Beginning in fall 2009, Juilliard welcomes its first class of students to the newly-established Historical Performance program. Aimed at fostering informed, vital interpretations with the level of technical excellence and musical integrity for which the School is renowned, the Juilliard Historical Performance program offers a comprehensive course of study for young artists with a special interest in music from the High Baroque through the early Classical eras. Highlights of the program include:

• Full-tuition scholarships for all Historical Performance majors.
• Access to Juilliard's growing collection of rare strings, period winds, and historical keyboards.
• A faculty comprised of international performers and teachers, including members of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Les Arts Florissants, and Tafelmusik. (Read bios of the Historical Performance faculty members.)
• Annual visits from esteemed guest artists such as William Christie and Jordi Savall.
• A specialized curriculum that links classroom learning directly to performance.

Open to master’s degree and Graduate Diploma candidates, the program is designed both for students with substantial experience in historically-informed practice, and for those who wish to develop new skills and ideas. Eligible instruments are: Baroque violin, viola, cello, and double bass; Baroque flute, oboe, and bassoon; and harpsichord. The M.M. degree requires a two-year residency; the Graduate Diploma program with a major in Historical Performance is a two-year, non-degree course of study (i.e., no requirement of graduate electives).

Students will have regular opportunities to perform in both large and small period-instrument ensembles at Lincoln Center and throughout the New York metropolitan area. The curriculum will be complemented by regular residencies and master classes by some of the world’s most esteemed performers, including William Christie and Les Arts Florissants and Jordi Savall.

Along with weekly lessons, classes will cover a broad range of issues related directly to performance, including style and interpretation, historical and cultural contexts, analytical methods and treatises, historical dance, improvisation, and ornamentation.

In addition, the full resources of Juilliard and the unique place it occupies in the musical life of New York City will be available to students in Historical Performance. With more than 700 performances each year in dance, drama, and music, Juilliard provides an unparalleled environment for learning and exploration.

Application deadline: December 1, 2008
Auditions in Paris, France on January 28-29, 2009
Auditions in New York on March 1 and 2, 2009