The Colburn School is a
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
music school
A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger ins ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
with a focus on music and dance. It consists of four divisions: the Conservatory of Music, Music Academy, Community School of Performing Arts and the Dance Academy. It is located adjacent to the
Museum of Contemporary Art Museum of Contemporary Art (often abbreviated to MCA, MoCA or MOCA) may refer to:
Africa
* Museum of Contemporary Art (Tangier), Morocco, officially le Galerie d'Art Contemporain Mohamed Drissi
Asia East Asia
* Museum of Contemporary Art Shangha ...
and across the street from the
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, California, is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center and was designed by Frank Gehry. It was opened on October 24, 2003. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Ave ...
.
History
The school was established in 1950 as a preparatory arm of the
USC Thornton School of Music
The USC Thornton School of Music is a private music school in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1884 only four years after the University of Southern California, the Thornton School is the oldest continually operating arts institution in Los An ...
. It was originally located across the street from the
Shrine Auditorium
The Shrine Auditorium is a landmark large-event venue in Los Angeles, California. It is also the headquarters of the Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners. It was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (No. 139) in 1975, and ...
, in a warehouse that had been converted into extra USC practice rooms, rehearsal halls, and dance studios. It later broadened its mission and changed its name to the Community School of Performing Arts. In 1980, it finalized its split with USC and branched out on its own.
In 1985, the school received a significant endowment from Richard D. Colburn and was subsequently renamed in his honor. The school moved from its original location near the USC campus to its current location in
downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) contains the central business district of Los Angeles. In addition, it contains a diverse residential area of some 85,000 people, and covers . A 2013 study found that the district is home to over 500,000 jobs. It is ...
in 1998. Five years later, the Colburn Conservatory of Music was established to provide
tertiary music education with a unique all-scholarship model. In 2010, the school opened the Colburn Music Academy, a highly selective program designed for young pre-collegiate musicians.
In 2014, the Colburn Dance Academy was launched as the pre-professional ballet program of the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute. Former
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company' ...
principal dancer
Jenifer Ringer
Jenifer Ellen Ringer (born ) is an American ballet dancer and educator. She joined the New York City Ballet in 1990, became a principal dancer in 2000, and retired from performing in 2014. She then became the director of the Colburn School's pro ...
was appointed as dean and
Benjamin Millepied
Benjamin Millepied (; born 10 June 1977) is a French dancer and choreographer, who has lived and worked in the United States since joining the New York City Ballet in 1995, where he became a soloist in 1998 and a principal in 2002. He has also ...
was made artistic advisor. The same year, pianist
Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Jean-Yves Thibaudet (born 7 September 1961)Michael & Joyce Kennedy, 2007. is a French pianist.
Early life and studies
Jean-Yves Thibaudet was born in Lyon, France, to non-professional musical parents. His father played the violin, and his mother, ...
became the school’s first
Artist-in-Residence
Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space a ...
.
Programs
The Conservatory of Music currently offers a
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of prescr ...
degree, a
Master of Music degree, a Performance Diploma, an Artist Diploma, and a Professional Studies Certificate to students. All students at the Conservatory receive full scholarship including housing and stipends. The Dean of the Conservatory is Lee Cioppa.
The Conservatory is also home to the Negaunee Conducting Program. Led by conductor and composer
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Esa-Pekka Salonen (; born 30 June 1958) is a Finnish orchestral conductor and composer. He is principal conductor and artistic advisor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, conductor laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and music di ...
, fellows of the program pursue either undergraduate or graduate conducting diplomas. Apart from working with various ensembles at Colburn, they gain significant real-world experience from assisting Salonen at the
San Francisco Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony (SFS), founded in 1911, is an American orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980 the orchestra has been resident at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in the city's Hayes Valley neighborhood. The San Fr ...
and serving as assistant conductors for his engagements internationally.
The Music Academy offers a comprehensive curriculum of courses, which include music theory, ear training, singing and a vigorous chamber music program for gifted young musicians. The Dean of the Academy is Adrian Daly.
