University of Washington School of Music (MUS) — Local services in Seattle

This is by far one of the worst musical institutions in the United States for opera. The school itself focuses so much on academics that they pay little attention to the actual talent it accepts. As somebody who was accepted into some of the most prestigious programs in the country, I had no clue that by coming here, I had settled tremendously. It's extremely pathetic and you know you're in the wrong place when a first-year Masters student does not know who Jonas Kaufmann, Luca Pisaroni, or even Joyce Didonato is. In addition, the program tries to sugar coat what "amazing opportunities" they have, but all it is is glorified chorus roles with "professionals" hired in who are literally just out of school (likely from the east coast). And the voices? Let me tell you. They accept anybody that walks in that door, and it's apparent. There was this one kid, Nic Varela, who you could just tell he had vocal issues that weren't being addressed. He opened his mouth and it sounded like a moaning cat. I'm not exaggerating in the slightest. It was sad because there were a number of students like himself who were being led under the assumption that they were actually going to be successful opera singers. I tried to voice my concerns and see what I could make out something of nothing, quite literally, but every time I was pushed back and told, "things are the way they are and nothing is going to change." If UW Opera department wants to be a legitimate school, then they must act like one. Otherwise, they are going to be the laughing stock of the operatic world. They should be ashamed of themselves and figure themselves out. Fast forward a year later and 20K spent on tuition. Do I regret coming here? Yes. Is the program a joke? Yes indeed. Would I recommend this institution to...

Some departments are great - namely piano, music history, music theory, and ethnomusicology. Some are rather weak. Screen each department thoroughly before applying, especially if you plan to pursue a performance degree. A number of performance-based programs are definitely more centered on research than...

Definitely getting too old for its own good. But still a very homely place for students and music...