A symphony orchestra career can be an exciting experience that fulfills a lifelong dream. But it’s not easy to gain. It requires a huge amount of dedication and work – with no guaranteed outcome.

by Barbra Weidlein

If you’re passionate about this career field, it’s wise to be as informed as possible, and as soon as possible. “Getting hired by a symphony is incredibly difficult,” says Janet Gamber, a violinist with the Reading Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania. “I freelanced for just over 5 years in Philadelphia with many fine musicians, and I can count on one hand how many of my friends have won jobs with full-time orchestras.”��

We spoke with Gamber and several other musicians who perform in large and small symphonies mostly in the U.S. We asked them about the trajectory that took them from high school to where they are now.��

We also wanted their input on the economic realities of performing in a symphony orchestra in the 21st century, when classical music and the health of symphonies all over the world often appear in jeopardy.��

Mostly, we want to share best tips for anyone who wants to pursue a career performing in a symphony orchestra – what musicians wish they’d known when they were still in high school or college, and what they’ve learned since then that may support you on your musical journey.

Preparation Before College

Symphony orchestra players start their careers by diving into music long before they’re ready to job search. By high school, they’re typically fairly proficient on their primary instrument, not so much because they are prodigies but because they work hard and they do most if not all of the following:

• take private lessons

• maintain a strong daily practice schedule

• participate in school and youth orchestras

• become a section leader

• audition for and win a spot in All-State orchestras

• attend summer music programs

• apply to competitions

• stay flexible

• jump at opportunities that arise

By junior year, students who dream of a career in a symphony find teachers and mentors who will assist them in preparing for college auditions at music schools that will meet their current and future needs.��

Paul Trapkus (BM, Music Education and Violin Performance, University of Michigan) is a violinist with the Boulder Philharmonic and Boulder Chamber Orchestras and the orchestra director at Silver Creek High School in Longmont, Colorado. He encourages high school students who hope for a symphony career to “participate in as many musical opportunities as you can manage.��

“Playing in summer music camps,” he continues, “is also extremely beneficial – the difference between a summer without much playing and a summer with lots of playing with excellent conductors and colleagues is huge. Ideally, you can also establish through these things a group of music friends that inspire each other to improve and take part in different ensembles.��

“I also recommend attending as many concerts as you can,” urges Trapkus.�� “Watching outstanding orchestras can be very eye-opening and motivating.”

Adam Sadberry (BM Flute Performance, Performer’s Certificate, Eastman School of Music), acting principal flutist��with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, says, “ It wasn’t until the summer before my junior year of high school that I really started to catch the ‘music major’ bug. I attended my first flute masterclass with big-name teachers, found a fantastic private lesson teacher (Jennifer Keeney), joined the Houston Youth Symphony, entered some local competitions. I was fortunate enough to earn a few wins, and that motivated me to work harder and harder. Over the next two summers, I attended the Interlochen Arts Camp and the Greenwood Music Camp.” Sadberry went on to study flute at Eastman School of Music.

Preparation During College

Cordula Merks, violinist and concertmaster with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra and violin performance professor at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, suggests the following:

1. Find a teacher who really meets your needs and who you can work well with.

2. Find a college program with a strong orchestral program and a strong orchestral excerpt class – where you study repertoire that’s likely to be in orchestral auditions.��

3. Study in a geographical area where you can get a lot of exposure to the symphony along with opportunities to study with symphony members and maybe even get a chance to sub.

4. When you’re ready to audition, be comfortable and fully fluent with at least one Mozart concerto and at least one Romantic concerto plus standard excerpts from orchestral repertoire that tend to show up in most auditions.

Dana Johnson (MM, University of Michigan, BM Oberlin Conservatory of Music), principal second violin with the Arctic Philharmonic in Norway, held leadership roles in orchestras in undergrad and grad school. When in school, she also participated in summer music festivals and subbed with several regional orchestras. She credits all of this experience for “preparing me well for my current job.”��

Johnson adds: “Start learning standard orchestral excerpts early and do take them seriously.��The more internalized that music is, the more comfortable you will be in a high-pressure audition scenario.��

“And do tons of mock auditions.��Anything to make yourself as comfortable in an audition setting as you can.��All of these auditions are so subjective.�� There are so many factors in play and at a certain level, it really just comes down to fit.”

Is Grad School Necessary?

The answer depends on who you ask. Not everyone interviewed for this article attended graduate school. But most did, because it provided training beyond what an undergraduate education offers.

