Conservatory Admission
Why choose the Longy School of Music?
Trying to decide where to go to school next year? Want an inside peek into being a student at Longy? We interviewed some current Longy students and alumni to get their advice about how to choose the right school and to find out what they feel makes Longy unique.
Why did you choose to attend Longy?
Why did you choose to transfer to Longy?
What is it like to live in Boston?
What is it like to work with your studio teacher?
How has your education at Longy helped you develop as a musician and build your career?
Why did you choose to attend Longy?
I chose to attend Longy because of three big reasons: the warm atmosphere of the Longy community, the rigorous and diversified Master's program, as well as the perfect student-teacher match with my present violin professor Laura Bossert.
Shi Mei Lee, Master of Music candidate, Violin Performance
Many reasons made me choose Longy over the three other admission offers I received, but it's worth mentioning that I always felt very welcomed even before deciding to come. During the entire application process I felt the staff and faculty were doing everything possible to answer my questions, and this made me feel secure and confident about my decision. Of course, the programs, the varied course offerings, and the mission and vision statements attracted me to Longy from the very beginning. Now that I am a current student, I can see how everyone at Longy is committed to those statements.
Veronica Villegas Rojas, Master of Music candidate, Collaborative Piano
My audition experience was what sealed the deal. I felt so welcome and comfortable and was able to freely ask questions. When I was able to casually speak with a whole panel of early music faculty including the department chair (!), they confirmed that Longy and I would be a great fit.
Claire Raphaelson, Master of Music, Class of 2010, Early Music Voice
Why did you choose to transfer to Longy?
I was looking for a school where I could focus all my time and energy on the study of classical music. At Longy I found what I was looking for: private lessons are the main focus of my curriculum, the theory and solfege classes are taken very seriously, the history courses are dynamic, and the chamber music and orchestra instructors are both patient and demanding.
Rafael dos Santos, Undergraduate Diploma candidate, Violin Performance
Longy has been a challenging yet nurturing environment. The fact that the number of students is relatively small was a great change from my previous school where I felt overwhelmed and unnoticed. At Longy, the student body is equally skilled and talented, but it is easier to identify where I stand as a pianist. I feel a greater responsibility to continue striving to reach my full potential whereas I was simply discouraged before I transferred to Longy.
Sean Martinez, Undergraduate Diploma candidate, Piano Performance
What is it like to live in Boston?
I love living in Boston. It is a beautiful city, and it’s also a huge cultural and intellectual melting pot where I get to meet some amazing people. Maneuvering the really easy Boston public transportation has taken me to lots of interesting places.
Shi Mei Lee, Master of Music candidate, Violin Performance
Boston is a great city for musicians. There are always great concerts happening including orchestra, chamber music, opera, ballet, and various creative performances in the city's many music schools and institutions. Boston is also a very important intellectual center, being home to schools such as Harvard and MIT, and art is very appreciated by the locals.
Rafael dos Santos, Undergraduate Diploma candidate, Violin Performance
Boston is a very nice place to live. It's a city full of culture and history. There are many universities around, which means lots of students from all over the world are living here. I enjoy listening to many different languages in stores, on the street, on the subway, etc. Cambridge in particular is one of my favorite areas in Boston; it has a unique atmosphere.
Veronica Villegas Rojas, Master of Music candidate, Collaborative Piano
I absolutely love it. There are many wonderful things about it, but, musically speaking, it holds more opportunity and inspiration than I could possibly ask for. The volume and quality of concerts is an excellent resource, providing outlets for networking, discovering new repertoire, etc.
Claire Raphaelson, Master of Music, Class of 2010, Early Music Voice
What is it like to work with your studio teacher?
Working with Brian Moll, my studio teacher, is my favorite part of this experience. He is a great musician and an extraordinary human being. I'm very lucky to be in his studio. I've learned a lot from him, he is a very experienced collaborative pianist, and he's always willing to share that experience with the students. Also, he is aware of the different needs that I have as an international student, and that helps a lot not only for the studio purposes but also for the "living abroad" experience.
Veronica Villegas Rojas, Master of Music candidate, Collaborative Piano
Mark Lakirovich is the best violin teacher I have met in my life. He is, first of all, a great musician: his interpretations are always thoughtful and inspired and he possesses a rich palette of expressive tools, ranging from delicate and charming to intense and dramatic. He has so much knowledge and experience! He is able to make any student play immensely better within the first few minutes of the lesson. I can't get enough of his wisdom: I try to watch as many lessons as I can and I don't miss a studio class for anything.
Rafael dos Santos, Undergraduate Diploma candidate, Violin Performance
How has your education at Longy helped you develop as a musician and build your career?
I've been fortunate to enjoy an active career as a freelance musician in the Boston area. It's work that is constantly changing, stylistically diverse, and often resulting in close professional relationships and/or friendships. Almost every job I've had I can trace back to Longy in some way. Attending Longy gave me not only the opportunity to learn from prominent local artists, but also opened doors for me to participate in the thriving musical environment they were a part of. Referrals, word-of-mouth, and networking are a huge part of my professional life, and I credit my Longy mentors with helping me jumpstart that process. I feel like I progressed rapidly while I was a student at Longy. There have been professional experiences I've had in the past year that I would not have been prepared for, had it not been for the training I received at Longy.
Danny Padgett, Master of Music, Class of 2009, Collaborative Piano
Longy is by far and above the most special school of music I have attended or observed. The Early Music curriculum, performing opportunities, and lifelong friends from throughout the conservatory are three of the elements which have most impacted my career and musical outlook. My degree in historical performance provided me with intense challenges and opened doors to repertoire and interpretations I have never encountered since leaving Longy, even though I have continued to study early music at two major research universities. The faculty at Longy are open-minded leaders in their field, musicians whom I hold in the highest esteem. One of the lessons I learned form Longy is never to take a text at face value, be it a musical score or otherwise...always challenge tradition, always embrace other's opinions, always strive for the highest levels of art.
Matthew Leese, Master of Music, Class of 2003, Early Music Voice
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