Elite performing arts conservatory at Lincoln Center training virtuosos in music, dance, and drama.
Juilliard offers undergraduate and graduate degrees across three primary divisions: Music (largest and oldest), Dance, and Drama. The school also provides non-degree diploma programs for professional artists, a Pre-College Division for younger students, and a jazz performance training program established in 2001. The curriculum emphasizes practical application; the Literature and Materials of Music program, introduced in 1947, transfers theoretical knowledge into performance. Admission is highly competitive, requiring auditions, transcripts, recommendations, and sometimes prescreening recordings.
The school occupies a single main campus at Lincoln Center, comprising the Irene Diamond Building with multiple studios, performance halls (Alice Tully Hall, Peter Jay Sharp Theater, Paul Recital Hall, Morse Recital Hall), and specialized spaces for dance, drama, and jazz. Adjacent is the Samuel B. & David Rose Building, which houses the Meredith Willson Residence Hall (student dormitories and faculty suites) and the School of American Ballet. Juilliard has several performing ensembles, most notably the Juilliard String Quartet, and students perform throughout the year.
Admission is among the most selective in the United States. Applicants submit applications, transcripts, and recommendations; some majors require prescreening recordings. A limited number are invited to live auditions with possible callbacks, followed by meetings with program administrators. Recent acceptance rates range from 5.5% to 8%. Pre-College Division students (ages 8–18) must audition in person. Cross-registration is available with Columbia University.
Juilliard alumni have achieved exceptional recognition: 105 Grammy Awards, 62 Tony Awards, 47 Emmy Awards, and 24 Academy Awards, including two alumni with EGOTs. Alumni and faculty include more than 16 Pulitzer Prize and 12 National Medal of Arts recipients. By the end of the 20th century, graduates comprised approximately 20% of the Big Five American Orchestras and half of the New York Philharmonic. The school received the National Medal of Arts in 1999, the first educational institution to do so.