“Attending the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) was instrumental in my success to winning a symphony seat with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra (HSO),” says percussionist Christopher Cabrera (MM, Cleveland Institute of Music; BM Oberlin Conservatory of Music). A fellow CIM alum was in charge of recruitment at HSO, and Cabrera was hired to fill an opening there.��

Ani Bukujian, violinist with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, did her master’s degree at Juillard. She found graduate school “very necessary” for winning her seat with the Orchestra. She also credits the Professional Studies Diploma program at San Francisco Conservatory of Music with providing the additional skills and training needed to prepare for her orchestral audition.

Chris Cabrera sees summer music festivals as an entry point for some symphony seat seekers. He encourages musicians to “foster relationships with people in the field. It might give you the leg up needed to win a job. Also, if you aren’t practicing 4+ hours a day then it probably won’t work out.”

Symphony Orchestra Auditions

While some individuals wow the selection panel at their first audition and win a symphony seat straight out of college, most find that it takes more hard work and experience performing.

Those fortunate enough to win a spot in a training orchestra like the New World Symphony in Miami will be provided housing and a stipend to support them for a year or more and throughout the audition period. Many end up getting a job before ever finishing a training orchestra program.

Adam Sadberry, the flutist with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, says that he “auditioned for grad schools and a couple of training orchestra programs” before “winning and accepting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s African-American Orchestra Fellowship.

“I spent one year in the program playing 18 weeks of the DSO’s season,” he shares, “and during that period, I played every role in the flute section including principal. I also did a ton of mock auditions for DSO members and took several auditions around the country. Along the way, I was invited to perform with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra as guest principal flute for a few weeks, and I was extremely fortunate to be appointed as the acting principal flutist of the orchestra.”

Janet Gamber, the Reading Symphony Orchestra violinist, talks about the financial challenges of taking auditions. Musicians are responsible for their own transportation, lodging, food and the cost of missed work. “The whole process was an emotional roller coaster,” she remembers. “In order to get in the mindset to take an audition, you have to believe you can win. You prepare all the music and convince yourself you’re going to win, and then you’re asked to leave after just a minute or two.”

Isaac Trapkus, bassist with the New York Philharmonic, first played with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and before that the New Haven Symphony. ��

“I definitely worked much harder after winning the Detroit job to make sure I was prepared enough to win the NY Phil spot when it was announced,” he admits.��“The audition was announced about three months before the actual audition date and the audition repertoire list of solos and orchestra excerpts was sent to applicants shortly after. I knew there would be other people more talented than me taking the audition so I knew I would have to outwork everyone to have a realistic shot.����

“I can say confidently that nobody prepared more for that audition than I did. Of course you never really know, but unless you’re the magic person who wins a job right out of school you have to have that approach and attitude in order to win an audition – because if you don’t, someone like me is out there who will out-prepare, out-work and out-perform you.

“I have colleagues who had a much easier time winning their audition and did not have to put in all the work I did but they are surely the exception. Far too often I see other people preparing for auditions as if they too will have the easy path to winning and then seem surprised when they never advance.”

Tim Jones, violinist and associate concert master with the Wichita Symphony, had his share of auditions after getting his doctorate: “Ultimately I think one of��the most important things when��taking orchestral auditions is not getting too attached to the idea of the job too soon – even on the day of the audition��as you successfully��advance through the rounds.

“If you are heading into an audition with the feeling that your whole career depends upon winning or that your entire life has naturally led up to that particular job,” he adds,��“the extra stress you’ve put upon yourself��may well be enough to keep you from��showing��your true best. This may not be the case for everyone, but��on a couple of occasions��I found myself��feeling that the stars were aligning when I reached the final round;��the ultimate effect, however, was not that I relaxed and played more confidently, but that I became more anxious and distracted.”

Economic Realities

According to the League of American Orchestras, there are over 1200 non-profit orchestras in the U.S. alone. Salaries for orchestra members fluctuate based on the size of the orchestra, from six figures in a few of the largest symphonies to hourly wages in others.

The symphony orchestra players interviewed for this article had diverse needs and views around working outside of their symphony jobs. Some earn a viable income through their orchestra jobs alone. Others teach, gig, and work at non-musical jobs.��

When Chris Cabrera first started working with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, the cost of living in Oahu led him to work as a barista in his first season there. He now plays area gigs, and teaches and subs with the Royal Hawaiian Band when not performing with the Symphony.

Janet Gamber was freelancing to gain experience performing with orchestras and while auditioning for an orchestra seat. But freelancing became unsatisfying and economically challenging. With the help of a career adviser and the skills she gained in college and grad school in science, technology and recording engineering, Gamber found a full-time job working in cloud-based software in Colorado. She now works remotely most of the time, so traveling 2,000 miles to perform with the Reading Symphony Orchestra outside of Philadelphia works well with her schedule.

