Viola parent/student chat?

College Majors Music Majors
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I’ve noticed we have a bunch of violists going through college admissions this year. I am hoping you can pass along all your knowledge before you disappear from this forum! I’ve been through the admissions process with another one of my kids, but not a violist, and I would love you to provide as much feedback as you can.

I’d like this thread just to be generally open for viola talk.

What are some of the schools you have been impressed by? Hidden gems of teachers? Other things viola-specific you learned this year?

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Hi! Viola mom here. My daughter is in the middle of deciding where to attend. I think for us, her teacher helped us decide where to apply based on teachers he knew. He also suggested not to study with someone older who may be retiring soon (i.e. Atar Arad or Jeffrey Irvine).

Also for us, we stayed away from schools where we thought they may not be generous with merit. She originally applied to Rice, BU, CMU, SFCM, CIM, Peabody, IU, and Eastman. She was rejected from Rice, but passed all other pre-screens and auditioned to the other 7.

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We’ve encountered quite a few violists this year, and since we have no previous experience in this process, I don’t know if there are more than usual.

We came into this season fairly naive, but are emerging with some really great options. My D has definitely put the most weight on her experiences with the viola teachers at each school in which she applied.

She cast a wide net of state schools, LACs, and LAC+conservatories. Since she wants to double, she didn’t apply at any stand alone conservatories.

Preparing for auditions was very stressful, because while she has had great teachers and orchestra/chamber/quartet experiences, she has not been in a formal studio, playing solo pieces at recitals. It was all quite intimidating. So my big advice for our violists who chose the instrument because they don’t want to be the star soloist, is to start yesterday on prepping solo rep and play for a variety of people/friends to get more comfortable in that space.

I’ll be happy to share more once she makes her final decision. I’m excited for these next steps!

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Thank you both so much for the advice. I feel my violist is on a good path in terms of lessons, studio classes, solo appearances, and chamber music, though she still deals with nerves a lot. I just don’t know where she is likely to fit in a couple years when she is auditioning.

@momto5kidz why did you pick BU and CMU in particular? I haven’t heard about them from other viola folks.

If you don’t mind sharing, what was the level of rep you saw at most auditions?

I look forward to hearing more about your ultimate decisions!

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Oh how I miss @violadad who contributed to the forum long ago.

Enjoy your viola thread!

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Hi! My son attends SMTD at UMich. Sadly, the professor that accepted him into his studio passed away in the fall and we are waiting to see who the new professor will be. Caroline Coade has been absolutely amazing taking students into her studio classes while there were some transitions between an initial sub teacher and then the full time person who filled in the rest of the year. UMich has been an extremely supportive experience for my son and he has found gigs even as a freshman. Another person to look into is Catharine Lees at CCM at UCincinnati. My son worked with her at Brevard summer camps.

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That’s so hard! My daughter studied a bit with Caroline when she was 13 and really liked her. I will be curious to see who the new teacher will be.

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Her current teacher knows the professors at CMU (David Harding) and BU (Michelle LaCourse). A word of caution though, CMU does not give much scholarship to undergraduate students. And at BU, you have to have excellent academics.

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My son is a sophomore. I linger on this forum because it’s highly likely he will apply for MM.
He started working with viola professors the fall of 10th grade. His private teacher initiated the contacts. He maintained the communications and expanded the contacts to several professors and violists from major orchestras. Based on his feedback, they were all great teachers. We feel that the viola world is much nicer than what I hear from parents of young pianists and violinists. My son said none of the professional violists ever criticized him. When they gave feedback, it was always constructive. They would tell him (something along the line of ) “I can help you improve this but you should ask Prof. ABC to teach you that”. He would be happy studying in any of their studios.

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Where do you think we should be targeting for teachers?

I know that’s hard without knowing my kid – she is a 15yo sophomore in an advanced pre-college program. If it helps, these are some of the summer programs she’s either attended or been accepted to in the past two years: Music@Menlo, Meadowmount, BUTI YAO, Center Stage Strings, Madeline Island, Ascent, Kinhaven, Interlochen Adv. Quartet, Greenwood, and Green Mountain. Not sure how to describe level. LOL

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Definitely going to depend on what they’re looking for. Is the plan for conservatory only?Possible minor or double degree? My D25 went into the process wanting a double degree or major, and her school/teacher interest stemmed from that.

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As of now, she is thinking music only. But she’s 15 so ???

