The Colburn School in Los Angeles, California, is a tuition-free music conservatory that attracts the best music students worldwide.
Colburn’s combination of free tuition, renowned faculty, and incredible opportunities, along with the fact that the entire school has fewer than 150 students, make it highly selective.
While Colburn does not offer programs in music composition, vocal performance, or music technology, its faculty for instrumental performance—winds, brass, strings, piano, percussion—and conducting are among the best in the nation.
The institution comprises three academic units: the Colburn Conservatory of Music for college-aged musicians, the Colburn Music Academy for exceptional pre-college students, and the Colburn Community School of Performing Arts for students of all ages and skill levels.
Additionally, the Colburn School offers the Colburn Dance Academy for aspiring ballet dancers.
Founded in 1950 as the Community School for the Arts, it was initially affiliated with the University of Southern California.
In the 1980s, generous support from Richard D. Colburn led to the school becoming an independent, nonprofit institution named the Colburn School of Performing Arts.
The Colburn School relocated to its custom-built Grand Avenue campus in 1998. The Colburn Conservatory of Music, focusing on college-aged musicians, was established in 2003.
In 2007, a major campus expansion added more facilities, including classrooms, practice rooms, rehearsal spaces, a performing arts library, three concert halls, and a community café.
In the present day, students at Colburn benefit from incredible training; many of the teachers are members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Walt Disney Hall itself, the home of the LA Phil, is just minutes away from Colburn.
If you’re looking for a top-notch school with free tuition and room & board, then look no further … Colburn, if you make the cut, should be at the top of your list.
Colburn School Acceptance Rate
The acceptance rate into Colburn is 5%, depending on the year. That means about 1 in 20 applicants who apply are ultimately accepted.
No matter how you slice it, Colburn is extremely competitive for admission, one of the hardest in the world regardless of major.
One thing to note about Colburn:
Because the school is so small, there are some years where some departments are not even taking any students.
You can visit this page to see which studios at Colburn will have different openings for this application cycle.
Quick Facts
Here are some quick facts about The Colburn School’s Conservatory program.
Number of Students: ≈120
Number of Faculty: 47 (source)
Student-to-Teacher Ratio: 5:2
Tuition: Completely free
Colburn School Ranking
Surprisingly, there aren’t many ranking tables that include Colburn on the list.
It could be because the school is much younger than other well-known conservatories like Juilliard, and so fewer people outside of the classical music world know about it.
In the classical performance world, it would be considered a top school.
There are a few rankings tables that include it. Take it with a grain of salt, but here we go:
PrepScholar ranks it among the top 20.
TheBestSchools.org also ranks it in the top 20. Though that list is not the best, one of the descriptors, when comparing it to Juilliard, mentions that Juilliard is good for classical music and Colburn for “contemporary music.” In fact, both are among the best for classical music.
So, take what you will from the few rankings that publish Colburn’s name.
Notable Alumni of Colburn
Colburn School boasts an impressive roster of distinguished alumni who have achieved great musical success.
Among them is violinist William Hagen, who has performed as a soloist with renowned orchestras including the Seattle Symphony and Chicago Symphony.
Aubrey Foard, another notable Colburn graduate, is the Principal Tubist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
David Fung, an acclaimed concert pianist and Colburn alumnus, has recently joined the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music.
Cellist Paul Wiancko, best known as the current cellist of the innovative Kronos Quartet, is another distinguished Colburn graduate.
The school has also produced a celebrated group, the Calidore String Quartet; the members formed the group during their time at Colburn.
Jose Granero, the principal clarinetist of the San Francisco Opera, further exemplifies the high caliber of musicians emerging from Colburn.
There are countless others to name, including members of major orchestras and teaching faculties worldwide.
Notable Faculty at Colburn
Every faculty member at the Colburn Conservatory in performance is a distinguished performer, and worthy of recognition.
Among them is Ted Atkatz, former principal percussionist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Cellist Clive Greensmith, who spent nearly 15 years with the Tokyo String Quartet, works with some of the finest young cellists now as a full-time teacher.
Robert Lipsett, a celebrated violin teacher, has mentored numerous winners of major international competitions, including the International Tchaikovsky Competition and the Queen Elisabeth Competition.
Conductor Essa-Pekka Salonen, currently music director of the San Francisco Symphony, works with a small number of “Salonen Fellows” at Colburn who are aspiring professional conductors themselves.
JoAnn Turovsky, a harpist honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Harp Society, instructs harpists at Colburn.
Tatjana Masurenko, an accomplished viola soloist and teacher, teaches young violists while maintaining her own performance career.
This distinguished faculty underscores Colburn’s commitment to providing students with instruction from some of the most accomplished musicians in their fields.
Admission Tips
It is challenging to provide solid admission tips for a school like Colburn, but a few ideas come to mind.
Attending summer programs where some Colburn faculty teach, such as the highly selective Perlman Music Academy or Aspen Music Festival, can provide valuable insight into working with top-tier instructors.
Establishing a student-teacher connection with a faculty member before applying may help an applicant stand out, though this does not guarantee acceptance. It’s important to note that such connections should be genuine and based on musical merit.
For those in the Los Angeles area, involvement in Colburn’s pre-college program, the Colburn Academy, can be advantageous. This program offers orchestra, chamber music, and private lesson opportunities, allowing students to familiarize themselves with the school’s environment and expectations.
These experiences can help students assess their fit for Colburn while potentially strengthening their applications. However, admission ultimately depends on the applicant’s musical abilities and potential as demonstrated during the audition process.
Is Colburn the Right Fit for You?
Colburn School is an exceptional choice for classical instrumentalists seeking top-tier training in a vibrant urban setting.
Its location in downtown Los Angeles offers students proximity to major cultural institutions like the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
The school’s faculty includes some of the world’s most respected teachers, providing unparalleled instruction. Given Colburn’s high selectivity, an acceptance is a rare opportunity that merits serious consideration.
However, Colburn’s specialized focus means it lacks programs in jazz, composition, and classical voice. Students seeking these areas of study would need to look elsewhere.
Those desiring a traditional university experience with diverse academic offerings, sports programs, or the option to pursue a dual major may find Colburn’s conservatory model limiting.
The school is best suited for students fully committed to pursuing intensive instrumental training in a focused, professional environment.
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