Welcome to the Northwestern Music Academy!

Susan OsbornWe are the community music division of the Bienen School of Music, where a legacy of teaching excellence informs all of our offerings. We provide music instruction to children and adult students in Evanston and the greater Chicago area.

Whether a student desires to be a professional musician or a life-long patron of music, our well-rounded curriculum is designed to instill music appreciation for life. Our highly experienced faculty are skilled in teaching students of all ages and levels. We offer private and group lessons in piano, violin, viola, cello and guitar. At the Music Academy, we believe that a well-taught lesson not only gives our students the gift of music, but it also enhances their life skills on every level.

For more information on our program, we invite you to explore our Kindermusik, Piano, and Strings webpages.

We hope you will consider being a part of our Music Academy family. 

Sincerely,
Susan Osborn
Director, Northwestern Music Academy 
musicacademy@northwestern.edu

 

 

Alumni Spotlight

Stephen Paul as a child and nowOur featured Music Academy alum is Stephen Paul. Stephen graduated from the Music Academy as a high school senior in June 2022, after spending 12 years as a piano student of Susan Osborn. He is currently a music major in jazz trombone at the University of Michigan, studying with Dennis Wilson. Stephen attributes the Music Academy for giving him an understanding of the beauty and expressiveness of music. The strong music theory foundation he gained here was the springboard for exploring jazz performance, Indy music, composing and arranging, all of which he hopes to combine with into a future career.

Music Lessons for Children and Adults

For more than 90 years, Northwestern's Music Academy in Evanston has provided music instruction to children and adult students from surrounding communities and the greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana area.

Most Academy instructors also teach in the Bienen School of Music and hold master's and doctoral degrees in music teaching and performance. The Academy often serves as a teaching laboratory for college students enrolled in pedagogy courses and is a member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts.

More than 500 community students gather on campus each week for Kindermusik classes and lessons in piano and strings. Students have many opportunities to perform in Bienen School recital halls. The Northwestern Strings travel to perform in Midwest locations and have completed trips to Paris and Italy!