Regarding good masters programs in america: manhattan school of music has some very fine teachers and good performing opportunites, a prized theory department, a solid orchestra and it's in ny where u can easily find a job, so you can avoid becoming a starving artist. boston university, surprisingly, has a very fine masters program. anthony di bonaventura (renowned for his scarlatti playing and a grad of curtis) is head and he is a wonderful guy and an amazing pianist with many good, even great students. i worked with him and it was an invaluable experience. mannes school of music, in ny, is decent for masters. i'd say manhattan school of music is a better bet, although i do know some great teachers there. a good thing about mannes is that it's part of "the new school" university so you can also take classes in other subjects if you want to. also, new york university has some good piano teachers. the grad program has a good focus on music history and innovative theory...also, like mannes, but better, nyu is a great institution, so the entire school is open for you to take advantage of. then, there's peabody, (the music conservatory affiliated with john's hopkins) which has an impressive faculty including leon fleisher and lots of performing opportunites. however, it's in baltimore, which in my opinion kinda sucks. i didn't mention juilliard. it's cosmically difficult to get into, but of course, it's home to some fine teachers, and talented grad students. the juilliard orchestra is wonderful for a student ensemble and they perform regularly at lincoln center, the perfoming complex directly facing juilliard. juilliard is also affiliated with columbia university and it would be a shame not to take advantage.
abroad: i now attend the royal college of music in london. here's what i can say about it: it seems to train people to be serious amatures, not serious musicains. the level is not the highest. however, there are some good things. since you're looking for a grad program, the best teachers reserve their time for their grad students. ruth nye has a host of successful students, as does yonty solomon and andrew ball. the royal college is great at finding jobs for its students. all you have to do is be procactive, and you've got it made, for the time being at least. another school in london, the royal academy, seems to have slightly higher standards. they have a different, more rigid way of teaching and the school is, on the whole, more conservative and traditionally "british". london, like new york, is one of the best cultural centers for growing musicians. europeans, by large, are for more receptive to classical musicians and have more respect for their craft. the london symphony orchestra (sometimes conducted by ashkenazy) plays regularly at a cheap fare, and some of the worlds top artists perform often. however, london is quite expenisve, (the dollar is pretty much dead over there) and international students get practically noooo scholarships or financial aid. so, unless you have an endless bank account, i'd look in the united states. i know i'm suffering. if you live in london, you must get a job. however, to do that you must have a working visa and maintain residency in london for at least 2 years and, of course, fit it in to your busy practice schedule.
most of these schools are very hard to get into and provide serious training for near professionals and performers. i'm not sure if you're headed down that path or if you want to go into piano pedagogy. you sound like you haven't made your mind up yet. if you do a masters in music, it is a full time occupation that requires sacrifice, time time time, money, and a hell of a lot of desire.
Topic: University/College and future careers