The Taylor Academy Now Accepting Applications for Fall 2023

For aspiring and gifted young musicians who want to develop their craft, there are few places in Canada where they can receive extraordinary arts education, enabling them to pursue their dreams. The Royal Conservatory’s prestigious Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists is now accepting applications for the 2023-24 academic year and offers a superb extracurricular training program for gifted classical musicians between the ages of 8 and 18 amidst a community of like-minded peers. 

“In order to fulfill their dreams of becoming professional performers, these talented young musicians need exceptional training and the support of peers and mentors,” says Barry Shiffman, Director, The Taylor Academy. “The Taylor Academy is the Royal Conservatory’s commitment to training young artists through acclaimed and dedicated faculty, with stunning facilities, and a real sense of camaraderie. It’s where I started, and I have many friendships that continue to this day.” 

Internationally acclaimed artists Stewart Goodyear, Jan Lisiecki, Earl Lee, and Blake Pouliot are just a few of the notable alumni whose musical gifts flourished at The Taylor Academy. 

For current students like Anna Stube, a 17-year-old violinist from Calgary, Alberta, The Taylor Academy is like a second home. “Every time I come here, I am filled with such a sense of joy, of hope, and community... every time I set foot in this building, I’m so inspired,” she says. “I feel like giving music to people is like giving them a gift — an opportunity to feel emotion, to heal something within themselves. Music has gotten me through so many tough times in my life, giving me an escape, a sense of comfort... I think that’s why The Taylor Academy is such a home to me. The music lives here.” 

The Taylor Academy program runs from September through May and is designed around an immersive core curriculum that includes private lessons, ensembles, academic courses, and performances through concerts and master classes. The Junior Academy (ages 8-13) accepts piano and strings artists, while the Senior Academy (ages 14-18) accepts strings, piano, classical guitar, woodwinds, and voice. 

Of the Taylor Academy graduates who continue their music studies, 100% receive offers from post-secondary institutions — making The Taylor Academy the ideal environment for serious young classical musicians. Taylor Academy graduates can be found at prestigious post-secondary institutions including The Juilliard School, Harvard University, Curtis Institute of Music, Yale University, The Colburn School, McGill University, New England Conservatory, and The Glenn Gould School. 

Thanks to the support of generous donors, all students accepted into The Taylor Academy receive a scholarship from The Royal Conservatory which subsidizes their tuition to a considerable extent. 

The deadline for applications for Fall 2023 is April 3rd. 

Learn more about The Taylor Academy and its students

And don’t miss the opportunity to see these talented young musicians perform at the Taylor Academy Showcase Concerts on March 11 at Mazzoleni Concert Hall, as well as the Junior winners of the 2022–23 Concerto Competition performing on March 23rd. 

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