Colburn at a Glance

Asian student holding violin sitting to the right of Asian student with cello and Black dancer

Colburn is a home for music and dance in Los Angeles, providing world-class performing arts education for its students and exceptional performances and programs for the public. This mission comes to life through a community of artist-faculty, staff, and donors dedicated to excellence, and in state-of-the-art performance spaces and educational facilities that welcome students, audiences, artists, and performing arts organizations from Southern California and across the globe.

Fast Facts

  • Over $16 million in scholarship support is awarded annually to Colburn students.
  • 100% of Conservatory students receive full scholarships to cover tuition plus room and board.
  • 350+ public music and dance performances take place each year on Colburn’s campus.
  • 55% of students in the Music Academy and Conservatory of Music are international.
  • 6,800 Title I public school students participate in Colburn’s community programming each year.
  • 77% of the School’s operating budget is made possible by philanthropy.

Student Achievements and Careers

  • Graduates of the Community School of Performing Arts go on to top music programs, Ivy League universities, and the best universities in the nation, including the Eastman School of Music, Harvard University, the Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, Johns Hopkins University, Princeton University, and the Colburn Conservatory.
  • Music Academy students are accepted to prestigious conservatories and music programs, including the Colburn Conservatory, Juilliard, Cleveland Institute of Music, and the Royal Conservatory of Music. Since the Music Academy was founded, 23% of graduates have gone on to the Colburn Conservatory.
  • Over 140 Conservatory of Music alumni hold professional orchestra positions, and graduates also form internationally renowned chamber ensembles, teach at distinguished conservatories and universities, and enter top post-graduate programs around the country.
  • Graduates of the Dance Academy perform across the globe in ballet companies including the New York City Ballet, Royal New Zealand Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and National Ballet of Canada.

Notable Alumni

Faculty Snapshot

  • Martin Beaver and Clive Greensmith, members of the world-renowned Tokyo String Quartet
  • Melinda Sullivan, dancer, choreographer, and actress featured in film and television (La La Land, So You Think You Can Dance)
  • Fabio Bidini, sought-after chamber musician and soloist who has performed with the most prominent orchestras worldwide
  • Lee Secard, recipient of Downbeat’s prestigious Jazz Education Achievement Award
  • Colburn faculty are members of the LA Phil, LA Opera orchestra, and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra

2026 Highlights

Colburn Orchestra Makes Ojai Festival Debut With Two Performances Under the Baton of Festival Music Director and Colburn Faculty Esa-Pekka Salonen 
Colburn took center stage at the landmark 80th Ojai Music Festival, with performances spanning the festival’s programming. In its Ojai Festival debut, the Colburn Orchestra performed twice, including the festival’s finale under the baton of Festival Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, who leads the Negaunee Conducting Program and holds the Maestro Ernst H. Katz Chair of Conducting Studies at Colburn. Read more

Delos And Colburn School Launch New Recording Partnership
Outhere Music announced a new partnership between its U.S. flagship label, Delos, and the Colburn School, establishing Delos as the exclusive recording label for the Colburn Conservatory of Music and Music Academy. This partnership creates a powerful platform for showcasing the future of classical music. Read more

Colburn Announces Appointment of Melinda Sullivan as Chair of Trudl Zipper Dance Institute Tap Department
Best known for her groundbreaking appearances on FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance, Melinda was the first tap dancer to reach the Top 10 and later returned as the show’s first tap All-Star. Her film and television credits include La La Land, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The Academy Awards, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and Disney+’s Encore, where she served as an on-camera choreographer. As Chair of the Tap Department she will oversee tap dance, hip hop and jazz dance for TZDI and oversee Colburn’s annual Tap Fest. Read more