Juilliard Connections

Hi Greg,
I read your response about your Juilliard audition and saw your repertoire at the end. Wow - my repertoire is EXACTLY the same!! I am a senior in high school auditioning, and I was wondering what connections (if any?) you had to the faculty before your audition - masterclasses, lessons, etc. Thank you!!!!
 - Mariam

Hi Mariam,

Wow -- what a coincidence that our audition repertoire was exactly the same!
I didn't have any connections when I applied to Juilliard. The closest thing to a connection: I attended Bowdoin Summer Music Festival during my sophomore year of high school -- while I was there, I watched Veda Kaplinsky teach a masterclass. I can definitely attest that Juilliard admits students based on ability, not connections.

 - Greg (Oct. 24, 2009)