In selecting MSM, students choose to work with faculty who are themselves performers with international reputations. They choose, as well, to be with exceptional students from around the world who come together to create an environment remarkable not just for its intensity, but for genuine friendliness and sincere cooperation. And, of course, they choose New York itself, the very heart of music and art in America. While all music conservatories of the first rank are acknowledged for their ability to develop talents and refine skills, Manhattan School of Music has as particular combination of strengths that make it something more-an unrivaled place from which to launch a career. It is this powerful convergence of unmatched opportunity and rigorous training that gives these students the best chance to go as far as their talent, their intelligence and their courage can take them.
Performance is the vital expression of a musician's life.
At MSM performance is not simply the goal for students, it is at the center of their life here. Because we believe that there is no better preparation for a professional career, we surround students with opportunities to perform and to experience performances of the highest caliber. With over 400 concerts and recitals each year, MSM is alive with the energy of working musicians. Opera at MSM Universally acknowledged as one of the premier opera training schools in the world, MSM each year stages productions which are consistently praised by critics as being among the finest anywhere. The MSM Opera Studio has drawn international attention through commercial recordings of several recent performances, including Britten's Albert Herring on Vox Records, Daniel Catan's Rappaccini's Daughter, Donizetti's Il campanello di notte, and Ned Rorem's Miss Julie, all available on Newport Classics.