Jason Shafer, principal clarinetist with the Colorado Symphony, is also an instructor of clarinet at the University of Northern Colorado. While he appreciates the additional source of income that teaching provides, Shafer believes that income should never be the reason for teaching. He warns: “If you don’t love teaching, don’t do it! But if you do love it, we are so lucky as musicians to have the chance to make a real difference in the lives of our students, both in their development as musicians and in their personal growth. Personally, I can’t imagine my career without teaching!”

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Great Tips from Symphony Orchestra Members

“Find a private teacher that you love, and take lessons! Take the inspiration that you get from those lessons and let it bloom and grow in every way that you can think of: go to great concerts, listen to 10 recordings of the same piece, discover new music, and practice thoughtfully.”��

– Jason Shafer, Principal Clarinet, Colorado Symphony
(BM, Eastman��School of Music)

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“I cannot stress enough how important ‘smart practicing’ is, especially when you have a lot going on around you. Go for quality, not quantity.

“There is lot of pressure when it comes to executing orchestral excerpts behind the screen and by the time we audition, we have to be physically and mentally prepared.��

“Most importantly, no matter the outcome, we have to be able to sustain a positive and winning attitude during the journey and embrace success and failure at the same time. We all become a better version of ourselves throughout the adventure!”��

– Ani Bukujian, Principal 2nd Violin, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra
(BM, MM Juilliard; Concertmaster Track, San Francisco Conservatory of Music)

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“Pursue educated and smart practice rather than just long hours. I’ve found that if I do research about tempi and style and think about interpretation before I even touch my instrument I’m able to save a lot of time in the practice room and can use the time I have more efficiently.

“Studying scores, listening to recordings and watching videos of how a conductor might lead certain tricky passages are all great ways to prepare yourself mentally and to learn a piece better. This also helps prevent injury – and I would also add that taking breaks frequently is a great way to stay healthy. I sometimes set a timer to make sure that I don’t play for too long before taking a five or ten minute break. It’s really made a big difference for me.”

– Felicity James, Violin; Associate Concert Master, Minnesota Orchestra
(BM, Colburn Conservatory of Music)

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“It is always an emotional experience to walk away after a lost audition, but in modern times musicians��have to remember that not winning the job does not mean that one��is��not qualified.��

“I’ve come to believe that in most cases,��between 25-50% of the musicians gathered for any particular audition ‘deserve’ the job, or at the least are capable of performing at the level required. While that might initially seem to be a depressing or discouraging assumption, in truth it’s the opposite.��

“The fact that many qualified individuals are��rejected from every orchestral audition is potentially��the greatest��emotional��buoy in the wake of lost auditions; being turned away doesn’t always��mean that you weren’t appreciated, or that you didn’t sound beautiful, or that the jury thought you played poorly. It only means that someone else caught their attention in a specific way.”

– Timothy Jones, Violin; Associate Concert Master, Wichita Symphony; Visiting Asst. Professor of Violin, Wichita State University
(DMA, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul; MM, Azusa Pacific University; BME/BM – Wichita State University)

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“I would HIGHLY recommend people who are majoring in music performance also major in music education or something else they are passionate about so they have options later in life when the orchestra dream doesn’t pan out for 98% of them. I was in that 98% boat and it’s only by luck of meeting an amazing teacher 5 years after my masters degree that I was able to finally put it all together and win a job. I only had a performance degree and I was not prepared for a professional life outside orchestra playing. That was not smart but that is still the path I see most music performance majors on today.”

– Isaac Trapkus, Bassist; New York Philharmonic
(MM, Juilliard; BM, University of Michigan)

–�ē�ē�ē�ē�ē

“Do not go into debt with a music degree, especially if you want to perform with an orchestra. You need the ability to keep practicing and will likely not make a lot of money while you’re preparing for and taking auditions. If you’re saddled with debt, you’re going to have to find a way to earn enough money to pay down the loans, and that will likely take away from your ability to spend time practicing and performing.”

– Janet Gamber, Violin; Reading Symphony Orchestra
(MM, University of Colorado Boulder College of Music; BA Bryn Mawr College)

 

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Additional Resources

“” by Lucas Reilly

by Jeremy Reynolds

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Photo Credits

Top photo: Jason Shafer, Clarinetist, Colorado Symphony; photo by��Brandon Marshall ����

Second photo:��Adam Sadberry, flute, Memphis Symphony Orchestra �� – ��

Third Photo: Dana Johnson, violin, Arctic Philharmonic in Norway; ��photo by Annette Isabelle Photography

 

 

Stage presence is an essential aspect of an enjoyable and memorable audience experience.

