For any student who plays the violin and is thinking about going to college or university, there are a few schools that tend to stand out above all others. Private music schools and conservatories are typically the best institutions for music and performing arts programs.
The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is one of the finest institutions in the US for music. Let's find out what you'd have to do to study there and some of the other violinists to have already done so.
About the Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music, with a rich history dating back over 100 years to its founding in 1917 in New York City, has a legacy that resonates with the very essence of music education. Originally home to Juilliard, The Juilliard School moved to the Lincoln Center, paving the way for MSM to carve its own unique path in the world of music education.
It was founded as the “Neighborhood Music School” by the pianist Janet D. Schenck in East Harlem.
While Pablo Casals and the famed violinist Harold Bauer taught there, the school didn't offer a bachelor of music degree until 1943, and the master of music degree wasn't offered until 1974.
At the Manhattan School of Music, the world of music is your oyster. With a comprehensive range of majors for instruments, including brass, woodwind, strings, percussion, piano, organ, and voice, the school offers a diverse and exciting array of opportunities for aspiring musicians.
There are also college programs for musical theater, conducting, composition, and contemporary performance.
The Manhattan School of Music offers more than just college programs. It also offers pre-college programs for students aged 5-18, including the pre-conservatory training program and the MSM Summer program.
Most top music schools, including the Manhattan School of Music, have programs for younger violin prodigies.
These programs provide a comprehensive music education, preparing students for college-level studies and offering them a head starct in their musical careers.
Beyond an undergraduate degree, graduate studies, doctoral studies, professional studies, and artist diplomas are available, much like at the other great music schools like Juilliard, the Peabody Institute, and the Curtis Institute of Music.
About the Violin Program at the Manhattan School of Music
The violin programs and majors at the Manhattan School of Music fall under the Strings and Harp department.
The department offers degrees in both the undergraduate Bachelor of Music (BM) and the graduate Master of Music (MM) and Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) programs.
There are also one- and two-year programs, such as the Professional Studies Certificate (PS), Professional Performance Diploma (PPD), and the Artist Diploma (AD).
The string programs at the Manhattan School of Music come with the added bonus that the American String Quartet has been in residence since 1984. This residency provides unique opportunities for violin students, as the quartet supervises a group of student chamber ensembles and gives a concert series, enhancing the students' learning experience.
The Manhattan School of Music has four main string ensembles: the Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Chamber Sinfonia, and Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra.
Of course, most high school students looking to apply to this prestigious music school in New York City will want to look at the undergraduate options or the shorter courses. It's worthwhile knowing that those who've already graduated from college also have options.
How to Get into the Manhattan School of Music
Getting into the best music schools isn't easy. While the Manhattan School of Music's acceptance rate, 55%, is significantly higher than that of the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music (10.6% and 9.7%), it's still among the top 18% of the most difficult universities to gain admission to in the United States.
Much like the other top private conservatories in the country, you should familiarize yourself with the admissions process.
There are two main steps to the admissions process with most music schools, prescreening, and auditions.
The prescreening part of admissions is like an application you'd do for other universities and institutions. However, it often includes a recording of your violin playing.
The prescreen at MSM must include all the repertoire for the degree level or course you're applying to, whether you're majoring in Classical Violin or Zukerman Violin.
Classical Violin Prescreen Repertoire
Here are the violin prescreen repertoire requirements for students looking to follow a classical violin repertoire.
Bachelor of Music (BM)
- One movement of a concerto
- Two contrasting movements of solo Bach
Master of Music (MM)
- Two movements of a concerto
- Two contrasting movements of solo Bach
- One movement of a work of the applicant’s choice
Professional Studies (PS) / Professional Performance Diploma (PPD) / Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) / Artist Diploma (AD)
- Two movements of a concerto
- One movement of a sonata
- One movement of a work of the applicant’s choice
Zukerman Violin Prescreen Repertoire
The following are the prescreen requirements for students interested in following a Zukerman violin curriculum.
Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music (BM) / Master of Music (MM)
- Two movements of an unaccompanied sonata by Bach
- First movement of one of the following concerti (2 movements are required for graduate applicants):
- Henri Vieuxtemps, Concerto no. 5
- Édouard Lalo, Symphonie Espagnole
- Niccolò Paganini
- Antonin Dvorak
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
- Jean Sibelius
- Béla Bartok
- Johannes Brahms
- Ludwig van Beethoven
- A virtuoso concert piece on the level of Paganini, Sarasate, Vieuxtemps, Wieniawski, or Ysaÿe
Professional Studies (PS), Professional Performance Diploma (PPD), Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) & Artist Diploma (AD)
- Applicants must prepare a full-length recital of works from contrasting style periods.
