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Summer Piano
Application & Audition Requirements
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About this Program
Overview
Dates: July 6-July 19, 2025
Juilliard Summer Music's piano program offers a two-week intensive for pianists in high school led by a faculty of world-renowned instructors, including Juilliard faculty members and visiting guest faculty. Participants will live, study, and perform at Juilliard, located at Lincoln Center in the heart of New York City. Juilliard Summer Music will expose musicians to the many skills, careers, and passions represented at the school and prepare them for success in college auditions and beyond.
Detailed information on the admissions process is available below. Questions may be directed to [email protected]
Application Fee: $50
Cost of Attendance: $4,800
Please note application fee waivers and need-based financial aid are available.
Curriculum/Sample Schedule
Activities will include:
- Participation in daily master classes and seminars led by Juilliard faculty and guest artists
- Public performance opportunities
- Attend concerts at Lincoln Center
- Opportunities for off-campus excursions to NYC arts and cultural institutions
- Opportunities to connect with fellow pianists, mentors, and musicians in other Juilliard Summer programs.
- Daily master classes, seminars, and workshops
- Lessons and coaching with Juilliard piano faculty and guest faculty
Sample Daily Schedule:
- 8:00 AM - Breakfast
- 9:00 AM - Juilliard Summer Choir Rehearsal
- 10:00 AM - Morning Seminar
- 11:00 AM - Lessons/Practice Time
- 12:30 PM - Lunch
- 1:30 PM - Lessons/Practice Time
- 2:30 PM - Master Class/Workshop
- 4:00 PM - Recital Rehearsal/Lessons/Practice Time
- 5:30 PM - Dinner
- 7:00 PM - Master Class/Concert/Social Activity
Eligibility
Juilliard Summer Music is intended for:
- Students who have completed at least one year of high school before the start of the program. Generally, this means that participants are aged 14-18.
- Students may also be spring 2025 high school graduates taking a gap year before attending college.
- International students are also welcome to apply. Please note, Juilliard cannot assist in acquiring visas.
Applicants must also be:
- Available to participate in the entirety of the program
- Fully immunized according to the New York State Immunization Requirements for School Attendance before the start of the program.
- Able to speak, read, and understand English fluently, as all instruction is taught exclusively in English
Preference will be given to first time applicants, however, students who have previously attended or applied for Juilliard Summer programs are welcome to apply.
Faculty
Yoheved Kaplinsky, Artistic Director and Piano Studio Faculty
Aaron Wunsch, Program Director
Robert McDonald, Piano Studio Faculty
Emanuel Ax, Master Class Guest Artist
Additional faculty and guest artists to be announced. The above faculty and guests are subject to change.
Application Timeline
Application Timeline
Application Requirement | Date |
---|---|
Online Application Opens | December 1, 2024 |
Online Application (including Video Audition) Due | February 1, 2025 |
Application Fee or Fee Waiver Due | February 1, 2025 |
Request for ADA Audition Accommodations Due | February 1, 2025 |
Optional Letter of Recommendation Due | February 1, 2025 |
Financial Aid Request Due | February 15, 2025 |
Admissions Decisions Posted to Application Status Page | March 1, 2025 |
Financial Aid Decision Posted to Application Status Page | March 1, 2025 |
Enrollment Deadline (including payment deposit) | March 15, 2025 |
Application Fee & Waivers
Application Fee
The $50 USD application fee is nonrefundable and must be paid through your application status page upon submission of your application. Your application is not considered complete until the fee has been received.
Fee Waivers
Application fee waiver requests are available for students who demonstrate significant financial need by the submission of one of the following:
- An official SAT or ACT fee waiver form signed by a high school guidance counselor OR
- An official NACAC-fee-waiver form signed by a high school guidance counselor OR
- A letter on school stationery from a guidance counselor stating one of the following:
- You are enrolled in or eligible to participate in the Federal Free or Reduced Price Lunch program (FRPL).
- Your annual family income falls within the income eligibility guidelines set by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
- You are enrolled in a federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families (e.g., TRIO programs such as Upward Bound).
- Your family receives public assistance.
- You live in federally subsidized public housing, a foster home, or are homeless.
- You are a ward of the state or an orphan.
If you are unable to provide one of the above documents, you may provide the following:
A letter from someone other than you (the applicant) that addresses your financial situation
Application fee waiver requests are also available for:
- Students currently enrolled in the Juilliard Preparatory Division’s Music Advancement Program (MAP) or Pre-College
- Students currently enrolled in Tianjin Juilliard Pre-College
- Students who have previously attended a Juilliard Summer program
- Students who have previously attended Sphinx Performance Academy
Any of the above students requesting an application fee waiver must submit one of the following:
- A Juilliard Preparatory Division transcript
- A letter or email from a Preparatory Division administrator confirming your enrollment.
- A screenshot of your Preparatory Division schedule in Juilliard’s Cadence portal
- A letter or email from a Tianjin Juilliard Pre-College administrator confirming your enrollment
- A letter or email from a Sphinx Organization administrator confirming your previous attendance at Sphinx Performance Academy
All documentation must be in English. Original documents with translation are acceptable.
Fee-waiver requests will be evaluated after you have submitted a complete application. If you are requesting a fee waiver, please submit your application (including fee-waiver documentation) but do not pay the application fee.
Your Application Materials
Your Online Application
All applicants must submit the following:
- Video audition
- Résumé
- Introduction video
- Optional: Letter of recommendation
See detailed descriptions of application requirements below.
Your Video Audition
Videos must be submitted online with your application; the faculty will not review videos submitted via email or on video-sharing websites such as YouTube, Vimeo, etc.
