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.

If you are interested in supporting our program for Academy families in need of financial aid, we invite you to Make a Gift. Select “Search School and Program Funds” and check the box for Northwestern Music Academy (pre-college). Your contribution helps make music lessons possible for those who would otherwise not be able to afford them.

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

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

Upcoming Event

Honors Piano Recital
Thursday, May 29, 2025, 6:30 p.m.
McClintock Choral and Recital Room 
 

Faculty Recital Highlights Video

 

Alumni Spotlight

Juliana Scofield with a violinJuliana Scofield studied with Kate Carter between 2019-2022. While at the Music Academy, Juliana won numerous awards, including second place in both the MacDowell Music Association Scholarship Competition and the Symphony of the Lakes Young Artists Competition, and scholarships from the Chicago Federation of Musicians and the OPUS Chamber Music Festival. Her trio won the Geoffrey Prize for the Fischoff Music Academy in 2022.

Juliana is studying for a B.M. in violin performance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under Meghan Freivogel, a member of the Jupiter String Quartet. She says, “Studying music at the Northwestern Academy prepared me well for my collegiate studies. When I told Dr. Kate Carter I wanted to make a career out of music, she pushed me towards excellence, strengthening my technique, developing my artistry, and giving me ways to overcome performance anxiety (especially after COVID made performing in person again 10x harder!). The Academy helped me to improve so fast and to realize what I was capable of with dedicated practice and my teacher's guidance.”

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!

Kindermusik Learn More
Piano Learn More
Strings Learn More