The Gifted Music School Conservatory

The Gifted Music School Conservatory is an international level, full scholarship program for serious and hard working music students (ages 6-19).  Admittance is by audition only. The program nurtures and provides a learning environment where students are inspired by their teachers as well as their peers. Many will pursue music careers, while others will succeed in academic field. The program's goal is to inspire tomorrow's leaders and artists. Students are taught and mentored by world-level artists and pedagogues. GMS faculty are the some of the most respected teachers in their field.

Classes include music theory, solfege, performance classes, music history, piano literature, woodwind literature, piano ensemble, chamber music, keyboard skills, eurythmics, sectionals, and orchestral music with Conner Covington, Utah Symphony Associate conductor.    

A testament to the incredible standard at the GMS, in the fall of 2019, GMS trained students will be at the following schools:

4 students at Juilliard School (2 in the dual Columbia/Juilliard program)

1 student at Berklee College of Music

5 students at Colburn School

1 student at Curtis Institute of Music

2 students at Stanford

1 student at San Francisco Conservatory of Music

2 students at New England Conservatory of Music

9 students at BYU, University of Utah, Westminster, and other fine Utah colleges and universities.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

The Gifted Music School Conservatory Class of 2019 have been accepted to Columbia/Juilliard Dual Program, New England Conservatory, Colburn Institute of Music, Berklee College of Music, Indiana University, Rice University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University. They received over $1,000,000 total in scholarship offers. 

GMS students compete in various state, regional, and national competitions (including Fischoff and MTNA) and dominant at all state level competitions.  Notable winners in the 2018/19 year include:

Zeke Sokoloff, MTNA National Winner, Junior Division, violin

Caroline Durham, MTNA National Winner, Senior Division, violin

Rachel Call, The Stillman Kelley/Thelma Byrum NFMC Competition, national 2nd place winner, violin

Abby Smith, Wendell Irish Viola Competition, national 2nd place winner, viola

Bear Quartet, St. Paul Chamber Competition, 1st prize winner

Bear Quartet, featured on NPR's From the Top 

World class guest artists and teachers regularly come to work exclusively with the conservatory students. Past guests have included Veda Kaplinsky (piano, Juilliard School), Leon Fleisher (piano, Peabody), Roberto Diaz (Viola, Curtis), Joseph Silverstein, Robert Lippsett (Violin, Colburn), Dr. Yong-Hi Moon (piano, Peabody), Craig Jessop (choral, USU), Vladimir Kulenovic (conductor), Midori Goto (violin, USC), Sel Kardan (Colburn), Micah Yui (piano, Colburn), Andres Cardenes (violin, Carnegie Melon), Meastro Rei Hotoda, and Wei He (violin, San Francisco). This year, our students worked with Laurie Smukler (violin, Juilliard School), Cedric Pescia (piano, Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition winner), Tom Rosenberg (cello, St. Paul Conservatory of Music), Clive Greensmith (cello, Colburn), Albert Tiu (piano, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory), Erin Nolan (viola, producer of NPR's From the Top), Ian Swensen (violin, San Francisco Conservatory), and Conner Covington (conductor, Utah Symphony). 

Conservatory students receive an extensive full curriculum of instruction: theory, solfege, advanced performance class, chamber music, woodwind classes, and for keyboard students, piano literature and history.  In addition, GMS conservatory students perform in the Fall Concert, Winter Concert, Pathway Concert, Spring Gala Fundraising Event, Ballet West Academy collaborations, and various collaborative performaces in the community. In 2019, our orchestra members performed with the Madeleine Choir School. Students also perform at community outreach events at public schools twice a year. Additional performance opportunities include home concert events and other community events as determined by executive staff. Past events have included featured concerts for non-profit events, spotlighted at local community library and film events, spotlighted for grand opening art houses.

Auditions

The Gifted Music School Conservatory auditions are held once a year in the Spring. Auditions will be held on June 1, 2019. 

Bear Quartet, Gold Prize winners at the 2019 St. Paul Chamber Competition