Observations of recitals of pre-college and college musicians, however, suggest that this vital element of musicianship is often missing in the education of young performers. Training in music school facilitates immense musical growth, and students spend years in practice rooms refining their technical and artistic skills. However, the end goal of a performance may be forgotten: effectively communicating to an audience.

Visual cues

Nonverbal communication (body language) accounts for the majority of how we process a message conveyed to us by another person. Recent studies show a significant link between the visual cues a performer gives the audience and the audience’s overall takeaway regarding the quality of the performance.

All of these provide information to your audience and affect their perception of the performance:

• The stage set up
• Your entrance on stage
• Your level of confidence as perceived by the audience
• Your attire
• Your physical expression and movement within the performance
• Interaction between performers on stage

Music is still the top priority. We prepare for a performance with the expectation that audiences are coming to listen. But, whether or not they realize it, our audiences are conditioned to crave more than sound: they want an experience. Though the repertoire is the main event, the energy we project serves as a pivotal ingredient that enhances or detracts from the experience as a whole.

The good news: stage presence is a skill you can practice and refine. By following a few basic guidelines, you’ll gain the confidence needed to effectively communicate with your audience.

Performance stage set up

• Know the basics of the setup appropriate for your performance, from the position of the piano relative to the audience, to where to be placed as a soloist, so that you can communicate with your pianist (or ensemble partners) and the audience.

• How are you setting up your music and accomplishing page turns?

• Are there distractions on stage that could detract from your performance?

Attire

• The clothing you perform in should be appropriate to the event type, location, season, venue temperature, and time of day.

• Your performance attire can impact your level of physical comfort. Consider your comfort level if you’re planning to wear bowties or neckties, jackets, stiletto heels, off-shoulder or shoulder straps.

• Practice your entire performance in your performance clothing. It’s psychologically reassuring to know that you have rehearsed every element of your performance.

Your entrance on stage

• What side of the stage will you enter from? How will you make it to your place on the stage? With some venues, you may even be walking through the audience to get to the stage!

• For ensembles, what order will you walk on stage, and who will initiate the bow? Will you exit the stage in between selections?

Welcoming your audience

Your posture, facial expression, eye contact, and pacing all provide nonverbal cues to the audience as you walk on stage. They indicate your level of excitement in welcoming guests to listen to your performance.

I encourage musicians to walk with a calm confidence that projects ease. Show at least a hint of a smile –– or to at least be aware of what your face is projecting! Make some eye contact with the audience before you bow.

Before the day of your performance, try taking a video of yourself walking on stage.

Observe your:

• Pace entering and exiting the stage – is it hesitant, rushed, or relaxed? Can you walk comfortably in your attire and shoes?
• Posture and eye contact – what do they communicate?
• Facial expression – is it nervous, stiff, or friendly?

Also look to see how you:

• Acknowledge the audience while walking on and off stage
• Handle your instrument and accessories as you enter/exit
• Acknowledge your audience with eye contact and a bow before setting up

Your bow

Bowing has traditionally been associated with greetings and farewells. It’s also a display of respect and/or gratitude. It continues to be an expectation for classical performances. Consider it your way of greeting the audience and expressing your gratitude for their support.

Talking to your audience

Performers are opting to speak directly to the audience in place of or in addition to providing program notes. Here are a few tips on speaking at a performance.

1. Come to a full stop at stage center. Wait for applause to die down before you start speaking.

– If you have a tendency to fidget or rock, try clasping your hands together, holding them at waist height.

– If using a microphone, consider holding it with both hands.

– Stand tall and think about rooting your feet into the ground.

2. If you are the concert organizer (especially if it is a special event), greet the audience and share a little about the occasion, program, and performers.

– You may also use this time to remind the audience to turn off cell phones and smart watches and to clarify your policy on photos and recording.

3. If you’re new to public speaking, you may tend to talk quietly and rush your words. In a larger venue, speak out louder and more slowly than you think you need to in order to be heard. Finish your thoughts as opposed to trailing off. If you’ve started a sentence but can’t think of what to say next, restate your most recent point as an assertive concluding statement.

4. Standard works by well-known composers typically don’t require an introduction. However, if you are presenting an unusual work or contemporary selection, sharing some insight can really help the audience’s appreciation. You might want to include:

– A few interesting facts about the life of the composer

– Context of the piece – and what to listen for

– A short conclusion along the lines of “I hope you enjoy this work”

At the end of the performance

We don’t always have the best sense of how our performance went, especially immediately afterward. No matter how you think it went, it is important to stay in character as a performer. Bow with gratitude, smile, and walk offstage with a calm presence. If your audience is still clapping, don’t take too much time before returning for a subsequent bow.

