Many people, including aspiring violinists, will have likely heard of The Juilliard School or simply "Juilliard". This prestigious private performing arts conservatory in New York City is the pinnacle for most performing arts students.
So what is it? How do you get into Juilliard? And which famous violinists have been there?
The Juilliard School at a Glance
The Juilliard School was founded in 1905. Initially, it was the Institute of Musical Art so while many people know it for dance and drama, these programs weren't added until later.
At the time that Juilliard was founded, most American students weren't able to get advanced music training in the US. Instead, it was common for them to travel to Europe's famous conservatories.
The Juilliard name wasn't added until 1926 when Augustus D. Juilliard provided an endowment for the Juilliard Graduate School. This graduate school merged with the Institute of Musical Art and became “The Juilliard School”.
When the Juilliard School moved to the Lincoln Center in New York, the Manhattan School of Music took over the old location on West 122nd Street and Claremont Avenue, where it remains today.
The Juilliard School has three main divisions: the Music Division, Dance Division, and Drama Division. Naturally, this article will focus primarily on violinists and the Music Division.
The Music Division is the school's oldest, having existed since Juilliard was still the Institute of Musical Art. The Dance Division and Drama Division were founded in 1951 and 1968.
The Dance Division covers modern dance and ballet. The Drama Division offers four-year conservatory programs for actors that lead to a BFA or diploma and three-year MFA programs for playwrights.
Juilliard is ranked #3 in the world of all performing arts schools and conservatories.
The Juilliard School Violin Program
As you may have guessed, the violin program at Juilliard in New York City is covered by the school's Music Division.
Juilliard is the top choice for almost any aspiring musician, dancer, or actor, but the violin program is particularly strong.
In addition to the school's musical heritage and prestige, the String Department is the largest of the music division, and around one-third of Juilliard's music students are part of it. The program is still exclusive and difficult to get into. More on that later.
Whether you're interested in becoming a soloist, a chamber musician, or an orchestral violinist, you're in good company on this program.
Various degrees and diplomas are offered, including the Bachelor of Music, Undergraduate Diploma, Master of Music, Graduate Diploma, Artist Diploma, and Doctor of Musical Arts programs.
The application requirements for Juilliard depend heavily on which of the programs you're interested in.
For example, the four-year undergraduate Bachelor of Music degree covers music theory and history, focusing on classical violinists. However, it also accepts some jazz instrumentalists.
Undergraduate Bachelor of Music students must have a high school diploma or equivalent, prior artistic training, and English language fluency. Students who apply are allowed to apply twice. After two rejections, you can no longer apply to the program.
Tuition Cost at The Juilliard School
The cost of tuition at Juilliard is almost as complicated as being accepted into one of their programs.
Even Juilliard warns students of the high cost of living in New York City and mentions how expensive off-campus renting can be.
Before you even start to worry about the cost of living in NYC, here's how much being a student at Juilliard will cost you.
The school divides costs into two main categories: direct and indirect. Direct costs are those that Juilliard will charge students, and indirect costs are those that students will have to pay to live in or near Juilliard.
Tuition at Juilliard is $54,400. This is the total amount without any assistance through aid or scholarships. Most Juilliard students pay less than this, and over 90% receive some financial aid.
Students living on campus in a double room with a meal plan will pay $22,410 and an orientation fee of $250.
Add that to the estimated $3,300 student health insurance, and Juilliard will cost you $80,360 a year.
It's important to note that the tuition cost of $54,400 doesn't cover all expenses. Additional indirect costs such as books, supplies, and transportation bring the total to $86,582.
Juilliard also provides estimates for students choosing to live off-campus or with their parents. Naturally, the cost of tuition, health insurance, and the orientation fee remain the same.
The key difference here is housing (about the same for off-campus students). Still, it is supposedly "free" for students living with their parents.
The school also estimates that students living with parents will pay less for transportation. Off-campus students can expect to pay around $85,230, while students living with their parents can expect to pay around $69,330.
While the tuition at Juilliard is fairly standard for the top music schools and conservatories, the Curtis Institute of Music only charges $3,500 a year in tuition.
