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Top Music Schools In The World
Top Music Schools In The World

TOP 10 BEST RENOWNED INSTITUTES TO STUDY MUSIC - WORLDWIDE

When it comes to schools, you might be lucky or restricted as a music student, depending on how hopeful you want to be. There are numerous schools offering music programmes, but only a few have gained a reputation as outstanding educational leaders, and they are the ones you want to attend; fortunately, we've compiled a list of them for you!

If you're just starting your search for a place to study music, these 10 schools and institutions should be at the top of your list, since they are usually regarded as the best in the world. So whether you’re going to be the next Prince, Adele, or Beethoven you’re on the right page! In no particular order here are the top music schools in the world:

The Juilliard School

Location: New York, USA

Founded: 1905

Courses: Instruments, vocal arts, jazz, historical performance, composition, orchestral conducting

Notable Alumni: Barry Manilow, Yo-Yo Ma, John Williams

According to a variety of annual rankings, the Juilliard School, or simply Juilliard as most people refer to it, is the world's most prominent performing arts educational school. The institution offers classes in a variety of disciplines, including dance, drama, and, of course, music, for which it is most renowned.

The Royal Academy of Music

Location: London, UK

Founded: 1822

Courses: Instruments, vocal arts, jazz, historical performance, opera, composition, orchestral conducting

Notable Alumni: Elton John, Annie Lennox, Katherine Jenkins

Although the school takes many international students, it is one of the few institutions that can afford to be choosy, thus competition is fierce. The academy is also affiliated with the University of London, which might be beneficial if you want to pursue a course of study other than music. The Academy offers over 20 musical disciplines, as well as high-quality pre-professional, undergraduate, and postgraduate musical studies. Students at the Academy participate in a variety of concerts, operas, musical theatre productions, and other events, as well as rehearsing with professional musicians on a regular basis.

Berklee College of Music

Location: Boston, USA

Founded: 1945

Courses: Brass, Choral Conducting, Collaborative Piano, Composition, Contemporary Classical Music

Harp, Orchestral Conducting, Strings, Voice and Opera

Notable Alumni: Charlie Puth, Quincy Jones, John Mayer??

Berklee College of Music, unlike many other music institutions across the world, focuses on creating modern musicians that go on to top the charts and dominate the mainstream cultural discourse. Many of the most successful graduates aren't in orchestras or writing classical music (although this is something you can study here); instead, they've concentrated their musical talents on pop, rock, and other contemporary genres. Students from this school have won over 300 Grammy Awards between them. Berklee has also opened up a successful music school in Valencia, Spain called Berklee Valencia.

Yale School of Music

Location: Connecticut, USA

Founded: 1894

Courses: Brass, Composition, Conducting, Guitar, Harp, Organ, Percussion, Piano, Strings Voice, Woodwinds

Notable Alumni: Marco Beltrami, Michael Daugherty, Matt Brubeck

The musical section of the illustrious institution is world-renowned, and not simply because of its name. It has earned its excellent reputation and lives up to the Yale brand, producing a plethora of exceptionally talented artists.  Yale has an extremely difficult admissions procedure, with just around 100 students accepted each year from prominent American and foreign conservatories and colleges to study at this illustrious institution.

New England Conservatory of Music

Location: Boston USA

Founded: 1867

Courses: Music history, music theory, percussion,  vocal arts and opera, woodwind, orchestral conducting

Notable Alumni: Neal E. Boyd, Aoife O’Donovan, Vic Firth

This private, coeducational institution of higher learning is not only one of the most prestigious music institutions in the country, but it is also the oldest independent music institution in America.  Students play in over 450 performances a year in groups like the New England Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, which is frequently conducted by well-known American and European conductors. The school also focuses on teaching students critical thinking, reading, writing, interpersonal, and collaboration skills necessary for a successful career in the music industry. Bachelor's degrees in a number of musical topics are available.

University of Southern California Thornton School of Music

Location: Los Angeles USA

Founded: 1884

Courses: Classical Performance & Composition, contemporary music, Research and Scholarly Studies

Notable Alumni: Marylin Horne, James Newton Howard, James Horner

The Thornton School of Music is one of America's oldest musical schools, having been founded just four years after the university. It benefits greatly from more than a century of knowing what it takes to create a truly wonderful musician. While the school concentrates on styles such as jazz, classical, and older types of music, it also includes a well-known curriculum for individuals who want to work in the music industry but aren't artists. This school should be acknowledged by aspiring music business majors, as the school has many solid connections to the film music industry.

Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris

Location: Paris, France

Founded: 1795

Courses: vocal arts, vocals, jazz, instruments, early music, conducting, composition,

Notable Alumni: Hector Berlioz, Pierre Boulez, Nadia Boulanger

The Paris Conservatory, commonly known as the Conservatoire de Paris, is a music and dance college that was founded in 1795. The Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris is the official name (CNSMDP). The Conservatoire provides music and dance education based on the 'French School' traditions. QS World university rankings by topic placed the Conservatoire National Supérieurop de Musique et de Danse de Paris 5th in the world for studying Performing Arts in 2021, and it is well recognised for its academic and employer reputation.

Curtis Institute of Music

Location: Philadelphia USA

Founded: 1924

Courses: Instruments, vocal arts, acting, strings, brass, composition, orchestral conducting

Notable Alumni: Leonard Bernstein, David Brooks, Lang Lang

For almost a century, the institution, which is approaching its one hundredth anniversary, has quietly produced some of the world's most outstanding musicians. While you may not be familiar with it, everyone in the opera profession (the school's speciality) is!

It is famously tough to be admitted to since it accepts less than 5% of all candidates, so if you want to attend here, you'll need to show them something truly exceptional.

Norwegian Academy of Music

Location: Oslo, Norway

Founded: 1973

Courses: Instruments, vocal arts, jazz, musical performance, musical education, orchestral conducting

Notable Alumni: Lalla Carlsen, Edvard Fliflet Bræin, Arne Nordheim

The Norwegian Academy of Music (NMH) is Norway's largest music institute and a renowned creative and academic university college with over 600 students.

Music education at NMH is based on research and creative growth. Leading performers, conductors, church musicians, music therapists, and composers are among their renowned instructors. The school is free of charge, as are other schools in the Norwegian educational system. Auditioning and/or other verified criteria are the only ways for students to be admitted.

University of Music & Performing Arts

Location: Vienna, Austria

Founded: 1817

Courses: Breath, voice and movement education for instrumentalists, music physiology, Electroacoustic and experimental music, Elemental Music Making in Practice and Theory (EMp), Elementary music education

Notable Alumni: Mimi Coertse, Kieth Engen, Antonia Fahberg

The Institution of Music and Performing Arts is the largest institution of its kind in Austria, and one of the largest in the world, with over 3,000 students. At the mdw's 11 sites across Vienna, students can select from 115 creative, research-oriented, and education-related degree programmes provided by 24 departments. The average student-teacher ratio is 4.5 students per instructor, with a 26 percent acceptance rate, ensuring excellent learning circumstances for the students.

Moscow Imperial Conservatory

Location: Moscow, Russia

Founded: 1866

Courses: Russian language, music history, various instruments, composition, orchestral conducting

Notable Alumni: Azat Abbasov, Medea Abrahamyan, Alexander Abramsky.

The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution and Russia's second-oldest conservatory, behind the St. Petersburg Conservatory. It is one of the country's top music schools, as well as one of the most renowned in the world, alongside the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Bachelor of Music Performance, Master of Music, and PhD in research are among the degrees offered by the institution.

We hope you enjoyed our list of the top music schools worldwide, and wish you the best of luck in your studies!

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