Studio

Students receive a one hour studio session each week. Additionally, students receive lessons devoted to the study of orchestral excerpts.

Performance Classes

All students perform regularly for their peers in performance classes. These classes include solo and chamber music repertoire, as well as discussions of relevant issues and practica designed for the individual instruments. From time to time, performance classes are given for combinations of woodwinds, brass, percussion and strings.

Master Classes

All students are required to participate in a series of master classes presented by distinguished visiting soloists, chamber, and orchestral musicians. Recent master classes included members of the London Philharmonic, and the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra.

Juries and Recitals

Each undergraduate student is required to present a repertoire jury each semester, with the exception of the very first semester. In addition to juries, all students from the junior level up are expected to perform annually in recital: Juniors must perform a 30 minute recital; seniors and graduate students must perform a 60 minute recital. Graduate students present juries each semester, and a recital each spring.

It is a goal of the program that all students develop a broad familiarity with, and understanding of, the musical context in which they will build their professional lives. To achieve these goals, students take a number of important courses, including musicianship and general musical history courses, as well as the following specific studies in repertoire and literature:

Orchestral Literature and Repertoire

Master’s and Professional Diploma students who have not had the equivalent of these courses will be required to take them as remedial work. In addition to these courses, the Orchestral Studies Program places an emphasis on building students’ practical familiarity with a broad range of orchestral repertoire through reading (including sight-reading) rehearsals and repertoire classes.

Excerpts

Based on excerpt lists from the major orchestras and opera companies in America, all students in the Orchestral Studies Program take an additional ½ hour per week excerpts lesson in addition to their private study, on a schedule specified in their degree or diploma requirements. Students taking excerpt lessons are also required to present a special excerpts jury.

Guest Conductors, Soloists and Orchestra Musicians

Orchestral majors’ experience and training are enhanced by the presence of distinguished guest conductors and soloists who rehearse and perform with the CCPA Symphony Orchestra. Recent guest conductors (2005-06) includes Jane Glover (Music of the Baroque), Joseph Silverstein and Jay Friedman (Chicago Symphony Orchestra). In 2006-07, CCPA welcomes Andrew Grams and Rossen Milanov.

Performances

The CCPA Symphony Orchestra presents many performances each season, including symphony, choral, opera and musical theatre concerts. Each year the orchestra performs in the world famous Auditorium Theatre, a 3,700 seat space designed by Adler and Sullivan.

Chamber Orchestra

The Symphony Orchestra is configured from time to time to form the Chamber Orchestra, so that students will have the fullest possible training experience, including baroque and new music.

All students participate in chamber music; graduate and diploma students are required to take a minimum of two semesters. In all cases, students with an interest in early or contemporary music may substitute Collegium Musicum or New Music Ensemble for Chamber Music.

Concerto Competition

There is a concerto competition each year, open to all students. Winners appear in concert with the orchestra. 

Wind Ensemble

The CCPA Wind Ensemble performs a broad range of repertoire for winds and percussion, including commissioned works and other premiers.

It is a goal of the Orchestral Studies Program that students will develop a broad familiarity with the expectations of a professional life in music.

Orchestral studies students participate in a series of seminars presented by faculty and visiting artists. These cover a wide variety of topics of importance to professional life, including etiquette, ethics, orchestral life (committees, contracts, etc.), physical and psychological aspects of injury prevention, and career promotion. The newest addition to the seminar faculty is recently retired President of the Chicago Symphony, Henry Fogel.

Course Requirements

Master of Music in Orchestral Studies (subject to change)
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Professional Diploma in Orchestral Studies (subject to change)
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