Best Schools For String Instruments

Last Updated on January 15, 2023

Music is a raw expression, but through the development after the 60s, there have been technological changes in it. Now the composition of music not only needs heart but sharpened skills as well. The expertise can be polished if we learn about them wholly and solely. A degree in music is not only about performing on the stage. Music has history, composition, and theories. 

Consider training for a bachelor’s degree in music management and production to learn how to produce music or manage a record label. Read about the programs in detail, the common course topics, admission prerequisites and the practical work that may be asked of you. Before making a decision on a university, make sure that you carefully examine the tuition rates, graduation rates, school rankings, etc.

Right here on infolearners, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on best schools for string instruments, best school to study music, music schools around me, music school fees, and so much more. Take out time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.

Stringed Instruments Degree Requirements

Stringed Instruments majors are found most commonly in careers in which talking to others to convey information effectively is important. Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times and understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents are all required skills for careers related to this major.

Prior Education for a Stringed Instruments Program

A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most stringed instruments degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. Specific stringed instruments careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.

Types of Stringed Instruments Degrees

Stringed Instruments degree levels vary. You can spend many years getting as high as a in stringed instruments to something that takes less time like a . How long it takes to complete some common stringed instruments degree levels is shown below.

DegreeCredit RequirementsTypical Program Length
Associate Degree60-70 credits2 years
Bachelor’s Degree120 credits4 years
Master’s Degree50-70 credits1-3 years
DoctorateProgram required coursework including thesis or dissertationAt least 4 years

A master’s degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to stringed instruments, with approximately 36.0% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for stringed instruments workers below.

Level of EducationPercentage of Workers
Master’s Degree38.5%
Bachelor’s Degree23.6%
Doctoral Degree23.6%
High School Diploma5.2%
Some College Courses3.4%

Most workers in stringed instruments have at least a master’s degree. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in stringed instruments careers have.

This of course varies depending on which stringed instruments career you choose.

Solid Growth Projected for Stringed Instruments Careers

Want a job when you graduate with your stringed instruments degree? Stringed Instruments careers are expected to grow 8.5% between 2016 and 2026.

The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to stringed instruments.

Occupation NameProjected JobsExpected Growth
Musicians and Singers182,8006.0%
Art, Drama, and Music Professors137,20012.0%

How Much Money Do Stringed Instruments Grads Make?

As you might expect, salaries for stringed instruments graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.

Highest Paid Stringed Instruments Careers

Salaries for stringed instruments graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers stringed instruments grads often go into.

Occupation NameMedian Average Salary
Art, Drama, and Music Professors$82,560

Best Schools For String Instruments

Top ten Musical instruments 2016 – cost of music lessons and some  interesting facts | First Tutors: Music

10. Northwestern University Bienen School of Music – Evanston, IL

Notable FacultyGerardo Ribeiro, Frank Almond, Almita Vamos, Robert Hanford, Blair Milton

Northwestern’s violin faculty is among the most outstanding of all colleges in the midwest. Two concertmasters of world-renowned orchestras, the Chicago Lyrics Opera and the Milwaukee Symphony, Robert Hanford and Frank Almond respectively, are on the faculty of Northwestern University. Other teachers include Almita Vamos and Gerardo Ribeiro, both of which have won Presidential Excellence In Teaching Awards bestowed by the American String Teachers Association.

Northwestern University has many unique opportunities available to violinists, including fellowship opportunities, at the graduate level, for both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as well as the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Academically, Northwestern is among the top universities in the entire world, making this school a good option not only for violinists who wish to pursue a serious degree in music, but also for musicians who wish to pursue a double degree.

9. USC Thornton School of Music – Los Angeles, CA

Notable FacultyMidori Goto, Glenn Dicterow, Suli Xue

One of the most famous living violinists of the 20th century, Midori Goto rose to prominence after a famous 1986 performance at Tanglewood under the baton of Leonard Bernstein when she was 15 years old. She broke the E string on her own violin, then borrowed the concertmaster Malcolm Lowe’s (who is on the NEC violin faculty) violin and broke the E string on his instrument, then borrowed a violin from another member of the orchestra all the while on stage. Bernstein knelt before her in awe by the end of it all.

