They can be either part of larger universities or stand-alone conservatories. Of course I'm interested in voice, but I would like to know which ones are considered best all-round best music programs. Thank you!
... because each one of them would say otherwise...
McGill University and University of Toronto always fight over who is better. (UofT has better funding and community exposure, McGill has better overall training and more productions)
University of British Columbia
University of Western Ontario in London has an ok undergrad program
Univeristy of Manitoba in Winnipeg has an ok undergrad
Glenn Gould School of Music at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto is up and coming
Conservatoire de Montreal has punched out some good talent.
Back to the Stacks
TMR
Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value. Albert Einstein
oddly enough, Brandon. For a long time it has been considered as one of the best music schools in the country. No real voice program though.
If voice is your interest, I would say that U of T and McGill grant you access to the cliques in those cities, ensuring more exposure to the "people who matter" than you would get at any others.
UBC also has something that the others can't offer in an undergraduate opera program with street cred. Anyone going there will have access to performance opportunities (full roles in stages, orchestra'd productions; chorus opportunities with Vancouver Opera) and training (the program is very geared towards opera, not so much to general music or even art song) that most programs would only provide to Masters students. Some would say with good reason but....
I didn't go to Wilfrid Laurier University but I would also include them in the list. Offers your typical BMus as well as diploma in opera and chamber music. I believe they offered the first Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music Therapy in Ontario. They have a beautiful recital hall but do not have an appropriate stage theatre. I saw a production a few years back. It was in a multi-purpose hall with bleachers and all but excellent singers!
Top schools...but will you be given individual attention?
July 25 2009, 6:24 AM
I have to say that although UofT and McGill are considered the top schools, for an undergrad program its not always best to go for the big name (unless your just after the big name on your resume). Those schools tend to cast their opera productions from Master's level and above. At McGill I believe you can't even audition for a role until your 3rd year undergrad. Most big schools will give their attention in the performing scene to the more experienced singers....as they should. This just means unless you are a tenor or a bass (which I'm sure you're not as an undergrad) the chances of you getting role experience in your undergrad is slim. On the other hand, some of the smaller schools like Glenn Gould, University of Montreal,Conservatoire de Montreal, University of Victoria, University of Alberta and probably many others tend to give more attention to their undergrad students because they don't have the budgets or prestiege of UofT, McGill, and UBC. For some people being a big fish in a small pond is the better way to go! Remember if you get into the big schools you will be competing against the best singers in Canada and often the US. Many of the students at McGill are Americans and even Europeans. Of course it is great to be among the top singers, but will you be given the individual attention you need to foster your artistic endeavours?
Just something to think about......
I guess that's true if you're only looking for stage experience...
July 27 2009, 12:47 AM
Most small schools don't offer enough performance classes compared to the bigger "top" schools. In the beginning of my undergrad the school offered lyric diction (suppose to cover all 4 languages), opera workshop, studio class, 1 song class and chamber ensembles reserved for senior/grad perf students. It wasn't until later on when the students asked for more classes that they started offering vocal ped and specific diction and song classes. I remember visiting a friend at UofT and sitting in his oratorio and german lieder classes and wishing we had something like that. Also the top schools have the $$$ to invite big named singers/coaches to do masterclasses. I'm sure grad students get dibs performing for these people but being an auditor is also beneficial.
While it may be true that masters students tend to get the roles at the bigger schools, the same is true for any school with undergrads and masters students. The more advanced students are more likely to get the parts. The problem with the smaller schools is that they have fewer operas, say one per year, or that they don't even do full productions. Most schools offer a scenes program, but not every school puts on full operas. While it's true that a bigger program like Indiana U's may let some singers fall through the cracks, they also put six-eight operas on per year and give their (many) students that many more opportunities to be cast. If you'd rather stay in a smaller pond and shoot for one of the three roles in Don Giovanni, let's say, the school's only opera that year, I say good luck to you.
At McGill, you have to be in third year or higher to be in the opera studio, but anyone can audition for the operas. Last year, a second year undergrad was cast in a major lead.
Smaller does not mean nicer environment. I have a good friend who went from a fairly competitive environment at one of these larger schools to a post-masters diploma program at a smaller school in the same city, and was wholly marginalized and given next to nothing (one scene in their scenes program), despite her plethora of stage experience. She had frankly hoped that the atmosphere would be better than where it was for her masters, and found it was decidedly worse.
Re: Top schools...but will you be given individual attention?
July 27 2009, 3:39 PM
At UBC they offer a B.Mus. in opera performance that practically guarantees a spot in at least one opera over your four years. In fact, many undergrads appear in multiple roles in feature and lead roles starting in their second year, if their teacher feels they're ready.
The school does a minimum of 2 full staged, upwards of 5 full staged if you include the annual Europe performances, plus teas, scenes, masterclasses, etc. Also, opera history, vocal ped., lyric diction, etc, all at the undergrad level. Just more info for the thinkin'
That's ok, I am intimately familiar with the program and how it works, and while UBC is certainly not everybody's cup of tea, I was curious what would prompt that remark. Since she chose not to pursue it, that's her business.
FYI, it's a summer PTS for students, primarily from within the school, which performs in the Czech Republic and sometimes Germany. You know upfront what you will be singing as it is cast and you rehearse before you leave, so it's not slave labour in the sense that you think you are doing Pamina and find out you are holding a tray. If you are doing a role, you can use it as credits as a supervised study or whatever BS name they call it these days. I understand that last year's trip to China was a little disappointing on the performing end for most people.
