EMMI evolved from Crossroads School’s unique Music Major program, which began in 1978. The Institute was named in honor of the late Elizabeth Heller Mandell, a Crossroads grandparent and parent of alumni as well as a former trustee of the School.
Crossroads Music Majors, 1980.
WHAT IS EMMI? EMMI is an audition-based, classical music conservatory within the Upper School at Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences in Santa Monica. It is open to high-school string and piano students as well as exceptional Middle School musicians. In addition to the regular school curriculum, all EMMI students take part in chamber orchestra or keyboard skills classes, theory and ear training, and chamber music programs. EMMI gives students the opportunity to strengthen and deepen their understanding of themselves as performers, musicians and individuals. EMMI students take part in: Monthly solo and chamber music recitals. Master classes and mock auditions with guest musicians. Artist-led workshops to explore genres and styles beyond classical music. Residencies with professional chamber ensembles, soloists and orchestras.
WHAT MAKES EMMI UNIQUE? EMMI offers rigorous conservatory training within a renowned progressive high school. Students are immersed in music education at its highest level while participating in Crossroads’ outstanding academic, athletics and arts programs. Reflecting the School’s deep commitment to serving the greater good, EMMI students regularly engage in community outreach, performing at neighborhood schools, nursing homes and hospitals. As members of the broader school community, EMMI students receive a well-rounded, college preparatory education as well as the instruction, guidance and support to seriously pursue the study and performance of classical music. The EMMI orchestra is among the few high-school music groups to participate in the prestigious New York Invitational Music Festival at Carnegie Hall. In 2019, it earned a gold award for its performance of Benjamin Britten’s “Simple Symphony” under the direction of EMMI conductor Alex Treger.
EMMI students rehearse for a performance at Carnegie Hall, 2019.
EMMI LEADERSHIP
ALEX TREGER Conductor Alex is the former concertmaster of the LA Phil and has conducted orchestras around the globe. He has won high praise for his numerous solo violin performances with the Music Center and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, under the direction of conductors such as Yuri Temirkanov and Esa-Pekka Salonen. He has soloed with major U.S. symphonies and performed alongside well-known artists like Yefim Bronfman, André Previn and Emanuel Ax. Alex was a professor of violin at UCLA for two decades. He joined Crossroads in 1993 and served as the music director of the American Youth Symphony from 1998 to 2015. Alex trained at the Moscow Conservatory in his native Russia under the tutelage of renowned Russian violinist David Oistrakh.
GINA COLETTI Director Gina is a member of the viola and chamber music faculty of the Colburn School and the Colburn Music Academy. She has performed with the LA Phil, LA Opera and the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and has served as principal of the Mozart Chamber Orchestra. She taught viola at Azusa Pacific University and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; chaired the Chamber Music Institute at the Community School; and was named Outstanding Studio Teacher of the Year by the American String Teachers Association. Gina studied at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem and later earned a bachelor’s degree in music at Stanford and a master’s degree in music at the Juilliard School. At Stanford, she received the Golden Medal for outstanding achievement in music.
“I cherished my academic classes at Crossroads and the emphasis on student well-being and mental health. The EMMI program empowered us to realize the full potential of our musical ambitions. My fantastic teachers gave me confidence that I could achieve both academically and musically beyond high school and encouraged me to strive for excellence regardless of the path I chose. Without a doubt, Crossroads and EMMI shaped me into who I am today.” —Andy Park, who’s pursuing a bachelor’s in chemical engineering and a master’s in music at Yale University
THE UPPER SCHOOL There is no such thing as a “typical” high-school experience at Crossroads. The Upper School offers a tantalizingly diverse curriculum—everything from gender studies and filmmaking to advanced organic chemistry—and invites students to delve deeply into what interests them. The high ceiling for advanced learning stretches from math and science to literature and art history, and includes Crossroads Advanced Studies (CAS) courses and independent research projects. EMMI students enjoy personalized college counseling tailored to the needs of music program applicants and can use Crossroads facilities to create audition videos and recordings. As their Crossroads experience comes to a close, seniors design their own three-week independent study project and attend a life-changing nature retreat, solidifying a high-school experience defined by passionate inquiry, personal growth and lifelong bonds with teachers and classmates.
“I can say with certainty that I am a professional musician today because I was part of EMMI! This is where I was finally able to spend regular school days with other students who were just as passionate about classical music as I was. It gave me a sense of belonging, focus and inspiration that I had not experienced in traditional schools, public or private. I am so grateful!” —Sheryl Staples, Principal Associate Concertmaster, New York Philharmonic
AFFORDABILITY Crossroads is committed to keeping the School affordable for families. Through our Affordability Program, one in four Crossroads students receives financial aid to cover some—or all—of the cost of tuition. Families who qualify may also receive Inclusion Aid, which helps cover the cost of textbooks, laptops and school transportation. Additionally, EMMI students can apply for two scholarships that support music study outside the classroom. Visit xrds.org/affordability or scan this QR code for more information.
The Bezdek Center for the Performing Arts will include state-of-the-art classrooms, rehearsal rooms and performance spaces.
Scheduled to open in 2026, the 58,000-square-foot Bezdek Center for the Performing Arts is one of the most ambitious undertakings in the School’s history. It will house the 650-seat Stern Family Theater and a 100-seat recital hall named in honor of longtime EMMI instructor Mary Ann Cummins. It will also feature state-of-the-art teaching and rehearsal spaces that will enhance the EMMI experience and bolster the School’s exceptional dance, drama, music and filmmaking programs. The facility is designed by award-winning architect Zoltan E. Pali, founder and design principal at the firm SPF:a. Pali designed the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, led the renovation and expansion of the Getty Villa Museum, and renovated and restored the Pantages Theatre.
“My time at EMMI was fundamental to my development as a musician, allowing me to play violin with world-class student musicians at amazing venues and to sing with an orchestra. I made lifelong friendships in EMMI that I am eternally grateful for. EMMI offered us a collegiate-level, conservatory-style musical education in the middle of a high school. There isn’t another program like it.” —Diana Newman, Soprano, Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Dallas Opera
NOTABLE EMMI ALUMNI EMMI graduates go on to vibrant careers as professional musicians, composers and recording artists, with many performing in renowned orchestras, operas and symphonies around the world. Here is just a small sampling of EMMI graduates and what they’re doing with their exemplary music education: Miguel Atwood-Ferguson: Multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and producer Angela Bae: Founding member and first violinist, Balourdet Quartet Robert Chen: Concertmaster, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Ensik Choi: Founder of Borromeo String Quartet and viola professor, Seoul National University Steven Copes: Concertmaster, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Celia Daggy: Principal viola, Virginia Symphony Orchestra Danielle de Niese: Soprano, Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Glyndebourne Festival Opera Eric Huebner: Piano, New York Philharmonic Mayumi Kanagawa: Violin soloist, prizewinner at the 2019 International Tchaikovsky Competition Michelle Kim: Assistant concertmaster, New York Philharmonic Max Levinson: Professor, New England Conservatory Luca Mendoza: Pianist, composer and producer Avery Morris: Violinist, Fulbright Scholar Nokuthula Ngwenyama: International violist and composer-in-residence, Phoenix Chamber Music Society Carol Ou: Professor, New England Conservatory Isaac Pross: Composer and music producer Josefina Vergara: Principal second violin, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Andrew von Oeyen: Concert pianist
NEXT STEPS TELL US ABOUT YOU!
LEARN MORE ABOUT US! Visit xrds.org/EMMI or scan this QR code to read more about the program, watch clips of recent performances, and learn about our application process and financial aid offerings.
Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences
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1714 21st Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404
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