The Community School of Performing Arts serves children in the community through to age 18 and offers classes for several disciplines: Ensembles, Jazz, Music Theory, Piano, Strings, Voice and Choir, Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion and Drama. The Dean of the Community School is Susan Cook.
The Dance Academy offers a rigorous program for dancers between the ages of 14 and 19 to prepare them for a professional career. The curriculum has a focus on classical ballet while also providing instruction for other styles. The Dean of the Dance Academy is
Silas Farley
Silas Farley (born ) is an American ballet dancer, choreographer and educator. He danced at the New York City Ballet between 2013 and 2020, and choreographed outside the company. In 2021, he became the dean of Colburn School's Trudl Zipper Dance ...
.
Admission
In an unidentified year, 500 applicants applied to the Colburn School's Conservatory of Music and 26 were accepted for a 5% acceptance rate. Approximately 110 students attend the Conservatory of Music, and more than 1,500 students are enrolled in classes at the Community School of Performing Arts.
Facilities and architecture
The Colburn School's main building was designed by the architectural firm Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates. It includes the
Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. (March 31, 1890 – May 31, 1978), commonly known as Lloyd Wright, was an American architect, active primarily in Los Angeles and Southern California. He was a landscape architect for various Los Angeles projects (192 ...
designed studio of
Jascha Heifetz
Jascha Heifetz (; December 10, 1987) was a Russian-born American violinist. Born in Vilnius, he moved while still a teenager to the United States, where his Carnegie Hall debut was rapturously received. He was a virtuoso since childhood. Fritz ...
. Originally situated in Heifetz's backyard, it was saved from demolition and rebuilt on the second floor of the school's Grand Avenue building. Also located in the building is
Zipper Hall
Herbert Zipper Concert Hall is a 415-seat music venue located on the campus of the Colburn School in Los Angeles, California, United States. In addition to serving as a performance space for the school, it also is home to Monday Evening Concerts, ...
, a concert venue that hosts both professional and student performances throughout the year. The
Los Angeles Philharmonic
The Los Angeles Philharmonic, commonly referred to as the LA Phil, is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at th ...
and
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) is an American chamber orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. LACO presents its Orchestral Series concerts at two venues, the Alex Theatre in Glendale and UCLA's Royce Hall.
History
James Arkatov, a ...
have both performed chamber music concerts at the venue.
In 2016, the Colburn School bought an outdoor parking lot on the corner of 2nd and Olive Streets for $33 million. In 2022, it announced plans to build a
Frank Gehry
Frank Owen Gehry, , FAIA (; ; born ) is a Canadian-born American architect and designer. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become world-renowned attractions.
His works are considered ...
designed 1,000-seat concert hall along with several dance studios and a performance plaza on the site.
Notable faculty
*
Ted Atkatz
Ted Atkatz is the founder of and frontman for the Los Angeles-based alternative rock group NYCO. He is a former principal percussionist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO).
Atkatz left the CSO in 2006 to devote himself full-time to NYCO. The ...
- percussion
*
Andrew Bain - horn
*
Martin Beaver
Martin Beaver (born 10 November 1967) is a Canadian violinist best known as first violinist of the Tokyo String Quartet. Beaver joined the Tokyo String Quartet as its first violinist in 2002 and remained until they disbanded in 2013. As a part ...
- chamber music and violin
*
Fabio Bidini - piano
*
Paul Coletti - viola
*
Silas Farley
Silas Farley (born ) is an American ballet dancer, choreographer and educator. He danced at the New York City Ballet between 2013 and 2020, and choreographed outside the company. In 2021, he became the dean of Colburn School's Trudl Zipper Dance ...
- dance
*
Yehuda Gilad - clarinet
*
Thomas Kotcheff
Thomas Kotcheff (born 1988) is an American composer and pianist who currently resides in Los Angeles. He is a winner of a 2016 Charles Ives Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a 2015 Presser Foundation Music Award.
Biograp ...