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I don’t know enough viola professors to suggest who are good fits. I can recall how my son found his.
In 9th grade he got in all-state highest orchestra, and soon was rejected by NYO2. The combination of two strong doses of encouragement and challenge got him and his private teacher both very excited.
His teacher contacted some viola professors, then asked my son to follow up with Prof. D. at Shepherd. After some email exchanges, he gave my son a lesson in person (we drove to Houston to move our daughter back to Rice).
Prof. C at Peabody gave a virtual lesson. I don’t remember if it was one-on-one or a zoom master class. It was winter 2020, COVID remote learning year.
I believe one of them was whom my son’s private teacher used to study under. Both professors were very nice to my son, then a 10th grader. They said he was very teachable, and invited him to future master classes. They told my son and his private teacher to reach out to several more professors. I don’t remember the details but somehow he was in contact with Prof. S. at SMTD, and had a virtual lesson with him too.
I think one of these professors suggested Online Solo String Intensive (OSSI). It was a program where a group of string professors gave virtual lessons. My son participated in several sessions. That’s where he made initial contacts with more viola professors that led to more virtual lessons and master classes. Prof. C. at Bienen was one, along with professors at Juilliard, Jacobs, Yale, and some other schools.
My son discussed with his private teacher and decided to apply to the studios of the four professors named above. He felt these four helped him the most, and they all invited him to apply.
If OSSI is still ongoing, I highly recommend the program, or something similar. Being virtual, it didn’t cost too much, and the students had the opportunities to get in contact with a sizable pool of good professors. By following up after each short session, my son was able to get a good feeling of which professor might be a good fit.
Prof. S. was one of the most passionate teachers. We’re deeply saddened by his passing.

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Thank you so much for this information! Very helpful and I think I figured out all your professors! :slight_smile:

My other kid did OSSI once way back in the beginning during COVID times. I was just googling and it looks like the website is down. Do you have any idea if this is still happening this year? I’m not sure my daughter would have the time, as she is going to a 4 week program followed by a 3.5 week program, but maybe for the future.

My daughter has 3 masterclasses in just the next month, so we are doing our very best to expose her to teachers. It’s not always easy to access the really high level teachers, though.

@momto5kidz I see your child made a decision! Congrats.

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I asked my son about OSSI. He said that there was a winter/spring session but the schedule didn’t fit his to participate. No word on summer session yet, so probably not going to happen.

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I am the daughter of @momto5kidz who auditioned at seven schools this year—BU, CMU, Peabody, CIM, IU, Eastman, and SFCM—and the process was long. I had auditions back-to-back at many places, often flying out the same night and auditioing the next morning. It’s mentally challenging. You have to reset your mind for your next audition and try to take what you can from your last one in order to better prepare yourself.

My biggest piece of advice: practice as much as you possibly can. If I hadn’t put in the hours I did, this whole experience would’ve been so much harder. You’ll most likely get nervous—everyone does—but having your music solid is what makes the difference between nerves taking over or you being able to push through and still play your best. But beyond technical security, what really makes you stand out is your musicianship. Professors can teach you how to clean up runs or avoid memory slips, but they can’t teach musical instinct. Several professors complimented me specifically on my intonation, rhythmic accuracy, and musicality—and I think going in with that already developed really helped. Also, don’t underestimate the value of being unique in your sound.

Another major piece of advice: take lessons with the professors ahead of time if you can. Honestly, this was the least enjoyable part for me because I don’t love the Zoom format—it just doesn’t translate well for musicians. But the in-person lessons I had, either right before or after auditions, were so much more valuable. You get a real sense of the teacher’s style and how you connect musically and personally. That connection is huge—it’s not just about the school, it’s about finding a mentor who fits you.

Out of all the schools I visited, my experiences ranked like this:
7. BU
6. Carnegie Mellon
5. IU
4. CIM
3. SFCM
2. Peabody

  1. Eastman

These rankings are based on my audition experiences, how well each school accommodated me and my parents, and the opportunities to meet and work with professors. Ultimately, I’ve committed to Peabody. The professor there (Victoria Chiang) was high on my list in terms of connection and teaching style, and I received a scholarship covering 80% of the total COA—which was a huge factor for both me and my family.

Ultimately, you have to decide what works best for you when deciding which school to attend. I feel that professor choice is the most important, followed by opportunities at the school as far as orchestra programs, chamber music programs, etc.

I wish the best of luck to all auditioning violists!

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Thanks so much for sharing all your experiences and tips! Greatly appreciated.

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Quick question! My D25 violist is getting a new hard case for college. She’s looking at the Bam high-tech contoured or possibly the Tonarelli oblong case. She’s never had a contoured case before and is worried about accessory storage. Do you guys have any thoughts?

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My son uses Bam Hightech Contoured case. It fits his 16-1/2 viola, 2 bows, shoulder rest, mutes, spare strings, rosin, and some stuff I have no idea what they are. Everything other than music and stand, I think. Very good case. Four years, multiple international trips, feels like it can last forever.

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My son also has the Bam case and he is able to fit everything he needs in it including an enormous shoulder rest that doesn’t always fit in other cases. He’s heading out on his third international trip with it this summer.