Juilliard Pre-College runs on Saturdays, generally from 9am to 6pm. Students must be prepared to attend during these hours. Because of scheduling complexities, students may be asked to take private lessons in their major or chamber music coachings during the week.
- Private Lessons (60 minutes)
- Music Theory
- Ear Training
| Major-Specific Courses | Elective Courses |
|---|---|
|
|
Study is enhanced by ample performance opportunities. Pre-College presents more than 200 public performances each season, including solo, chamber, and orchestral concerts at venues throughout Juilliard and Lincoln Center.
Course Descriptions
Theory
A dynamic sequence that builds vocabulary and concepts from elementary topics to advanced studies in form analysis and chromatic harmony. The program cultivates musicianship by developing analytical and listening skills that connect classroom learning to musical repertoire. Additional advanced electives are offered on a rotating basis, tailored to match students' interests.
One hour weekly. Placement by examination.
Ear Training
Ear training is a vital component in the development of a musician. The various activities aid the student in perfecting pitch and rhythm performance skills. Students learn to recognize and react to harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic structures through recitation and dictation. At the most advanced levels, students apply aural skills to performance repertoire. Score reading, clef reading, transposition.
One hour weekly. Placement by examination.
Orchestra
All students majoring in an orchestral instrument participate in one of three orchestras: the Pre-College String Ensemble, Pre-College Symphony, or Pre-College Orchestra. The orchestral repertoire covered in this program offers students a comprehensive performing experience through various periods and genres. Soloists for all concertos are Pre-College students selected by competition.
Two and a half hours weekly. Placement in the orchestras by age and by discretion of the administration.
Chamber Music
With the major teacher's approval, all students are eligible for chamber music. During their studies in the division, eligible students must participate in chamber music for at least one year. Harp, double bass, voice, percussion, organ, and composition majors are exempt from this requirement and are offered additional studio or ensemble classes.
One hour weekly. Placement in the chamber music program by discretion of the administration.
Piano Performance Forum
All students majoring in piano and organ are required to participate in Piano Performance Forum, which offers performance opportunities to students throughout the year. Special class topics include introduction to different keyboard instruments, various styles of performance, and master classes with faculty and guest artists.
One hour weekly.
Vocal Performance Class
The Voice program is designed to prepare young singers for the rigorous demands of conservatory training. In addition to music theory, ear training, and private lessons, voice majors are required to take diction, Vocal Performance Class, and a 30-minute vocal coaching. They are also encouraged to take a 30-minute piano lesson. Applicants must be at least 14 years old at the time of the audition.
Electives
Private Lesson (Secondary Instrument or Composition)
Students who wish to pursue studies on a second instrument or composition must apply for instruction in August before the start of each academic year. Acceptance for secondary instruction is based on faculty approval and availability. Not all requests for secondary instruction will be granted. There is an additional fee for secondary instruction.
Advanced Ear Training
Instructor: Dr. Evan Fein, time TBD. Advanced course designed for those interested in composition and conducting. Prerequisite: Completion of the Pre-College Ear Training Curriculum.
Alexander Technique
Instructor: Ms. Fanny Wyrick-Flax. Tune into your primary instrument - yourself! Learn to decompress your spine, release tension, and boost your balance to find your musical flow through the Alexander Technique. Semester long class (15 weeks) offered in the Fall and the Spring Semesters. Open to all Preparatory Division students. Additional Fee may apply.
Music History Survey: Bach To Mahler
Instructor: Dr. Ira Taxin. A survey of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods through the lives and music of the great composers. Open to all Preparatory Divisions students. Additional Fee may apply.
Music History Survey: 20th-Century Music
Instructor: Dr. Trevor Weston. The Twentieth Century saw dramatic changes in the creation, production, and conception of music in Western culture. Although artists in all fields during the last century looked for new forms of expression, composers introduced drastic new approaches to creating music that sometimes produced controversial results. This course will cover all major historical developments in Twentieth Century Music and connect these changes to extra musical and artistic movements of the last century. The fall term will cover music from the end of the Romantic period to World War II. The Spring semester will examine changes since the Second World War to the end of the century. Open to all Preparatory Division students. Additional fee may apply.
