The Juilliard School's voice program focuses primarily on advanced training for opera singers. There are six programs within the department: the undergraduate bachelor of music, master of music, graduate diploma, doctor of musical arts, artist diploma in voice and artist diploma in opera studies.
Juilliard is most renowned for its advanced opera training. The masters of music in opera studies is a two-year program during which students receive intense one-on-one voice lessons with professional coaches who have years of voice performance experience. World renowned singers also come to the campus to give lectures. Juilliard's close relationship with New York City's Metropolitan Opera provides more opportunities for students to connect with established singers, directors and managers.
The Bard College Conservatory of Music is located in New York's Hudson Valley. Unlike Juilliard, Bard's conservatory does not have an undergraduate degree program. Bard does, however, have a very thorough master of vocal arts program. The curriculum for the master's program falls into three parts: core seminars, workshops and private instruction. The core seminar topics include textual analysis, song repertoires from different cultures, theatrical skills and working with composers. Bard students are also required to attend workshops on acting techniques as well as phonetics and proper diction. Finally, each Bard masters student has private voice coaching sessions every week with senior vocal performance instructors.
UM Ann Arbor has one of the strongest voice programs in a public university. The undergraduate program has a voice option, and there is advanced vocal-specific education at the master's and doctoral level. Like Juilliard, UM has a dedicated opera program. Masters students receive specialized training from faculty who have past performance experience. The program is attractive because there is an abundance of on-campus performance opportunities. Vocal students work with directing and composing students to put on musicals and operas each semester. For those who are seriously interested in a career in opera, UM also participates in a study abroad program where students spend a semester in Florence Italy, studying Italian and refining their vocal skills.
NEC, located in Boston, has a department of voice and opera. The department offers undergraduate and graduate degrees specifically for vocal students. The bachelor program requires classes in music theory and piano. In addition, undergraduates must participate in at least one recital. The masters program refines undergraduate skills for the demanding world of opera. Graduate students are required to take diction lessons in Italian, French or German, which are the languages most common to opera.