If there is a meet-and-greet after the performance, take time to really listen to your fans and hear what they enjoyed. Thank them for their support and focus on the positive. Even if there was room for improvement, your performance may have been a very meaningful experience for members of the audience. If they feel moved to speak with you, accept their praise with gratitude and humility.

Owning your stage presence

There is no cookie-cutter style of stage presence that works for everyone. The energy in your walk, gaze, and bow should be a reflection of your personality and style. Whether or not you are a professional performer at this point in your life, your goal is to present yourself in a manner that transmits self-respect as well as respect for your audience. Good luck, and have fun with this!

 

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Elizabeth Borowsky, MM Piano Performance, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, is a pianist, composer, educator, speaker, and recording artist. She is executive director of the and presents workshops on a variety of topics to enhance performance skills, including stage presence.

Photo Credits: Top – Mark Lyons; Lower – NPR/From the Top

by Marcus Turner

Playing music in a youth orchestra offers a host of opportunities, from performing to meeting peers who are equally as passionate about music, to preparing for auditions. Let’s take a closer look at how youth orchestras are set up and how they can help you if you’re a serious musician interested in possibly majoring in music.

Just the facts, ma’am

When considering a youth orchestra, you’ll want to first be sure you have all of your facts straight. For instance, does your instrument fit into the orchestra?

Most youth orchestra programs accept all standard orchestral instruments (violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba, percussion). While some orchestral repertoire uses saxophone, standard orchestras do not have a permanent saxophonist (though other opportunities exist in extracurricular wind ensembles where saxophones are needed).

Other things to consider include private lessons, which are often required to join a youth orchestra.

Your first audition!

Membership in a youth orchestra is typically based on an audition. This gives the conductor the opportunity to hear each member of the ensemble before deciding on the pieces the group will perform.

There are often a variety of orchestras available for students as they develop musically. For example, the Greater Boulder Youth Orchestra in Boulder, Colorado consists of three orchestras and one wind ensemble. Executive Director Brian Jack says, “For many of our youngest members, they’re about to complete Suzuki Book 2 and this is their first orchestra experience.”

Regardless of your age and playing level, your audition and the opportunity to receive feedback are invaluable as you decide whether music is the career path for you.

Upping the bar

As musicians develop technically, their ability to play more advanced music develops as well. Advanced youth orchestras offer students the opportunity to experience masterworks by composers such as Beethoven, Brahms and even Mahler. These experiences can be a wonderful complement to the education you receive through your school band or orchestra program and prepare you for an intensive musical education. In fact, according to Julie Strom, orchestra manager for the Denver Young Artists Orchestra, “Approximately 75% of graduated students move on to major or minor in music in college.” The chance to be around other students who share a passion for music-making often leads to lifelong friendships and connections for youth orchestra members as well.

Costs

While the positive experiences that students gain from youth orchestra membership are vast, parents and families often wonder about the costs involved. More and more youth orchestras have begun to incorporate accessibility into their planning to encourage more students to participate. The Youth Orchestras of Fresno, a program based on the El Sistema Model, run an “Accent on Access” program designed to offer students free after-school violin lessons.�� Many of these students end up joining the youth orchestras after developing their skills. In addition to programs like these, youth orchestras often offer “need-based” scholarships to assist families with the cost of participation.

Putting in the hours

Being a member of a youth orchestra, as with any team or club, involves a significant time commitment. If you are taking private lessons, playing in your school band or orchestra, and participating in a youth orchestra, you may find that your practice time needs to be increased to keep up. Additionally, rehearsals may take place on weekends or evenings when all students are usually available. Missing even one rehearsal can have a major impact on the success of the orchestra.

While this may seem overwhelming, the experience can be viewed as preparation for college, where deadlines, finals, papers and practice all must go together in harmony. “Regardless of their college majors,” says Brian Jack of the Greater Boulder Youth Orchestra, “all students can benefit from the skills used in youth orchestra, including teamwork, concentration, prioritization, practice, and much more.”

Outside the (conductor’s) box

While youth orchestras can perform standard orchestral repertoire, these organizations may also run special programs. The Chicago Youth Symphony, in addition to its large orchestras, offers a jazz orchestra and steel pan orchestra. The South Bend Youth Symphony includes a special chamber music program that brings students out into the community performing small concerts at bookstores, nursing homes and restaurants.

Key points

Youth orchestras create a community in which musically-inclined students can thrive. Regardless of whether you go on to study music, chemistry or engineering, a youth symphony experience can be a positive guiding force in socialization and development.

If you are considering joining a youth orchestra, here are some questions to ask:

• Do they take my instrument? If not, is there another program I could join that does take my instrument?

