music academy

Your Support Matters

Kohl Scholarships, Thibaudet Scholarships, Greendale Scholarships, and additional special awards make studying at the Music Academy possible. Students received over $388,000 in scholarships in the 2022–23 school year.

The Music Academy brings exceptional pre-college students from around the world to Colburn, where they take their training to the next level. Young musicians, ages 12–18, balance performance, musical instruction, and academics in a comprehensive full-time program that allows them to flourish and develop their artistry.

Student Success

Awards and Competitions

Honors won by Music Academy students in 2022 and 2023 include:

Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, Junior String Division, Gold Medal

Hilton Head Young Artist Competition, Finalist

Music Center Spotlight Awards, Semi-Finalists and Grand Prize Finalist

Music Teachers National Association Competition, Senior Piano

Performance Category, Honorable Mention

Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts Instrumental Competition, Grand Prize

South Coast Symphony Young Stars of the Future, Winner

Stulberg International String Competition, Bronze Medal

Student Spotlight

Olive Trio

Music Academy students Anaïs Feller, violin; Mira Kardan, cello; and Daniel Wang, piano, are part of the award-winning Olive Trio, already a recognizable name on the competition circuit. The Olive Trio won the Gold Medal at the renowned Fischoff Competition’s Junior String Division. The trio was also recently featured alongside other students from Colburn on an episode of the nationally syndicated radio show, From the Top. Rounding out an eventful school year, the trio represented the Music Academy at the Sibelius Academy, in Finland, as part of an exchange partnership. The Olive Trio is coached by faculty members Martin Beaver, Fabio Bidini, Clive Greensmith, and Micah Yui.

Sibelius Academy Partnership

Music has the power to erase boundaries and connect people across cultures. The Music Academy’s new exchange program with the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, highlights this uniting power and creates once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for Music Academy students. In February, the Sibelius Academy sent a precollegiate ensemble (pictured above) and faculty members to Los Angeles. Throughout their weeklong stay, the group attended lessons, chamber coachings, a performance, and experienced Los Angeles. In May, the Music Academy’s Olive Trio completed the exchange with their trip to Helsinki. There, they received instruction from Sibelius Academy faculty members and visited Kallio-Kuninkala, an artist commune where Jean Sibelius and his family once lived.

Faculty Spotlight

Margaret Batjer, Violin and Academy Virtuosi

Music Academy violin faculty member Margaret Batjer has served as concertmaster of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra since 1998 and is adjunct professor of violin at the USC Thornton School of Music. She also serves as director for the Academy Virtuosi. In this role, Batjer advises the Virtuosi members, who meet weekly as a conductor-less orchestra. The Academy Virtuosi program empowers students to collaborate and engage audiences with performances during the year.

Professional Development and Career Preparation Opportunities

For many students, the focus on honing their talents typically takes center stage, but the encompassing education at Colburn prompts young artists to plan for their future. This year, Music Academy students received lessons in marketing and presentation from Colburn alumni, faculty, and staff across the School. Colburn alumna and professional flautist Gina Luciani led student sessions on personal branding, social media, website construction, and online etiquette, and staff from the Center for Innovation and Community Impact helped students write professional bios and résumés. Deb Devine, director of the Drama Department at the Community School of Performing Arts, instructed students on how to communicate from the stage for more engaging events.

“ The opportunity for me to play for Lang Lang was truly oncein-a-lifetime; not only being able to meet, but also receive feedback from one of the first pianists I was exposed to. This moment will be, without a doubt, one that I will remember for the rest of my performing arts career, and I greatly thank the Colburn School for making it happen.”

Daniel Wang, Piano, Music Academy

Lang Lang Master Class

An insider’s look at performance preparation, master classes offer a rare glimpse into the artistic, creative, and learning processes. Colburn’s annual public master class series began in a spectacular way this past fall with famed pianist Lang Lang. Heralded as “the hottest artist on the classical music planet” ( New York Times ), Lang Lang coached students from the Music Academy and Community School in front of a standing-room only crowd in Zipper Hall.