ABSTRACT
Great performers are a boon to our aesthetic sensibilities and a salve to the weariness that comes with daily routine. The ease and gracefulness of musicians’ communication skills mask years of copious study and practice guided by highly expert teachers. This chapter invites readers to explore the environment in which America’s finest classical musicians are trained to become professional artists, the term used to describe those held in the highest esteem by the field. Data were provided by faculty and staff of the internationally renowned Juilliard School to address the following variables: (a) definitions of elite talent, (b) relationships established between teachers and their students, (c) how curriculum plays a role in transforming talent, and (d) the advent of stars and underachievers among students. The chapter concludes with a list of suggestions for bringing some of the techniques, strategies, and approaches used in the conservatory to undergraduate training in the academic disciplines.
