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Studies & Degrees in Piano

Studying piano at a university or conservatoire means training as a professional pianist. The centre of the course is the weekly one-to-one lesson with a teacher, supported by many hours of daily practice. Around it, students take music theory, harmony and analysis, ear training, music history, chamber music and accompaniment, and they perform regularly in class and in public recitals. The Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University describes its piano curriculum in these terms: it is centred on individual private lessons, with studio classes, weekly recital hours and a concerto competition.

Piano is studied as an instrument within a music degree, not as a separate academic field. Besides solo performance, schools offer related paths: collaborative piano (accompanying singers and instrumentalists), piano pedagogy (teaching) and, in some places, jazz or early keyboard instruments.

Qualifications and levels

  • United States. The usual sequence is a Bachelor of Music in piano performance, a Master of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA). Northwestern University, for example, offers a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, Master of Music degrees in Piano Performance and in Collaborative Piano, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance. The keyboard programme of the University of Washington has degrees at bachelor's, master's and doctoral level in piano and organ performance.
  • Spain. Piano is studied in the higher artistic education in music (enseñanzas artísticas superiores de Música), taught at higher conservatoires and not at universities. The national rules (Real Decreto 631/2010) set four academic years of 60 credits each, 240 ECTS credits in total, in one of seven specialities; instrumentalists take the speciality Interpretación. The qualification is official and valid throughout Spain. The Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid, founded in 1830, has a piano department and a separate department for repertoire with piano, and offers a master's programme for accompanists and répétiteurs (Máster de Pianista Acompañante y Repertorista).
  • Lessons without a music degree. Some universities let students of other subjects take piano lessons. At the University of Washington, non-majors audition for lessons with faculty in September, January and February, and lesson fees apply.

Admission: the audition

Entry to a piano programme depends on playing level, not only on school grades. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, applicants to music degrees are typically required to submit recordings or to audition in person, and sometimes both. In Spain, admission to higher music education requires passing a specific entrance test. Applicants are expected to arrive with years of previous training; a degree is not the place to start the instrument.

Each school publishes its own audition repertoire and dates. International applicants should check early whether a recorded first round is accepted and which language level is required for the theory and history classes.

Where to study piano

SpainExchange lists 11 active schools for piano: nine in the United States, one in Spain and one in Argentina. The US schools include Northwestern University, the University of Washington, The Ohio State University, The University of Texas at Austin, Temple University, Florida State University, Butler University, Avila University and the University of Southern Maine. In Spain the list has the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid, and in Argentina the Universidad Nacional de La Plata.

Teaching is in English in the United States and in Spanish in Madrid and La Plata. Programmes are small: Northwestern states that its piano programme typically has fewer than 50 students across all degrees. When comparing schools, look at who the piano teachers are, how many performance opportunities there are, the practice rooms and instruments, and whether chamber music and accompaniment are part of the course.

Careers

Few pianists live from solo concerts alone. Most combine several activities: teaching in music schools, conservatoires or privately; accompanying singers, instrumentalists, choirs and dance classes; working as a répétiteur in opera and musical theatre; chamber music; church music; and recording or session work. Teachers at four-year colleges and universities in the United States typically need a doctorate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that musicians do not formally need post-secondary education to enter the occupation, but that those in classical music may pursue a bachelor's degree in performance. It projects little or no change in employment of musicians and singers in the United States from 2025 to 2035, with about 17,400 openings each year, and it points out that part-time work is common.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to audition to study piano?

Yes, almost always. Music degrees typically require recordings, a live audition or both, and Spanish higher conservatoires hold a specific entrance test.

How long does a piano degree take in Spain?

Higher music education in Spain lasts four academic years of 60 credits each, 240 ECTS credits in total. Pianists take the speciality Interpretación.

Can I take piano lessons at university without studying music?

At some universities, yes. The University of Washington, for example, offers lessons to non-majors by audition and on a space-available basis, for an additional fee.

What is collaborative piano?

It is the specialised study of playing with others: accompanying singers and instrumentalists, chamber music and opera coaching. Northwestern University offers it as a Master of Music, and the Madrid conservatoire has a master's programme for accompanists.