the most professional and encouraging artists I’ve ever worked with. She has that bizarre ability of knowing my part (viola) better than myself (a bit like how Leon Fleisher intimately knows the right hand parts of Beethoven sonatas with his left hand).</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.music.utexas.edu/department/degreePDF/MMPiano_Collaborative.pdf[/url]”>http://www.music.utexas.edu/department/degreePDF/MMPiano_Collaborative.pdf</a></p>
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<p>Look up the piano faculty at UCLA; Professor Walter Ponce is absolutely amazing! his students have won top prizes and gotten into grad schools namely, manhattan, USC, etc. Professor Jennifer Snow is a wonderful collaborative pianist and chamber coach. however, you’ll have to pay out of state tuition if you don’t get a scholarhip.
UCLA does not have a collaborative piano program, but there have been plans to launch a program since we have a strong faculty specializing in collaborative piano/chamber music.</p>
<p>Thank you very much all for such a great explanation.
I am a permanent resident already, not any more an international student. So, it makes things easier. And I have one more year at the U of Utah for the undegraduate degree, so in a year I will complite my Bachelor.
Do you know any school with dual/split major in piano performance and collaborative piano?
Are you familiar with Boston University in piano, and collaborative piano?
What do you think about New York University for the piano and collaborative piano degrees (Master’s)?
Do you know is admission as much competitive for the collaborative degree as for the performance degree?</p>
<p>I’m posting this, but it may disappear as a violation of TOS </p>
<p>[The</a> Collaborative Piano Blog](<a href=“http://collaborativepiano.blogspot.com/2005/11/degree-programs-in-collaborative-piano.html]The”>The Collaborative Piano Blog: Degree and Diploma Programs in Collaborative Piano)</p>
<p>I don’t have a feel for where to begin to look, but may be able to offer some comments on specific schools from a “what I know” perspective.</p>
<p>Arizona State (ASU) has a very strong collaborative piano program. If you are going to audition in Southern California, Tempe (ASU) is only a short inexpensive Southwest Airlines plane ticket away. You might want to check it out.</p>
<p>Take a look at the repertoire required for collaborative master’s degree at MSM, as an example, if anyone thinks it is an easy admit! </p>
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<p>I particularly like the “one art song played and sung by the applicant”!</p>
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<p>With Piano performance degree, the audition requirements with different schools are very standard (usually one piece or 2 from each period and some etudes) and do not change one year from another. The difficulty with collaborative piano audition is that every school has its set of audition repertoire and the repertoire changes every year (excluding solo pieces).</p>
<p>Consider looking at Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM). They offer both Collaborative Piano and a Performance degree, and I am pretty sure that I have seen students who are studying for their Masters in both simultaneously.
[CIM</a> | College Studies](<a href=“http://www.cim.edu/conservatory/keyboard/]CIM”>Academics)</p>