- ear training and music theory
*
Mark Lawrence - trombone
*
Ronald Leonard
Ronald Leonard is an American cellist. He has had a distinguished career as a soloist, chamber musician, principal cellist and teacher. He is currently on the faculties of the USC Thornton School of Music and the Colburn School. He was a winner of ...
- cello
*
Teng Li
Teng Li (born in Nanjing, China) is a Chinese-Canadian viola, violist. She is currently the principal violist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. From 2004 to 2018, she was the principal violist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She is also the Art ...
- viola
*
Robert Lipsett - violin
*
Tatjana Masurenko
Tatjana Masurenko (born 21 January 1965) is a German violist of Russian descent.
Life
Masurenko was born to a Russian family of scientists and jazz musicians. Born in Dushanbe, Tadjikistan, she grew up in Saint Petersburg, where she also star ...
- viola
*
Norman Pearson - tuba
*
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Esa-Pekka Salonen (; born 30 June 1958) is a Finnish orchestral conductor and composer. He is principal conductor and artistic advisor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, conductor laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and music di ...
- conducting
*
Ory Shihor - piano
*
Arnold Steinhardt - violin
*
JoAnn Turovsky - harp
*
Jim Walker - flute
Notable alumni
*
Kris Bowers
Kristopher Bowers (born 1989) is an American composer and pianist. He has composed scores for films, video games, television and documentaries including ''Bridgerton'', '' Green Book'', ''Madden NFL'', '' Dear White People'', and ''Kobe Bryant's ...
- composer and pianist
*
Calder Quartet
The Calder Quartet (CQ) is a string quartet based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1998 at the University of Southern California, the group takes its name from American sculptor Alexander Calder. The ensemble is currently composed of its ...
- ensemble
*
Calidore String Quartet The Calidore String Quartet is an internationally performing classical music string quartet based in New York City. The Calidore is composed of violinists Jeffrey Myers and Ryan Meehan, violist Jeremy Berry and cellist Estelle Choi.
Formed at the ...
- ensemble
*
Robert Chen - violinist
*
Danielle de Niese
Danielle de Niese (born 11 April 1979) is an Australian-American lyric soprano. After success as a young child in singing competitions in Australia, she moved to the United States where she developed an operatic career. From 2005 she came to wi ...
- soprano
*
Jennifer Frautschi
Jennifer Frautschi (; born 1973) is an American violinist. A recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant, she is currently Artist-in-Residence at Stony Brook University. She plays a 1722 Antonio Stradivari violin known as the " ex-Cadiz," on loan ...
- violinist
*
David Fung - pianist
*
Leila Josefowicz
Leila Bronia Josefowicz ( ; born October 20, 1977) is an American-Canadian classical violinist.
Biography
Josefowicz was born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. When she was a young child her family moved to Los Angeles, California, where she sta ...
- violinist
*
Tamaki Kawakubo - violinist
*
Anne Akiko Meyers
Anne Akiko Meyers (born May 15, 1970) is an American concert violinist. Meyers was the top-selling classical instrumentalist of 2014 on Billboard's traditional classical charts.
Early life and education
The daughter of an artist and a colleg ...
- violinist
*
Blake Pouliot
Blake Pouliot (born January 31, 1994) is a Canadian-born professional classical violinist. He studied at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and the Colburn School in Los Angeles. His debut CD was nominated for a 2019 Canadian Classical M ...
- violinist
*
Eric Reed - jazz pianist
*
Albert Cano Smit - pianist
*
Mikyung Sung - double bassist
*
Michael Tilson Thomas
Michael Tilson Thomas (born December 21, 1944) is an American conductor, pianist and composer. He is Artistic Director Laureate of the New World Symphony, an American orchestral academy based in Miami Beach, Florida, Music Director Laureate of ...
- conductor
References
External links
Official website
{{Coord, 34, 3, 15, N, 118, 14, 59, W, region:US-CA_type:edu, display=title
Music schools in California
Schools in Los Angeles
Schools of the performing arts in the United States
Performing arts education in the United States
Educational institutions established in 1950
1950 establishments in California
Bunker Hill, Los Angeles