Levine's 2013-2014 Honors Program

Mission: To enrich the musical development of Levine’s exceptionally gifted students by providing opportunities for them to enhance their musical education, gain inspiration through association with a community of like-minded students, and represent Levine as ambassadors of excellence.

I. APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS

The Honors Program welcomes applications from current Levine students ages 8-18 (as of September 1, 2013). Students who are ages 8-12 are eligible for the Junior Honors program and students who are ages 13-18 are eligible for the Senior Honors program. Applicants are responsible for adhering to, arranging for, and submitting all required materials.

Lesson requirement: All Honors applicants must be currently enrolled, taking a minimum of one weekly private lesson at Levine for at least one complete semester.
Application form: All potential Honors students must submit a completed online application by Thursday, May 9, 2013. Please note that a completed application includes a student essay.
Teacher recommendation: All Honors applicants’ private instructors will be required to complete an online teacher recommendation form (a separate form). Nomination/recommendations may also be submitted from student’s secondary private lesson teacher, if applicable but this is not a requirement. Online teacher recommendation forms must be completed by Thursday, May 9, 2013.
Jury form: A copy of the student’s spring jury form should be submitted by the appropriate department chair, following Spring juries (due by May 31). Certificate juries are strongly recommended, if available, but not required.
Age Requirement: By September 1, 2013, Honors students must be at least 8 years old.

II. AUDITION PROCESS

Students will be selected from among submitted applications and invited to audition.

Audition dates: Auditions by invitation will be held at Levine's campuses in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia between June 8-15, 2013.
Notification: Candidates will be notified of the outcome of their audition before June 30, 2013.
Repertoire: For the audition, students should prepare two pieces of music in contrasting styles that they feel best demonstrate their musical ability. A total of ten minutes will be allowed for performance. Composition students will be required to submit selected works and be prepared to discuss their work and/or perform a selection from their work.
Closed audition: The audition will be closed and students will play for a selected committee comprised of Levine faculty and the Honors Program Directors.
Interview: The committee will conduct a five minute interview/discussion with each student following their performance. Questions addressed in the interview may include, but are not limited to: musical goals and aspirations, and student’s contribution to Levine and the Honors Program.
Yearly audition: Students must audition each year for the Honors Program. Participation in the program for one year does not guarantee a place for the upcoming year. Students will not be admitted into the program without an audition and interview.
Rescheduling: Auditions and interviews cannot be rescheduled.

III. STIPEND

A stipend of $600 per school year ($300 per semester) will be awarded to all successful Honors Program participants, which is applied towards tuition. Please note that any Financial Aid awards may also be applied towards tuition, in addition to the stipend.

IV. FINANCIAL AID

Due to generous support from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, scholarships up to $8,000 are available for Honors students who demonstrate financial need. To apply, students should complete Levine's Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship application and submit by Thursday, May 9, 2013.

Once admitted to the Honors program, students will be expected to fulfill the following requirements:

I. GROUP EVENTS

The following required events give students a chance to get to know their fellow Honors colleagues:

Season Opener: an informal gathering of fun, food, and musical games at the beginning of the school year.
Group Events: Each Honors student is required to attend a series of scheduled Honors Program group events. These may include performances and workshops at Levine, or concerts and outings in the DC metro area. All events are organized for the Honors students to attend together.
Chamber Ensemble Coaching: Each Honors student is assigned to a chamber ensemble comprised of other Honors Program participants and receives 20 hours of coaching throughout the year by expert Levine faculty. Due to generous support from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, chamber ensemble coaching is offered at no charge to Honors participants.
Field Trip: Each Honors student is required to participate in the annual Honors field trip.

II. PERFORMANCES

Honors students are expected to represent Levine in a variety of performances:

Honors Recital: Each Honors student participates in an Honors solo recital and an Honors chamber recital. In addition to the Honors Recital, students are required to participate in three Levine recitals, master classes or competitions at any point throughout the school year either as a soloist or as part of a chamber ensemble.
Recording Session: Each Senior Honors student has the opportunity to participate in a recording session in Levine’s Cafritz Recording Studio. Selections from these sessions are included on a celebratory Honors CD.
Juries: Honors students are required to participate in all department juries and are expected to maintain a minimum grade of “merit” or above. Certificate juries, where offered, are optimal, but not required.

III: MUSIC STUDY

Each Honors student must be enrolled in private lessons and theory for the entire year:

Individual Private Lesson: All Honors students must be enrolled for a minimum of one weekly 45-minute private lesson at Levine, but a 60-minute lesson is optimal. Partner lessons are not acceptable.
Musicianship Class: All Honors students are required to enroll for one theory or musicianship class for the entire school year. For assistance with theory class placement, contact Sis McKay, Chair of the Theory Department, at (202) 686-8000 ext. 1109 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Exceptions to the theory class requirement are made for students who place out of the most advanced level theory class (determined by placement test or instructor’s progress report), or who have completed Levine’s theory curriculum through Level IV, or are taking a theory class at another institution (proof must be provided in the form of a class synopsis, test results and teacher contact information). All exemption requests must be submitted in writing each year to Sarah Andrew Wilson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For students who have completed or tested out of Levine’s theory curriculum and are not taking theory at another institution, an enrichment option is still required. Students may elect to take one of Levine’s other musicianship classes or substitute another enrichment option such as participation in a Levine ensemble or a weekly class for their required musicianship option. All alternative options must be submitted in writing each year to Sarah Andrew Wilson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for approval.

Demonstrated progress and commitment: Honors students must attend, be punctual, and demonstrate suitable progress in all registered lessons and classes. Teacher concerns will be brought to the attention of the Honors Program Directors and students may be placed on probation or potentially dismissed from the Honors Program depending on the severity of the issue.

Contact

For more information about the Honors Program, please contact Sarah Andrew Wilson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Melinda Baird at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For more information about the John S. Martin Honors Chamber Ensemble, please contact Sarah Andrew Wilson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .