Top Music Schools in the U.S.

Juilliard School

• Founded in 1905 to ensure that American music students had access to quality music education without having to go to Europe, Juilliard has become one of the best known music conservatories in the world, educating some of the world’s premier musical talents. The alumni that Juilliard touts is stunning and includes Latin jazz musician Tito Puente, violinist Itzhak Perlman, jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, singer and pianist Nina Simone and film and television composer Michael Giacchino.

  Juilliard School
  60 Lincoln Center Plaza
  New York, NY 10023-6588
  (212) 799-5000
  juilliard.edu

Curtis Institute of Music

• Curtis Institute of Music focuses on classical music and is a ready talent pool for the Philadelphia Orchestra. Competition for admission is fierce with students vying for about 160 spots each year, but all students attend the Institute on full, merit-based scholarship and once there, are encouraged to learn through performance. Some notable graduates are tenor Michael Schade and composers Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber and Nino Rota.

  The Curtis Institute of Music
  1726 Locust St.
  Philadelphia, PA 19103
  (215) 893-5262
  curtis.edu/html/10000.shtml

Berklee College of Music

• Berklee College of Music may be considered the rock star of music schools in the U.S. Berklee focuses on the finer points of contemporary music in several genres, reflecting and building upon the music of the times. The tenet of fostering contemporary music is evident in alumni such as blues singer and guitarist Susan Tedeschi, jazz pianist and vocalist Diana Krall, rock guitarist Steve Vai, neo-traditional country singer-songwriter Gillian Welch and film composer Howard Shore.

  Berklee College of Music
  1140 Boylston Street
  Boston, MA 02215-3693
  (617) 266-1400
  berklee.edu

Conservatory of Music, Oberlin College

• Located in Oberlin, Ohio, at Oberlin College and founded in 1865, Oberlin is the oldest continuously operating conservatory in the U.S. The Conservatory focuses on undergraduate studies in classical and contemporary music. Boasting over 200 Steinway pianos, more than 150 practice rooms with windows and a student to teacher ration of eight to one, resources are abundant. Prominent graduates of Oberlin include jazz pianist Stanley Cowell and contemporary singer-songwriter Liz Phair.

  Conservatory of Music, Oberlin College
  39 W. College St.
  Oberlin, OH 44074-1588
  (440) 775-8413
  new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/

Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University

• Not everyone who loves music wants to be a performer, so if you are someone who appreciates music and wants to help further music education, promotion, artist representation or the more technical aspects of music, Belmont University has programs that may suit your goals through the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business. Positioned in one of the nation’s foremost music cities of Nashville, Tennessee, there is ample opportunity for hands on experience while learning.

  The Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University
  1900 Belmont Blvd.
  Nashville, TN 37212
  (615) 460-6601

Other Top Music Schools

• Eastman School of Music
  New England Conservatory of Music
  Boston Conservatory of Music
  Manhattan School of Music
  Jacobs School of Music
  Belmont University School of Music