• When are rehearsals? Can I fit them into my schedule?

• What does the audition entail? When are auditions held?

• What is the cost of tuition? Are scholarships available?

Once you have answers to these questions and are ready to move forward, you will join a community unlike any other and take one more step in preparing to major in music if that’s your goal.

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Musician and administrator Marcus Turner has worked with the and . He holds degrees in Music Education and Musicology from VanderCook College of Music and the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music.

Photo credits:
Courtesy of Denver Young Artists Orchestra, photography by Doug Zimmerman.

In recent years, many graduates of music conservatories have found that excellent instrumental or voice training alone is not sufficient career preparation for 21st-century musicians. Fewer available orchestral jobs and a larger pool of highly-trained performers prepared to take them is a reality. Dwindling classical and jazz audiences add to the challenges musicians face.

Although no two music conservatories are alike, many have been discovering the same thing: the needs of 21st-century musicians are different than those of previous generations. These institutions are hard at work to meet the challenges.

9 ways music conservatories are changing to provide more relevant education

Harold Abeles, co-director of the Center for Arts Education Research and professor of Music and Music Education at Columbia University Teachers College, encourages students to seek out opportunities in addition to performing. No matter how successful you’ve been in high school, he says, it’s a myth that a career as a performer is ready and waiting for you once you get your degree.

So what are music conservatories doing for their students to facilitate a greater chance of success?

1. They’re taking a close look at core curricula and making changes to strengthen students’ chances of working in music when they graduate – while maintaining the very high level of technical and musical mastery for which they’re known.

2. They’re finding new ways to address student career interests by adding new majors. San Francisco Conservatory of Music now offers a Technology and Applied Composition major for “a new generation of composers who are equally at home in the realm of concert music, film and video game scoring, and sound design.” Manhattan School of Music is adding a musical theatre major, while Eastman School of Music is adding a master’s degree in Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media, Digital Media Composition – to prepare students to write for film, video games, and new media.

3. Students are being introduced to new ways of relating to and understanding their audiences. “They have to create their audiences,” says David Van Zandt, president of The New School.

4. The kinds of opportunities “which used to be offered around the edges of a conservatory education, as optional add-ons, are now moving into the core curriculum and being integrated into a more holistic conservatory experience,” says Townsend Plant, associate dean for enrollment and student life at The Peabody Conservatory.

5. Students are learning to be flexible in their approach to where they perform. According to Deborah Kelleher, director of the Royal Irish Academy of Music, “In simple terms, these (traditional) venues are no longer where most people access music performance. We need to understand the audience and where it wants to have its experience.”

6.�� Collaborative projects with non-music students in venues outside the traditional concert halls are encouraged. For example, students at the 100-year-old collaborate with the two other components of the The New School’s College of Performing Arts – the and The School of Drama. Music students are also working in conjunction with New School’s Parsons School of Design, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, and the social action-based Schools of Public Engagement to create innovative performances.

7. Music conservatories are taking a wider, more holistic approach to education than in the past. At the Royal Irish Academy of Music, for example, “RIAM Holistic” provides performance psychology coaching, Feldenkrais education to reduce pain and movement limitations, and yoga training “to ensure that the mind and body are also fit and ready for the profession,” says Kelleher.

8. Entrepreneurial skills training is giving students the tools needed to create and build their careers. Marketing, audience engagement, donor engagement, outreach, public speaking, media interface, website development, digital portfolios, résumé preparation, and grant writing are typically included. At some schools, students are also learning to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset described by Astrid Baumgardner, arts coach and coordinator of Career Strategies at Yale School of Music, as including “risk-taking, resilience, and the ability to spot and take advantage of opportunities.”

9. Funding to support students’ creative efforts is expanding. For example, at Peabody Conservatory, the Dean’s Incentive Grants fund “innovative student projects.” At , students can apply for financial support via competitive grants “to implement their entrepreneurial ideas and explore their intellectual and artistic passions.”

Despite these innovations, it’s still up to conservatory students, like all music majors, to find the classes, mentors, and experiences they will need to help them meet their career goals. And while entrepreneurship training is more available now than ever before, learning to work from an entrepreneurial mindset is less defined and often neglected despite its importance for self-starting a career.

Are you a good fit for a music conservatory?

Students drawn to studying at a music conservatory tend to be:

• Passionate about studying and performing music.
• Seeking a highly-focused, performance-heavy degree.
• Able to maintain a strong work ethic.
• Willing and able to keep going when the going gets tough.
• Able to use constructive feedback without being too tough on themselves.
• Capable of maintaining a strong, efficient, and effective practice schedule.
• Open to career opportunities beyond a seat in an orchestra.
• Academically capable although academics are secondary to learning and mastering their instrument at the highest level possible.