Since then, she has gone on to a major international performance career and has also been named “Distinguished Professor” of Violin at USC Thornton, where advanced-level international talent throughout the globe auditions for limited spots in her studio. Other teachers include Glenn Dicterow, who is also on the faculties of Juilliard and MSM, as well as Suli Xue, a leading Chinese-American violinist and member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Listen to the Faculty: Check out Miendelssohn and Bruch.

8. New England Conservatory – Boston, MA

Notable FacultyMiriam Fried, Paul Biss, Malcolm Lowe, Donald Weilerstein

One of the strongest string departments, the New England Conservatory hosts an impressive faculty of successful violinists and teachers, including Donald Weilerstein, one of the most significant chamber music violinists of our time who has toured and concertized extensively with the Weilerstein Trio, the college’s ensemble-in-residence.

Malcolm Lowe, the principal violinist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has graduated very prominent students who have started a number of significant chamber ensembles, including the Tesla, Presidio, and Naples String Quartets. Paul Biss, one of classical academia’s most beloved teachers, has graduated students who entered the ranks of top symphonic orchestras, including the Utah Symphony Orchestra. Biss’ students also win many of the most coveted prizes in the world, with past students winning first prizes in the international Sibelius and Stulberg competitions.

7. Rice University Shepherd School of Music – Houston, TX

Notable FacultyPaul Kantor, Cho-Liang Lin

Continuing in the pedagogical tradition of Juilliard’s great artist-faculty Dorothy DeLay, Paul Kantor has served on the faculties of Juilliard, the New England Conservatory, the University of Michigan, the Cleveland Institute, and Yale University, among other regarded institutions. His students are regular winners of the most coveted prizes in the highest classical music competitions, including those of Klein and Fischoff. He is one of the most highly sought-after professors of violin who has taught at the Aspen Music Festival for more than thirty years.

Cho-Liang Lin was “Instrumentalist of the Year” in 2000, according to the widely circulated publication Musical America. Additionally, he founded the Taipei International Music Festival 17 years ago, the very first major classical music festival in Taiwan. His students are among the most talented young and emerging performers today.

6. Bard College-Conservatory of Music – Annandale-On-Hudson, NY

Notable FacultyLaurie Smukler, Arnold Steinhardt, Ida Kavafian, Ani Kavafian

Many of the faculty who teach at other top schools such as Curtis and Colburn, also teach at the Bard College-Conservatory of Music. Some prominent teachers include Laurie Smukler, who is one of the finest and most accomplished chamber musicians in the nation, having founded the Mendelssohn String Quartet. In addition to being an avid chamber musician, she is a dedicated teacher who teaches at Mannes as well as the Manhattan School of Music. Other faculty members include the Kavafian sisters, two of the most important teachers of violin in the last 30 years whose students have accepted positions in the most prestigious classical music symphonies.

Known for its liberal tendencies, Bard is a rising star in the world of classical music academia, with a faculty that is on par with the faculties of any top conservatory like Juilliard, Curtis, and Colburn.

5. Colburn School – Los Angeles, CA

Notable FacultyRobert Lipsett, Arnold Steinhardt

Possibly the most notable violinist residing in Los Angeles, Robert Lipsett has been one of the foremost teachers for violin performance in the entire world for over 25 years. His students are among the most famous young violinists in the world, having won the following orchestral positions: Concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, and Concertmaster of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and that is just the beginning.

Many of his students have also gone on to freelance solo careers of great renown. Some of his most successful students include Leila Josefowicz, a 2006 MacArthur Fellow, Elizabeth Pitcairn, noted violinist who performs the 1721 Red Mendelssohn instrument said to be the inspiration for the film The Red Violin, and Elbert Sai, violinist with the San Francisco Symphony.

