Conservatory Facts
450
undergraduate students
300+
concerts and performances
62
full-time faculty
140
graduate students
30+
performing groups
53
part-time faculty
Perform at the Highest Level
On the stage, in the classroom or clinic, and beyond!
Experience the world-renowned Shenandoah Conservatory. 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 from theatres, concert halls and dance studios. Unite with fellow artists and join an alumni family that takes center stage from Broadway to the concert halls of Europe.
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 400 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

Innovation and Creativity Bring Performances to Life
Rewarding and reaffirming — those are two of three words that Courtney Reilly, executive director of performances and engagement at Shenandoah ... Continue Reading Innovation and Creativity Bring Performances…

Article Co-written by Stepniak Published in Inside Higher Ed
“A Case for Mischief Makers,” an article co-written by Shenandoah Conservatory Dean and Professor of Music Michael Stepniak, Ed.D., and Dean of the ... Continue Reading Article Co-written by Stepniak Published…

Covert and Musical Theatre Program Featured in American Theatre Magazine Article
Shenandoah Conservatory Coordinator of Recruitment for Musical Theatre, Charles B. Levitin Chair in Musical Theatre, Director of Musical Theatre ... Continue Reading Covert and Musical Theatre Program…
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

McCormick ’01, ’03, ’09 Featured in Film Honoring the Black Fiddlers of Monticello
David McCormick ’01, ’03, ’09 (Bachelor of Music in Music Education, Master of Music in Performance, Artist Diploma) of the Early Music Access Project, based in Charlottesville, Virginia, is featured ... Continue Reading McCormick ’01, ’03, ’09 Featured…

O’Konski Named VASTA New Orchestra Teacher of the Year
Violist Laura O'Konski is the recipient of the Virginia String Teachers Association (VASTA) Award for New Orchestra Teacher of the Year. O'Konski currently serves as the director of orchestra and ... Continue Reading O’Konski Named VASTA New Orchestra…

Fiorello ’13 Music Directs in Chicago’s Porchlight Music Theatre’s Newest Virtual Production
David Fiorello ’13 (Master of Music in Conducting) is the music director of “New Faces Sing Broadway 1987” in the first virtual installment of Porchlight Music Theatre’s popular News Faces Sing ... Continue Reading Fiorello ’13 Music Directs in…
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!
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.