Audition Requirements for the Manhattan School of Music
Students who pass the prescreening process will be asked to complete the audition to confirm their place in their chosen program.
The audition is the final application round, and students can complete in-person or recorded auditions for most programs. However, Doctor of Musical Arts and Artist Diploma programs only accept in-person auditions.
The length of the audition depends on the program, with typical audition times as follows:
- Bachelor of Music / Master of Music: 10 minutes
- Professional Studies: 15 minutes
- Doctor of Musical Arts / Artist Diploma: 20 minutes
Violin applicants can have an accompanist provided by the Manhattan School of Music, or they can provide their own. Rehearsals can be arranged with the MSM-provided accompanist.
Much like the prescreening process, the auditions process also has a repertoire MSM provides.
Classical Violin Audition Repertoire
As above, the classical violin audition repertoire differs from that of the Zukerman violin programs.
Bachelor of Music (BM)
- Three octave major and minor scales and arpeggios
- First movement of a concerto with applicable cadenza
- Two contrasting movements of a Bach partita or sonata
- A virtuoso concert piece
Master of Music (MM)
- Two contrasting movements of a concerto including all applicable cadenzas
- Two movements of an unaccompanied Bach partita or sonata
- A virtuoso concert piece
- One movement of a sonata
Professional Studies (PS), Professional Performance Diploma (PPD) / Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) / Artist Diploma (AD)
Complete concerto with all applicable cadenzas.
Four significant recital works are from a wide range of style periods, including the 20th or 21st century.
Zukerman Violin Audition Repertoire
The Zukerman violin audition repertoire is as listed below. Note that it differs from the classical violin requirements.
Bachelor of Music (BM) / Master of Music (MM)
- The first and second movement from an unaccompanied sonata by Bach
- First movement of one of the following concerti (two movements are required for graduate applicants):
- Henri Vieuxtemps, Concerto No. 5
- Édouard Lalo, Symphonie Espagnole
- Niccolò Paganini
- Antonín Dvorak
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
- Jean Sibelius
- Béla Bartok
- Johannes Brahms
- Ludwig van Beethoven
- A virtuoso concert piece on the level of Paganini, Sarasate, Vieuxtemps, Wieniawski, or Ysaÿe
Professional Studies (PS) / Professional Performance Diploma (PPD) / Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) / Artist Diploma (AD)
- Applicants must prepare a full-length recital of works from contrasting style periods.
The Cost of Attending the Manhattan School of Music
While getting into one of the finest music conservatories in New York City is a dream for many aspiring violinists, there's still the issue of tuition fees to worry about.
With tuition at $55,750 a year, the Manhattan School of Music isn't the most expensive of the country's top-ranked private music conservatories. Still, it isn't the cheapest, with Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia charging as little as $3,500 annually.
Here's a breakdown of the expected annual costs for a student.
| Tuition | $55,750 |
|---|---|
| General Student Fees | $1,300 |
| Meal Plan (Gold) | $6,250 |
| Housing (Double Room) | $11,800 |
| MSM Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) | $3,700 |
| Total | $78,800 |
Remember that these are simply the on-campus costs, including housing and a meal plan, and that the cost of living in New York City is much higher than the average across the country.
Notable Violin Alumni Who Attended the Manhattan School of Music
It's not just the faculty that makes academic institutions so prestigious; it's also the quality of students they produce.
Famous students of the Manhattan School of Music include classical artists, jazz and commercial artists, educators, and noteworthy individuals who pursued careers and lives outside of music.
As for violinists, there are Kuan-Cheng Lu, Kerry McDermott, Elmar Oliveira, and Viviane Hagner.
- Viviane Hagner, for example, is a German violinist who has played with the Berlin Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Berlin, Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony, and BBC Symphony. She plays the Sasserno Stradivarius.
- Elmar Oliveira is a Grammy-nominated violinist and the only American violinist to win the Gold Medal at Moscow's Tchaikovsky International Competition.
- Kerry McDermott is a violinist with the New York Philharmonic and has also appeared as a soloist with many other orchestras throughout North America.
- Violinist Kuan-Cheng Lu has been with the New York Philharmonic since 2004 and is the first Taiwanese classical musician to earn a seat in the Orchestra.
Suppose you'd like to join any of these great musicians on a program at the Manhattan School of Music. In that case, consider working on your prescreening and audition pieces with a private tutor. You might also consider private violin lessons near me to further refine your technique.
Search for "violin" on the Superprof website and browse potential private tutors' profiles today! If you're in Atlanta, explore private violin lessons near me to boost your preparation.
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