The best school of music for pianists.

[luiszt]

What do you think?

[joachimf]

I think it depends almost entirely(see thierry13's post below) on the teacher you get. There are a lot of good schools, but there's also a lot of good schools with a few top-teachers, who teaches the top-students, while the rest of the students are there too keep the school running and they get mid-class teachers. At least I think so... that's what I've heard.

I overheard some violinists discussing Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School, one of them clearly pointed out that the atmosphere in Manhattan Sch. was much more inviting, and you got to know your teacher "better", if you know what I mean, while in Juilliard you were either the best, working very close with the greatest teachers, or you were a part of that big filling-mass....

I dunno of course if that is true. I'm not going to state anything. I've never been to any of the schools, so don't take these rumours as true. Actually I would like somebody to argument against them, see different points of view in this topic? Again, I don't want to step on anybodys feet, I'm just forwarding rumours I've heard.

Best regards,
Joachim

[thierry13]

I agree with you except with the ENTIRELY. Yes it is about 90% the teacher. BUT, some schools have better material, better pianos, better library, some other good piano-related programs, and better opportunities. So the teacher is the most important thing, but the school can do a little difference too.

[c18cont]

Don't forget physical location...

John Cont

[ahmedito]

Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in Madrid. It might well be the best piano school in the world... or at least Europe... on a serious note, its one of the best. The level of the pianists here, the teachers, the quality of the scholarships and the education is unrivaled.

The piano teachers are:

Dimitri Bashkirov (legendary russian pianist)
Galina Eguiazarova (Whos students include Radu Lupu and Arcadi Volodos)


Problem is.... its nearly impossible to get in, its a lottery at best. Last audition, 2 people out of 300 got in. When I auditioned, I was the only one to get in out of nearly 300.

[BoliverAllmon]

Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in Madrid. It might well be the best piano school in the world... or at least Europe... on a serious note, its one of the best. The level of the pianists here, the teachers, the quality of the scholarships and the education is unrivaled.

The piano teachers are:

Dimitri Bashkirov (legendary russian pianist)
Galina Eguiazarova (Whos students include Radu Lupu and Arcadi Volodos)


Problem is.... its nearly impossible to get in, its a lottery at best. Last audition, 2 people out of 300 got in. When I auditioned, I was the only one to get in out of nearly 300.

geez, that school is insane.

[dancingfingers]

Indiana University School of Music is amazing; faculty includes amazing pianists such as Menahem Pressler, Karen Shaw, Evelyne Brancart, Andre Watts, Arnaldo Cohen, Emile Naoumoff, and many more. The music library is a terrific resource.

It's a very big school, though (200 piano majors), which can be a good or bad thing depending on who you are.

[steinwayguy]

I'd say the Curtis Institute of Music. Gary Graffman, Leon Fleisher, Seymour Lipkin, Claude Frank, Ignat Solzhenitsyn and Eleanor Sokoloff. You can't go wrong with any of those (good God!). And they are about as selective as it gets. In 2004, they accepted 2 pianists out of a total of what must be near 1000 applicants.