4. Curtis Institute of Music – Philadelphia, PA

Notable Faculty: Ida Kavafian, Aaron Rosand, Pamela Frank, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Arnold Steinhardt

String musicians at the Curtis Institute are exceptionally well known for attaining fortune in the world’s most lucrative symphonies, including the orchestras of Boston, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Berlin, and San Diego, amongst countless others.

Artists Ida Kavafian and Aaron Rosand work with, among other Curtis faculty, the most selective young talent in the world, making Curtis an exclusive destination for the aspiring orchestral violinist. Other faculty members include Arnold Steinhardt, former first violinist of the Guarnieri String Quartet, and Pamela Frank, a famous and active concert violinist who won the distinguished Avery Fisher Prize in 1999 at the age of 32. Indeed, like Juilliard, Cleveland, and Manhattan, many of the world’s most renowned and sought-after violinists teach at the Curtis Institute of Music.As with any other program at the Curtis Institute of Music, all students are admitted to the college on a tuition-free basis.

3. Cleveland Institute of Music – Cleveland, OH

 Notable FacultyJaime Laredo, Joel Smirnoff, William Preucil, Stephen Rose

Former first violinist of the Juilliard Quartet, Joel Smirnoff, is one of the most renowned violin teachers in the US and current president of the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has taught many of the worlds most important young violinists at Juilliard and, since his appointment in 2008, at the Cleveland Institute of Music in Ohio.

Other notable violin faculty members include Jaime Laredo, a significant soloist and chamber musician who has performed for over five decades in the world’s most prestigious concert halls alongside the talents of Yo-Yo Ma, Emmanuel Ax, and countless others. Other faculty members include the Distinguished Professor of Violin William Preucil, who was named the concertmaster of one of the world’s greatest ensembles, the Cleveland Orchestra, in 1995.

2. Manhattan School of Music – New York, NY

Notable Faculty: Robert Mann, Pinchas Zuckerman, Curtis Macomber, Glenn Dicterow, The American String Quartet, Albert Markov, Laurie Smukler

The Manhattan School of Music is home to many of the finest violinists performing today, including Robert Mann, a seminal violinist who has concertized in the public eye for seven decades, as well as Glenn Dicterow, the principal violinist of the New York Philharmonic. Curtis Macomber, an exceptional interpreter of modern music, is a favorite amongst many living composers.

The college has an interesting partnership with world-famous performer Pinchas Zukerman called the “Pinchas Zukerman Performance Program.” A very limited number of exceptionally talented violinists and violists are provided the opportunity to study with Pinchas in both one-on-one lessons as well as in group settings. However, due to his exceptionally busy concertizing schedule, many of the lessons are via Skype/other digital means. A weekly lesson is taught by his personally selected assistant, Patinka Kopec.

Violin students of all of the teachers at MSM are consistently noted for winning international prizes, securing positions in top orchestras, and winning seats in both traditional and contemporary chamber ensembles.

1. Juilliard School – New York, NY

Notable FacultyItzhak Perlman, Donald Weilerstein, Joseph Lin, Glenn Dicterow, Ida Kavafian, The Juilliard String Quartet

Juilliard has produced many, if not most, of the formidable solo violinists of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Sarah Chang, Midori Goto, Paul Kantor, and Cho-Liang Lin, among countless others. Violin students are given selected access to prized Stradivari instruments for use in competitions, and are afforded the opportunity to study with some of the most important violinists to ever perform, including violinists Itzhak Perlman and Donald Weilerstein. Students are given direct access to the college’s chamber ensemble-in-residence, which happens to also be one of the greatest string quartet ensembles ever assembled, the Juilliard String Quartet.

Faculty members not only include famous solo artists, but also members of the New York Philharmonic, including principal violinist and virtuoso performer Glenn Dicterow. Other members of the faculty include Ida Kavafian, who holds a second appointment at the Curtis Institute of Music, and Joseph Lin, 1st violinist of the Juilliard String Quartet.

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