Group Composition
A small group class for students interested in music composition, but with little or no previous experience. Study of basic notions of pitch, rhythm, line and form. Writing assignments of two-voice and three-voice compositions. Discussion of student progress. Class may be repeated on different levels.
One hour weekly. Open to all Preparatory Division non-composition majors with permission. Additional fee may apply.
Counterpoint
Study of species counterpoint in two and three voices. Writing exercises.
Prerequisite: Advanced level of theory and ear training, and permission of the department. Study of 18th-century counterpoint including canon and fugue. Writing exercises and analysis. Required for composition majors who are scheduled for the class automatically. Open to all non-composition majors. Additional fee may apply.
Post-Tonal Theory
Instructor: Dr. Eric Sessler, time TBD. This course will investigate various analytical approaches to post-tonal music. Among the composers covered will include Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, and Bartok with an introduction to the Second Viennese School and various serial techniques. Prerequisite: Completion of the Pre-College Music Theory Curriculum.
Conducting
A practical course in orchestral conducting, including baton technique, score analysis, and the study of technical and musical problems involved in conducting classical and contemporary works. Open to all Preparatory Division Students with permission. Additional fee may apply.
The Science of Resilience
Stress less and achieve more! In this course, you will use fun tools like Virtual Reality and biofeedback to learn how to elicit the Relaxation Response, the opposite of the stress response. Maximize your performance in all areas of life with more motivation and less procrastination. Positive psychology and emotional intelligence skills backed by research at the Benson Henry Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard, will optimize your brain and improve your health down to the genomic level so you can perform, relate, sleep, eat and move better. Open to all Preparatory Division Students. Additional fee may apply.
Improvisation workshop
The ability to improvise is one of the most essential skills for any musician. It develops confidence, freedom of expression, creativity, and better understanding of the pieces that we study. In this course you will improvise in a wide range of styles from the 18th to 21th centuries, focusing on compositional thinking, harmonic imagination, and melodic fluency. Open to all Preparatory Division Students. Additional fee may apply.
Beyond Solo Piano: Keyboard Strategies for Pianists
Instructor: Mika Sasaki, 4pm. This elective for piano majors explores repertoire and keyboard skills that challenge the student beyond the study of solo piano playing. Students will read a variety of chamber music repertoire written for the keyboard, learn to play from orchestral and chamber music scores, transpose songs, practice playing harmonic progressions to set a foundation for melodic harmonization and improvisation, and explore contemporary extended techniques as well as less familiar repertoire. Sharpening these skills at the piano will deepen the student’s understanding of the musical language and literature and support their future endeavors in their solo piano studies and beyond. Open to piano majors. Additional fee may apply.
Fundamentals of Orchestration
Study how instruments work together in chamber and orchestra music. Listening and writing exercises. Open to all students with permission. Required for composition majors who are scheduled for the class automatically.
Music Technology and Screen Scoring
Instructor: Ms. Katie Jenkins; 9am and 10am. This course will allow students the chance to build skills in music technology in order to compose, edit, record and produce their own music, enabling them to be well- rounded, self-sufficient musicians in today's ever-evolving industry. The course will cover the following areas: basic use of Logic Pro, studio techniques, mixing and mastering skills, home studio set-up and screen-scoring. Students can create music of different levels of complexity depending on their experience with the technology. Homework may include recording, composition exercises, production tasks and listening assignments. The course will conclude with a final project in the form of an original piece of music, with the option to compose to picture. Open to all Preparatory Division students. Prerequisite: access to a laptop or desktop computer. Additional fee may apply.
Sound
A fundamental exploration of sound itself, as both physical phenomenon and biological sensation, tailored to the needs of musicians. Timbre, tuning systems, and structural acoustics will be discussed, and the following questions addressed: What exactly is sound? What are overtones and why are they important? Why do different instruments sound the way they do? What is "temperament" in musical tuning? How has tuning evolved over time? What is the "right way" to tune? How do performance venues shape sound? What structural features make for good acoustics? How do human bodies respond to sound? Why do we hear what we hear? Open to all Preparatory Division students. Additional fee may apply.