Expert: Pamela Thomas - 11/20/2008

Question
I am an undergraduate vocal performance major,soprano.  After completing this degree, which is better, attending a Conservatory or doing a graduate degree. I would like to attend Eastman or even Glenn Gould School of Music in Toronto, but they do not offer agraduate degree.  Have you heard anything about them.  My goal is to be an opera singer.

Answer
Hi Paula,

I think most conservatories offer Masters Degrees or at least Performance Degrees.  If you want to stay in Canada I would check out the schools there.  If you go to www.classicalsinger.com and check on university vocal programs on the left - then put in Canada - you will get a large number of music schools in Canada with pretty detailed information.  (They just completed a survey of all schools so the info should be up-to-date.)

Of course there are great schools in the US too - in NY, Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, Mannes School of Music.  Also many universities have great music schools - Indiana, USC Thornton, Boston Conservatory and so much more.  They are on the website as well.

Why don't you also look at University of British Columbia - they offer a Masters.  I don't know the school - but Ben Heppner went there years ago - and he pretty darn good.

Best of luck to you!

Pamela