The Juilliard School Launches Open Classroom

The Juilliard School today announced the launch of Open Classroom, a suite of online performing arts courses that combines the latest in digital learning technologies with Juilliard's tradition of educational excellence. Developed in collaboration with edX, the leading open-source, nonprofit online learning destination, Open Classroom furthers Juilliard's mission to bring arts education to a wider global audience. Those who enroll will develop a deeper mastery and appreciation of the performing arts while engaging with members of the Juilliard community.

Open Classroom is Juilliard's latest venture in the online learning space. The curriculum reflects Juilliard's multimodal, cross-disciplinary approach to performing arts education and incorporates input from a wide range of pre-eminent artists and performing arts institutions, including members of the Berlin Philharmonic. Classes are taught by members of Juilliard's renowned faculty and leverage a variety of best-in-class technologies, including an innovative video-sharing platform that allows students to form interactive practice groups with their peers and instructors.

The curriculum will explore a range of topics, from overcoming performance anxiety to music theory and history. While Juilliard plans to expand its online offerings in coming months, the following courses are the first to be launched through Open Classroom:

• Harnessing techniques from professional musicians and elite athletes, Conquering Performance Anxiety will help students at all levels develop the psychological skills necessary to overcome stage fright and to perform at an optimal level.

• Music Theory 101 exposes students to the fundamentals of music composition while exploring concepts such as pitch, tonality, mode, key, dissonance, rhythm, and meter.

• Leveraging expert interviews and concert footage from one of the world's greatest orchestras, the Berlin Philharmonic, How to Listen to Great Music for Orchestra aims to instill a deeper understanding of orchestral music, focusing on five of the most influential orchestral works from the Baroque period through the 20th century.

• Designed for advanced beginner- to intermediate-level pianists, Sharpen Your Piano Artistry teaches students the key elements of piano practice and performance, including articulation and phrasing, dynamic contrast, rhythm, and pedaling.

"In the past, performing arts education was something that happened on college campuses, in private studios, or in concert halls," said Joseph W. Polisi, the president of Juilliard. "Without changing our on-campus curriculum, Open Classroom will allow us to expand the reach and impact of our educational programs, giving students of drama, music, and dance around the globe the opportunity to develop their craft and to understand the inner workings of great works of art under the guidance of some of the world's greatest performing arts educators."

(photo by Eric Mann / Unreel Films)

Open Classroom is intended to reach non-Juilliard students. While classes cannot be taken for credit, students will receive a statement of accomplishment upon completion.

Enrollment begins on March 7, 2017 at open.juilliard.edu.

About The Juilliard School

Founded in 1905, The Juilliard School is a world leader in performing arts education. Juilliard's mission is to provide the highest caliber of artistic education for gifted musicians, dancers, and actors from around the world so that they may achieve their fullest potential as artists, leaders, and global citizens.

Located at Lincoln Center in New York City, Juilliard offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, drama (acting and playwriting), and music (classical, jazz, historical performance, and vocal arts). Currently more than 800 artists from 44 states and 42 countries are enrolled at Juilliard, where they appear in over 700 annual performances in the school's five theaters; at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully and David Geffen Halls and at Carnegie Hall; as well as other venues around New York City, the country, and the world.

Beyond its New York campus, Juilliard is defining new directions in global performing arts education for a range of learners and enthusiasts through The Tianjin Juilliard School, K-12 educational curricula, and an increasing array of digital education products.