Compare all the top schools' tuition fees and acceptance rates here.
| Music School | Acceptance Rate | Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University | 10% | $19,254 per quarter |
| Colburn School | 10% | $57,500 per year |
| Cleveland Institute of Music | 36.20% | $50,000 per year |
| Curtis Institute of Music | 9.70% | $3,500 per year |
| Eastman School of Music | 13% | $65,870 per year |
| Indiana University Jacobs School of Music | 25% (Undergraduates), 33% (Graduates) | $40,369.16 per year |
| The Juilliard School | 10.60% | $54,400 per year |
| New England Conservatory of Music | 38% | $58,910 per year |
| Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University | 51.60% | $64,730 per year |
| The Manhattan School of Music | 55% | $52,550 per year |
How to Get Into the Juilliard School
Juilliard wouldn't be such a prestigious school without the success of its alums, and the way to ensure the best alums is to be incredibly selective when it comes to accepting students.
Getting into Juilliard or any of the finest conservatories or music schools can be challenging. The acceptance rate for Juilliard is around 11%, and this is keeping in mind that the number of applicants will already be reduced by stringent requirements to be eligible.
very few make it into Juilliard.
However, Juilliard isn't particularly strict academically. The Juilliard School doesn't ask for any specific courses, GPAs, class rankings, or standardized test scores for most programs, including the Undergraduate Violin Bachelor of Music program.
That said, given you need a high school diploma, the aforementioned artistic training, and English language fluency, some students may have other specific requirements if they've been homeschooled or English isn't their native language.
Juilliard seeks the best technical ability and performance skills as one of the best music and performing arts schools. The criteria for acceptance for the undergraduate Bachelor of Music make this quite clear.
They're looking for exceptional talent and the best of the best.
If you have what it takes to get into Juilliard's violin programs, you'll likely need to audition.
Audition Requirements for Juilliard's Violin Program
The application for the Bachelor of Music starts with an online application and an artistic resume, essays, and an introduction video. This is all due by the start of December.
The same applies to the application fee or fee waiver, the prescreening materials, recommend information, and, for homeschooled applicants, their SAT/ACT scores.
Certain applicants must also provide proof of English language proficiency, recommendations, and a request for ADA audition accommodations by mid-December.
If you get an in-person audition, they'll need your official transcripts by mid-January. The same applies to the scholarship or financial aid applications, which are due by the beginning of March.
Applicants are prescreened, and violin majors are required to submit a prescreening recording. The prescreening requirements for a violin major include:
- A slow and a fast movement from a 19th-, 20th-, 21st-century concerto
- One movement from an unaccompanied Bach sonata or partita
- One Paganini caprice
Successful prescreened applicants will be given an audition. The Juilliard website lists and details various resources for improving your repertoire and selecting appropriate repertoire pieces.
We recommend you go directly to the school's website for their requirements as while schools like Juilliard, the Peabody Institute of the John Hopkins University, and the Manhattan School of Music all have similar processes, there are some key differences.
Notable Violin Alumni of the Juilliard School
As a reputable music and performing arts institution, Juilliard has helped train and launch the careers of many famous people.
The same is true for violinists, and here are a few of Juilliard's most famous alums.
Itzhak Perlman
The Israeli American violinist is one of the most famous violinists of the 20th century. He was born in Israel, and after showing incredible promise as a violinist, he moved to the United States at 13 to study at Juilliard and the Meadowmount School of Music in upstate New York.
Enjoy this classic video of him on The Ed Sullivan Show!
Midori Goto
Midori Goto or simply Midori is a Japanese-American violinist. She made her debut with the New York Philharmonic at the age of 11.
She studied violin with Dorothy DeLay at Pre-College Division of Juilliard School, leaving after four years and becoming a full-time professional violinist. Many students today also supplement formal training with online violin lessons.
Sarah Chang
Sarah Chang is a Korean-American violinist. A veritable child prodigy, she debuted with the New York Philharmonic at 8, three years after being accepted to the Juilliard School.
Of course, Juilliard is famous for being one of the best schools for music and violinists, so this is just a tiny percentage of the incredible musicians who have studied there.
Get Help Playing the Violin with a Private Tutor
Working with a private tutor can help you improve your violin playing before auditioning for any prestigious school.
After all, you may want to consider more than one university, institution, or music school, which means the average student will have quite a few pieces they need to memorize for prescreening and auditions.
Luckily, plenty of gifted and talented violin tutors are on the Superprof website. Most tutors offer the first session for free, so you can always try out a few potential tutors before finding the right one for your ambitions.
Search for violin classes near me on the Superprof website and start browsing the profiles of potential tutors today!
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