Repertoire:
Your video audition should be three pieces of contrasting styles:
- one piece from the classical era
- one piece from the romantic era
- one piece of your choice
Guidelines:
- Performing from memory is required.
- Recordings should be recent (recorded within the past two years)
- Total length of recorded material should be a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Professionally recorded video is not required.
Format:
You are required to upload your files in a video format. Acceptable file types include:
- .3g2, .3gp, .avi, .m2v, .m4v, .mkv, .mov, .mpeg, .mpg, .mp4, .mxf, .webm, and .wmv
PLEASE NOTE: Some .mov files use a codec that is not supported by the application. We recommend that .mov files be converted to another accepted format to avoid uploading difficulties.
The application platform can support media files as large as 5GB, but please be advised that larger files will take longer to upload depending on your internet connection and may stall if you are on a wireless connection or one that cannot sustain a connection for the necessary period of time.
Your Resume
The purpose of submitting a résumé is to provide the Admissions Committee with a document that quickly sums up your background and accomplishments. The résumé should contain lists, not full prose paragraphs such as in a program bio. The elements to include in your résumé are:
- Your name and primary instrument
- Your contact information (including address, phone, and email)
- Education: Secondary school, pre-college, or other diploma programs you may currently attend or have previously attended; and the degrees or diploma(s) you have earned or are in the progress of earning.
- Teachers: List your most recent teachers and the dates when you studied with them
- Performance Experience: Master classes (teacher and date), recitals, chamber music and ensemble experience, competitions, festivals, workshops, etc.
Your Introduction Video
Guidelines:
Applicants are required to submit a video in which you:
- Introduce yourself and state your full name.
- Respond to one of the following prompts:
- Describe what you hope to achieve by attending Juilliard Summer Music or
- Describe one musical moment or experience in your life that you are especially proud of
Format:
You are required to upload your files in a video format. Acceptable file types include:
- .3g2, .3gp, .avi, .m2v, .m4v, .mkv, .mov, .mpeg, .mpg, .mp4, .mxf, .webm, and .wmv
PLEASE NOTE: Some .mov files use a codec that is not supported by the application. We recommend that .mov files be converted to another accepted format to avoid uploading difficulties.
The application platform can support media files as large as 5GB, but please be advised that larger files will take longer to upload depending on your internet connection and may stall if you have an unstable connection.
Your Recommendations
You must indicate who will be submitting your letter of recommendation within the online application. Your recommendation should come from your primary music teacher and address your dedication, openness to corrections, technique, and musicianship.
The recommendation letter itself is not due until later in the application timeline. Your recommender will receive an email with a link to securely upload a letter to our application system.
We will only accept recommendations received through our application system.
This is an optional addition to your application; letters of recommendation are NOT required or necessary.
Additional Requirements
International Students
International students are welcome to apply. Please note, Juilliard cannot assist in acquiring visas for Juilliard Summer Music.
Applicants with Disabilities
In compliance with the Americans with Disability Act of 1990 (ADA), The Juilliard School is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible application and audition process. The Office of Academic Support and Disability Services (OASDS) can provide reasonable disability accommodation to applicants and auditioners with disabilities.
Applicants who meet the technical requirements of the program or course are encouraged to apply regardless of disability. Juilliard will not make pre-admissions inquiries about whether a student has a disability, which has no bearing on acceptance. However, applicants with documented disabilities who require reasonable accommodations to participate in the audition process must complete a Disability Accommodation Request with OASDS at least three to four weeks prior to the application due date. Supporting documentation can be attached to the request as a file.
Applicants and their parents or guardians must also schedule and complete an intake meeting with an OASDS representative. Intake appointments may be conducted via Zoom, phone, or in person.
The Disability Accommodation Request Process is private and confidential. All records are securely stored in the Juilliard Accommodate Portal and are not included with any “permanent” record. Only qualified OASDS staff can access this information, ensuring your privacy is respected.
For more information on the Disability Accommodation Request process, please visit the OASDS webpage.
Decisions & Enrolling
Scholarship & Financial Aid
Cost of Attendance
2025 Pricing for Juilliard Summer Music
Tuition | $3,300 USD |
Room & Board | $1,500 USD |
Application Fee | $50 USD |
Total Price | $4,850 USD |
Fee Descriptions:
- Tuition: Includes all lessons, coachings, classes, workshops, lectures, recording and performance fees, and musical excursions
- Room & Board: Includes housing accommodations in Juilliard’s residence hall and a cafeteria meal plan. Students are required to use Juilliard accommodations and purchase the meal plan in order to participate in Juilliard Summer Music.
Financial Aid
Limited, need-based financial aid is available for admitted students. In the Juilliard Summer Music application, students can indicate their interest in financial aid by checking a box. After submitting their application, students who selected this option will receive a notification with financial aid information and an invitation to complete a financial aid request form.
Those who apply for financial aid will be invited to submit the following:
- A signed copy of the parent(s)’ or guardian(s)’ most recent tax return, or other income verification documentation, with all Social Security numbers and banking information redacted
- A letter outlining the applicant's financial circumstances and any exceptional expenses that support the request for need-based assistance
All documentation must be in English. Original documents with translation are acceptable. International and U.S. students are eligible to apply for financial aid. Please note that most financial aid offers cover only a portion of tuition. You will receive notification of your financial aid offer through your application status page.
Cancellation Policy
Juilliard is not responsible for cancellation or early termination of the program or any interference with the use of Juilliard facilities that may be caused by factors beyond Juilliard’s reasonable control, as determined by Juilliard. In the event of cancellation or early termination, Juilliard’s sole liability will be to provide the student with a prorated refund of fees paid for participation in the program.