Auditions & Enrollment

The Academy has an internationally respected faculty, attracting students from every part of the United States and several foreign countries. Academy graduates have consistently matriculated to the finest music schools in the country. They have also regularly won local, regional, national, and international solo and chamber music competitions. Weekly classes with esteemed faculty violinists: Midori (Curtis Institute) and Robert Lipsett (The Colburn School); cellists Richard Aaron (U. of Michigan) and Laurence Lesser (NEC); and pianists Robert McDonald (Curtis Institute) and Alvin Chow (Eastman) provide regular master classes at the Academy.

Students should have at least one year of working with a chamber group (a string quartet or trio; a piano trio, quartet, or quintet) before auditioning for the Academy. It is also highly recommended, but not required, that prospective students study music theory before they audition for the Academy.

Students will be tested before placement into one of four levels of theory classes.

The pre-screen should be music that exhibits a student’s highest level of skill and proficiency. The performance should be current and must include two pieces of contrasting styles--something lyrical and something showing virtuosity. Accompanists are not required for the pre-screen.

Live auditions take place in Thoresen Hall at the Music Institute of Chicago Winnetka campus, 300 Green Bay Road, Winnetka.

Arrive up to 30 minutes before the audition time to warm up. Please bring one copy of the music for the adjudicators. All music must be memorized. Please dress appropriately (no jeans, t-shirts, or gym shoes).

The audition will take 30 minutes. The adjudicators are friendly and welcoming and will ask each student a few questions at the start of the audition about their personal musical experience. Piano students will also take a short sight-reading test. Every student is video recorded so other Academy faculty members and chamber music coaches can review the audition and comment on acceptance.

Once you receive an official notification of acceptance, Academy on-line registration begins in June and continues through the summer; merit awards are assigned in August; chamber groups (duos, trios, and quartets) are formed in the beginning of September; orchestra seating auditions occur mid-September; the annual student and parent orientation kicks off the fall semester and classes resume at the end of September. Students are off for Thanksgiving, Winter Break, and Spring Break.

Every student in the Academy receives a merit scholarship of some level based on the audition performance upon initial acceptance. Merit scholarships range from 15% to 75% of the tuition, and many factors weigh into scholarship decisions. The merit scholarship process involves an annual jury, which is an evaluation of technical and artistic progress. In addition to the jury performance, other factors that inform scholarship decisions include a review of absences, ability to accomplish classroom goals, classroom preparedness in music theory, master classes, keyboard classes, orchestra, and chamber music, and a contribution to overall success of the program by demonstrating citizenship and volunteerism. Since every student receives a merit scholarship, the Academy does not provide need-based financial aid.

While not all graduates attend music schools and conservatories, the majority do. They also attend dual programs. We are proud of the schools Academy students matriculate to each year—Juilliard, Curtis, Shepherd School at Rice, Colburn, New England Conservatory, Eastman, Cleveland Institute of Music, and Peabody, as well as the dual programs at NEC and Harvard, Juilliard and Columbia; or dual music and science majors at the University of Michigan, Northwestern University, and USC.

No, unfortunately, this is not an option. Since this is a comprehensive curriculum, Academy faculty and staff believe a student is best prepared for the rigors of conservatory training by participating in each portion of the program: private instruction, chamber music, chamber orchestra or piano skills, piano history, improvisation, enrichment and master classes, and multiple levels of music theory.

In addition to the classes listed above, there are four chamber music concerts, three orchestra concerts, and numerous performance opportunities for Academy students.

All chamber music groups have rehearsals outside the Saturday schedule, arranged by the students and their coach. Each of the three orchestra concerts has a dress rehearsal on the preceding Friday evening.

The Academy absence policy was updated in 2023 in an effort to reduce late arrivals, mid-day absences, and early departures, thereby strengthening chamber music and orchestra attendance. 

A. Up to six absences (eight for seniors) from music theory, piano group classes and chamber music are allowed as long as the student makes up the theory or piano work (and does not get behind in the class), and as long as the chamber music sessions are made up with and without the coach in the same way they would have taken place if the student were present.

B. Students may miss up to six Enrichments (eight for seniors) that do not involve their personal participation.

C. Students must attend any part of the Academy they are able to on a day when they are absent for part of the day.

D. Students may miss up to five orchestra rehearsals in a year, except for the dress rehearsals (three Friday evenings on the day before the concerts). 
If they are absent for more than five, they will sit in the last chair of their section for the concert. If they miss the dress rehearsal, their parents must pay for a professional substitute for the dress rehearsal and the concert. It is at the discretion of the conductor if they will be allowed to play the concert if they miss the dress rehearsal. Similarly, if a student must miss an orchestra concert, their 
parents must pay for a professional substitute for the dress rehearsal and the concert. 
Students must inform the administration at least two weeks before such an absence.

E. Students will consult with the conductor the week after an absence on points they missed from that rehearsal. 

F. Students who miss more than two weeks in a row of orchestra will lose the opportunity to play on the first desk in that series concert. 

G. Every orchestral absence beyond five will result in a fee of $200 that will be billed to the family. Hopefully, this will encourage families to look more closely at the non-Academy Saturday events they participate in.
 
H. The Saturday of the Fischoff chamber music competition is not included in the list of absences since many Academy students are often at that event.