The Community School of Performing Arts announces the new Advanced Music Performance Program: Designed to enrich and expand students’ performing arts educational experience and develop well-rounded musicians through collaboration and community. Application deadline is May 1, 2026.
In keeping with the Colburn School’s commitment to creating access to excellence, the Community School of Performing Arts recently established the Advanced Music Performance Program (AMPP). The exciting new initiative bundles many existing ensembles and classes into a comprehensive and immersive experience to take place one day per week throughout the academic year. Here, we provide a detailed overview of AMPP, including insight from Community School leaders.
What does AMPP entail?
AMPP is a highly selective, one-day-a-week training program that offers a comprehensive curriculum that spans chamber music, music theory, large ensemble participation, and performance opportunities.
“Many of our students currently participate in a large ensemble, chamber, and other classes a la carte. This new program will offer a comprehensive music training program for students at a similar level on Sundays, allowing them to connect by being a special cohort—work together, learn together, and hopefully, be inspired together,” says Susan Cook, dean of the Community School.
Additionally, the AMPP curriculum includes a variety of enrichment activities to advance students’ knowledge and experiences around non-musical aspects of being an artist, such as career-planning workshops and public speaking.
“There will be discussions on topics such as staying healthy as a musician, mind and body; how to practice effectively; how to prepare for college applications for those who would like to attend college; and how to practice orchestral excerpts,” says Moni Simeonov, chair of the Ed and Mari Edelman Chamber Music Institute and member of the Community School Violin faculty.
“Plus, we’ll have many of my faculty colleagues do presentations so students will get to know the rest of the Colburn team,” he adds.
“Our goal is to create well-rounded musicians and prepare them for their future studies. This program will give our students a very strong foundation because they will have all these subjects that are necessary later on at the higher education levels. I think that’s really valuable for them,” says Ivana Malo, Community School Piano Department chair.
AMPP students also will enjoy a multitude of performance opportunities as members of the Ed and Mari Edelman Chamber Music Institute and Colburn Youth Philharmonic, the Community School’s new, top-level symphonic orchestra. All of this is in conjunction with one-on-one study with Colburn’s renowned faculty.
When will AMPP occur?
Starting in fall 2026, AMPP students will gather on the Colburn campus every Sunday for an all-day experience throughout the academic year. Functioning as a cohort, they will spend the day in classes and seminars, lessons with their instructors, and ensemble coachings and rehearsals.
“This will be a special day because students will come together to devote their time fully to music, and spending time on campus and learning together will be especially meaningful. We hope to build a community of highly motivated, like-minded students who share a serious commitment to music, and I think that can create an atmosphere that is truly inspiring,” notes Malo.
Who will be included in AMPP?
AMPP is open to students ages 13–18 studying piano, strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Participants will progress through the program together, so it’s designed for young musicians who demonstrate similar ability levels and who share a strong interest in pursuing music at the college level or simply making it a vital part of their future lives.
“An AMPP student is someone who really loves music and wants a comprehensive experience,” says Cook. “Playing in chamber music, for instance, requires talking with peers about how to phrase musical lines, including beginning and ending them together, how to breathe together, and how to tune chords and adjust pitch. If we can help our students learn these valuable skills at a younger age, it’ll be so much more advantageous for them if they decide to pursue a career in music.”
“Also, launching this program in parallel with the new Colburn Youth Philharmonic means students will not just be meeting for rehearsals. They will know each other from seminars, music theory classes, studio classes, and chamber music groups, as well as master classes. It’s much easier to grow artistically and technically when you’re surrounded by the same people, and you’re seeing them grow in many different aspects,” says Simeonov.
What else can students expect of AMPP?
AMPP serves to curate a close-knit community as students progress through the program.
“There’s something very special when students are in a music program and, oftentimes, the most dear friendships form out of those programs because they’re spending so much time with each other. We want to build that type of community,” says Cook.
What’s more, AMPP students will have opportunities to participate in community engagement programs and performances that may satisfy high school volunteer requirements.
How to apply to AMPP?
Admittance into the Advanced Music Performance Program is a selective process, beginning with an application that includes a mandatory prescreening video. Application deadline is May 1 at 11:59 pm. Applicants who pass the prescreening stage will be invited to an in-person audition, which will take place on May 17.
For more information on AMPP, application repertoire requirements, and tuition and scholarships for the 2026–27 academic year, go to the Advanced Music Performance program website at colburnschool.edu/community-school/by-program/advanced_music_program.