As Joe Bennett, vice-president for Academic Affairs and Dean of , says: “There are many thousands of hours of learning in a conservatory education, and it is this devotion to the craft and art that will help our students to succeed – to perform and create at the highest artistic level.”

What can you do to prepare to apply and audition?

1. Start early! Many conservatory students are already serious about practicing and performing by middle school.

2. Find a good teacher who has experience helping students prepare for college-level music as well as auditions.

Cathy Partlow Strauss, director of Communications at Oberlin Conservatory recommends “teachers who address issues of technique, musicianship, and expressiveness; those who provide guidance and leads to resources for enhancing experiences outside the teaching studio.”

3. Find opportunities to perform solo as well as with youth symphonies, choirs, and ensembles.

4. Take where you can find excellent mentors, students of similar proficiency to perform with, and opportunities to explore areas of music you haven’t had time for during the school year. Many of these are offered by schools where you may want to apply.

5. Investigate other musical genres and contexts outside your norm and comfort zone to inform your music and your sense of possibility in music. At Boston Conservatory, Joe Bennett says, “We like to see musical breadth – evidence of curricular and extra-curricular music activity, including community groups, youth orchestras, bands and small ensembles. And our recent merger with the Berklee College of Music means we are starting to welcome more applicants who have musical experience beyond the ‘classical’ repertoire, including digital music-making, popular musics, music of other cultures and music with other media, such as dance, theater, moving image or via the internet.”

6. Work with your teacher to select the right repertoire. Make sure:

• it matches what each school requires.
• it’s not so difficult that it doesn’t show your talent and skills well.

7. Townsend Plant at Peabody reminds students that “what music school faculty are really looking for are students who love to perform. And that is demonstrated by making music – paying attention to phrasing, dynamics, and all of the things that go into a communicative performance.”

8. “Most of all, practice and follow your passion. Dig deeper into other works written by composers you are studying. Listen to as much music as you can—both recordings and live concerts in the genre you wish to pursue in your studies, as well as music outside of that sphere,” says Partlow Strauss at Oberlin.

What are alumni doing now?

Music conservatory graduates take many paths, including:

• Performing in orchestras, opera companies, and chamber ensembles throughout the world
• Graduate school for K-12 and higher education teaching careers
• Certificate and diploma programs to prepare for competitions as well as graduate school auditions
• Composing
• Arranging
• Creating performance ensembles
• Working for or creating non-profit arts organizations
• Teaching at private music studios and community music schools
• Switching gears and going into non-music fields

are common. Recent grads often have several income streams. Here are a few examples:

Matthew Lowy, B.M., Composition, Boston Conservatory at Berklee (’15), chose a conservatory “for the intense work environment and full immersion in music.” His interest in musical theatre led him to explore opportunities to accompany and direct productions while getting his degree. He now freelances as an accompanist and music director at a middle school; arranges and composes; is assistant music director of the summer conservatory at Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey; and tours as a keyboardist (“Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” national tour, 2015; “My Fair Lady,” China tour, 2016).

Jennifer Nicole Campbell, B.M., Piano Performance (’14); M.M. Piano Performance (’15), Peabody Conservatory, is a soloist with symphonies in Pennsylvania and Delaware. She’s also an active composer with several commissions to her credit. Campbell teaches at two community music schools; runs a private piano studio; and has been serving as Artist-in-Residence at Delaware County Symphony. As a musical entrepreneur, Campbell also sells the sheet music for her chamber, choral, vocal and solo piano compositions and arrangements. “I starting realizing that you really have to work hard to promote yourself in addition to practicing and networking,” she says.

Scott Miller II, B.M., Composition, SUNY Fredonia (’13); M.M. Composition and M.M. Music Theory Pedagogy (’15), Peabody Conservatory, is a composer, educator and bassist. He composes; substitute teaches at Peabody Preparatory; is a private music theory tutor; and works as the archives assistant at Arthur Friedhelm Music Library. He’s also been selected to be a 2016 Fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and School in Composition Studies.

Gabe Pollack, B.M., Jazz Entrepreneurship, Oberlin Conservatory, created his own major that set him up well to direct the Bop Stop, voted as Cleveland’s best jazz club in 2015. In addition to booking and producing all of its events, he teaches trumpet technique and improvisation and performs with a big band, quintet, and at weddings, church gigs, and private parties.

