The Department of Music maintains a growing roster of experienced private instructors available to teach University of Chicago students on campus. Our affiliated private instructors hold advanced degrees from such prestigious conservatories as Indiana University, the Juilliard School, the Ryan Opera Center, the Manhattan School of Music, Paris Conservatoire, San Francisco Conservatory, and more. Many of the Performance Program faculty members and all of the Artists-in-Residence affiliated with the Department of Music teach private lessons, in addition to leading the various ensembles and programs.
Student musicians who are active members of the Chamber Music Program, Piano Program, or Vocal Studies Program should be sure to take advantage of the free coaching sessions that are available through their program participation. Guidelines for signing up for these free coachings, as well as quarterly limits for the number of free coachings allowed for each student musician, vary slightly for each program. Consult the program directors for more information.
Some University of Chicago students choose to study with other acclaimed musicians in the Chicago area. If you are interested in finding an appropriate private instructor, you should first ask your ensemble or program director for recommendations. For additional suggestions, please send an inquiry to musiclessons@uchicago.edu. At this time, we are not able to provide private instructor recommendations for beginners.
Music Lesson Awards
Music Department Lesson Awards are grants presented to registered University of Chicago students who are current participants in the Performance Program to help defray the cost of private lessons in applied music. The grants are awarded on the basis of competitive auditions and may be used to cover up to 75% of the total cost of a student's private lessons in the 2024-25 academic year. Read the full details.
Auditions for 2024-25 Music Lesson Awards will be conducted in two stages:
- Vocal Auditions: Saturday, October 19, 2024
The deadline to register for a Vocal Lesson Award Auditions is Friday, October 18, at noon. Vocalists who wish to perform an audition with the staff accompanist will need to sign up to perform with the staff accompanist by Thursday, October 17, at noon. You can choose a rehearsal time with the staff accompanist when registering for your lesson award audition. Please note that there will be no exceptions. - Instrumental Auditions (including Piano): Saturday, November 2, 2024
The deadline to register for an Instrumental Lesson Award Audition time is Friday, November 1, at noon. Instrumentalists who wish to perform an audition with the staff accompanist will need to sign up to perform with the staff accompanist by Thursday, October 31, at noon. Please note that there will be no exceptions.