Conservatory Facts
519
undergraduate students
300+
concerts and performances
62
full-time faculty
166
graduate students
30+
performing groups
53
part-time faculty
We are what’s next
Perform at the highest level on the stage, in the classroom or clinic, and beyond!
Study with master teachers – more than 100 professionals in music, theatre, dance, and performing arts leadership and management. Embrace extensive performance opportunities with top-tier facilities including theatres, concert halls and dance studios. Unite with fellow artists and join an alumni family that not only takes center stage from Broadway to the concert halls of Europe but also incorporates the professional and creative training provided by Shenandoah into all aspects of life and work.
Go beyond the stage and take your artistry into the community, classroom, clinic and more. Immerse yourself in research with faculty scholars dedicated to mentorship and the advancement of their creative professions. Cultivate, practice and apply your professional skills through regional, national and international service experiences, training programs, and conferences.
Shenandoah Conservatory offers degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s, artist diploma and doctoral levels and produces more than 300 performances each year. Enroll in a dynamic curriculum and start preparing for a meaningful career in the arts.
Why Shenandoah Conservatory?
Daniel Shores, '99
Daniel mixed "Songs of Orpheus," winner of Best Classical Solo Vocal Album at the 2019 Grammy Awards. He's a five-time Grammy nominee and the albums he has recorded have earned 20 Grammy nominations and 1 Latin Grammy win.
“I always strive to make great music — anything that happens after that is just icing on the cake. I’d rather make an album that sounds amazing than ever be concerned about an award.”
Music Production & Recording Technology

Why Shenandoah Conservatory?
Roman Banks, '21
Roman is the first African-American to play Evan Hansen, the title role in the Tony-winning Broadway smash “Dear Evan Hansen!” He first performed the role on December 12, 2018.
"I’ve received endless amounts of messages from people of color, both young and old, telling me how much it means to them that I’m playing the role. This opportunity is, in every essence of the phrase, a dream come true.”
Musical Theatre

Why Shenandoah Conservatory?
Thomas Wilkins, '74
In 2019, Thomas conducted the National Symphony Orchestra in a performance featuring Jennifer Hudson. He is the conductor of the Omaha Symphony Orchestra, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
"I've wanted to be a conductor since I was 8 years old. I had never heard an orchestra before, and I knew at that moment that this was what I wanted to do with my life. When a person who looks like me, sees me and thinks 'that is a possibility for me life' — I'm excited about that."
Conducting

Why Shenandoah Conservatory?
Aubrey Lawrence, '15
Aubrey is now thrilling audiences with the innovative dance company, Diavolo: Architecture in Motion. She tours extensively and has been featured with Diavolo on “America’s Got Talent.”
"I was drawn to Shenandoah's program because of the versatility — You didn't have to choose an emphasis, like ballet or just jazz or just modern. It's a triple emphasis! I have a million reasons that answer the question 'Why Shenandoah?'"
Dance

Why Shenandoah Conservatory?
Emily Menhorn, ’15
Emily is changing the lives of patients at Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City!
“He’ll lie in bed sick all day long and not speak to his doctors, nurses, or us, and Miss Emily comes in and he jumps out of bed and starts playing the drums,” said the mother of one of Emily’s patients, Carson. In a place with so much fear, uncertainty, and pain, Emily is a light that pierces darkness. “Is it easier to be here when she’s around?" asks Carson's nurse. “Yeah.” says Carson. “Why is that?” Carson replies, “Because she gives us hope.”
Music Therapy

Admission to Shenandoah Conservatory is highly competitive.
Not only must students be academically admissible, they must also complete and pass the mandatory audition/portfolio review and interview process. Audition dates are limited and may fill and close well in advance of the audition date.
Conservatory News

Conservatory Students in SU Marching Band and Studio Big Band Invited to Perform in London’s New Year’s Day Parade 2025
The Shenandoah University Marching Band, which made its debut last fall, will perform on an international stage when it participates in London’s New ... Continue Reading Conservatory Students in SU Marching…

Shenandoah Conservatory Receives Grants from Mid Atlantic Arts & Marion Park Lewis Foundation
Shenandoah Conservatory has received $19,500 in grant support from Mid Atlantic Arts and the regionally based Marion Park Lewis Foundation in support ... Continue Reading Shenandoah Conservatory Receives Grants from…

Broadway Artists Mark Schneider and Jason Gillman Guest Direct Musicals This Fall
Shenandoah Conservatory welcomes Broadway artists Mark Schneider and Jason Gillman as guest directors for two musical theatre productions in ... Continue Reading Broadway Artists Mark Schneider and…
Conservatory Faculty
Caring and Accomplished
Shenandoah Conservatory’s prestigious faculty is dynamic, creative, and passionately committed to the highest levels of artistic excellence. A deeply caring community, they mentor students with a wealth of professional expertise, balancing rigorous expectations with compassion and wisdom. At Shenandoah, you will study with, and perform for, award-winning composers, Metropolitan Opera singers, Grammy Award winning conductors and international competition winners. You will learn from leading scholars in music and premiere works created by accomplished dance artists and cutting-edge directors. Shenandoah Conservatory’s faculty embodies the highest levels of professional accomplishment and the deepest commitment to furthering the artistic growth and creative aspirations of students in every discipline.
Meet the Conservatory FacultyConservatory Alumni

Eight Music Education Alumni Land Jobs or Begin Graduate School This Fall
Eight undergraduate music education alumni have landed jobs in local schools or are beginning graduate studies this fall: Zach Freshwater ’23 – Caroline High School (Caroline County, ... Continue Reading Eight Music Education Alumni Land…

Myers ’22 Lands Halloween Contract for Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Cassidy Myers ’22 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance) is performing in “Phantoms of the Festhaus” at Busch Gardens Williamsburg this season. The show, produced by Matt Davenport Productions, incorporates ... Continue Reading Myers ’22 Lands Halloween Contract…

Divino ’14 Leads Graduate Seminar
Michael Divino ’14 (Bachelor of Music in Performance) led a graduate seminar on the topic of the Chevalier de Saint Georges at 1 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 11, in Ruebush Hall, Room 148. Divino enjoys a ... Continue Reading Divino ’14 Leads Graduate Seminar
ShenCoLAB
Shenandoah Conservatory turns over the programming and facilities to its students for a week of unbridled exploration, collaboration and creativity.
ShenCoLAB is the only such week of its magnitude and scope offered by a university performing arts program in the United States.
The week culminates in an extraordinary event: the Festival of Arts, Ideas & Exploration, which featured 27 performances and five presentations in the inaugural year!
Take a Virtual Tour of Shenandoah Conservatory
Shenandoah Conservatory is an exciting hub of collaboration and innovation. Here's a chance to take a quick look at all the spaces in which our students engage in rich and rewarding creative experiences in music, theatre, and dance.
We're an All-Steinway School
Great music stirs the heart and inspires the soul, and Steinway pianos are celebrated as the instruments used by renowned artists to cultivate their talent and produce great music. Similarly, uncompromising excellence in performing arts education sparks the imagination and inspires the future.