Bryan Hayslett, B.M., ; Graduate Performance Diploma (’15) and M.M. (’13), Cello Performance, Boston Conservatory, is taking doctoral-level classes at NYU. He also performs contemporary music as a dancing cellist; is an adjunct cello teacher at NYU; teaches private lessons; freelances; and tutors students in GRE prep. His goal? “More of the same! I want to teach at a university, but because there are so few of those positions, I plan to freelance while applying for jobs,” he says.

How did two high school students from Colorado set themselves up to have their music heard by 700,000 listeners in a single day?

Ask Emily Switzer, violin, and Bryan Dunnewald, organ. These two 17-year-old juniors were both chosen to perform with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra (CSO) on National Public Radio’s “From the Top” weekly classical music program.

Emily grew up in a family of musicians. Both parents are members of the CSO, which in itself has provided both advantages and challenges. Emily worked hard to gain the role of concertmaster for the Denver Young Artists Orchestra, but she also proved herself to be a gifted violinist, as well as a strong academic student with many interests, at Kent Denver School.

Bryan started out on piano at age four but found the inner workings of the organ so fascinating that he started organ lessons at nine. He spent the summer between freshman and sophomore years of high school studying organ at��Interlochen��Summer Arts Camp, and became a student at the Interlochen Arts Academy for the remainder of high school. Bryan, now a student at Curtis Institute of Music, aspires to perform as well as to build organs, and has played almost 100 organs around the US in his role as a database contributor and photographer for the Organ Historical Society. He also managed to gain his Eagle Scout status in his “spare” time.

Listen to Bryan and Emily, both wise beyond their years, as they share their thoughts on the challenges musicians encounter at any age, including: auditions, performance anxiety, and balancing a heavy practice schedule with other commitments.

Clifton Williams

Classical music performance majors have inherited an enormous challenge: how to revitalize classical music to protect its legacy and insure its longevity. Staring them in the face: audience decline, symphony bankruptcies, and questions about the relevance of the music and the way in which it is presented.�� Solutions to these and other dilemmas demand new approaches to presenting classical music that every current and future classical musician must address.

Author and music journalist Nick Romeo decided to follow some of the country’s top young classical musicians along their musical journeys. In an effort to see how they have been faring in this age of classical music upheaval, he selected six of the 2,000 gifted young classical musicians who have appeared on NPR’s weekly radio show,��. His book,��, explores their paths both before and after their appearances on the show. He focuses on their unique approaches to re-imagining classical music to keep it vibrant and appealing to a mix of generations.

Each of the individuals highlighted in Driven has a vastly different story:

• Soprano Nadine Sierra��was 15 when she appeared on “From the Top.” At age 20, she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, considered the most prestigious of all voice competitions in North America. She was the youngest soprano to ever achieve this accomplishment.
• Dasha Bukharseva,��who grew up in Ukraine where she was living with her mother in extreme poverty, was discovered by U.S. travelers who made her dream of studying piano come true. She studied at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, was featured on “From the Top”, secured a spot in Juilliard’s pre-college program, and eventually got accepted to The Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University.
• Charles Yang��is described as a crossover artist. He grew up in a traditional Chinese household where he was groomed to become a classical violinist especially by his mother, also a trained violinist, symphony performer, and teacher. As a teenager, however, Charles found passion in rock guitar. He went to Juilliard as a strings major but managed to perform in both genres. His performances on the guitar and violin are equally electrifying and eclectic.
• Greg Anderson and Liz Roe��started performing together in 2000 as freshmen at Juilliard. Their website indicates that their mission is “To make classical music a relevant and powerful force in society” as well as “To free the world from the constraints of sleep-inducing concerts.” Indeed, their exuberance and musical risk-taking provide audiences with one-of-a-kind experiences that keep them coming back for more.
• •��Clifton Williams,��jazz pianist and Berklee College of Music Presidential scholar, grew up playing gospel and jazz piano in inner-city Washington, D.C. When he performed for “From the Top”, he had only been playing classical piano for three years. Music allowed Williams to transcend the harshness of the environment outside of his home and gave him something to reach for in his life.
• Matthew Muckey��was 17 when he was invited to “From the Top.” At the time, he had never performed on any kind of national scale. He went on to��Northwestern University Bienen School of Music��and at age 22 became associate principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic.

Romeo, a pianist himself, writes with the relaxed candor characteristic of his generation (he’s��27). He weaves creative takes on audience etiquette and performer/audience engagement with human interest stories of auditioning highs and lows, prodigy child/parent struggles, and the mixed experience of sudden acclaim. He also describes collaborative ventures and genre bending in which some of the six musicians are involved.

Romeo’s perspective offers valuable insights for high school and college musicians who envision a career in classical music. His persevering inquisitiveness reveals useful input for the rewriting of the classical music roadmap.