A Season at the Juilliard School

It's the start of the school year for the 800 students of the Juilliard School in New York, one of the most prestigious conservatories in the world and one of the most selective (only 8% of students who try for a place get one). The school boasts an impressive list of now famous artists who have studied in its drama, dance and music divisions - from Yo You Ma to Kevin Spacey, from Philip Glass to Pina Bausch. Among the students starting this new school year are Mariella, a young 17-year old violinist, Mathis, also 17, a pianist and the youngest student in the jazz department, and Raymond, who is 21 and is training to become a professional dancer. Austin, Lars and Ryan are entering their third year in the drama division.

It will soon be Christmas for the Juilliard students, a crucial period for the students that is synonymous with end-of-term performances. Raymond's 4th year dance class is busy rehearsing a piece with Czech choreographer Jarek Cemerek that was created specifically for them. Marielle will be playing Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique with the Juilliard orchestra conducted by her teacher, famous violinist Itzhak Perlman. Lars and Austin, both actors, will be performing at a centre for young drug addicts. John, a baritone, and his girlfriend Wallis, a mezzo-soprano, will be singing in front of the other students of the Juillard's Vocal Arts division, one of the most reputed in the world.

Being confronted with a different discipline to one's own, in order to better nurture one's own art, is an integral part of the curriculum at Juilliard, irrespective of whether one is a dancer, musician or actor. In this episode, Mariella, a violinist, takes tap-dancing lessons and philosophy lessons. Raymond, a dancer, is taking drama lessons. Ryan, Lars and their drama classmates are working on singing and a musical comedy, a key discipline of actor training in the US. This episode follows them rehearsing and performing their cabaret show.

During their studies at Juilliard, students learn not only to develop their own technique but also to work together. John, a baritone, and his classmates are rehearsing a children's opera that they wrote themselves and that they regularly perform in US schools. Mathis, a 1st year jazz student is preparing to give his first concert with his ensemble. The 3rd year drama students present their work during a master class. Mariella is working with her chamber music trio. The students all have to learn how to adjust their voices, instruments … and temperaments.

The end of the school year is in sight. Students are busy rehearsing the final shows of the year, auditioning for the major companies, and giving concerts at prestigious venues. Raymond is preparing his end-of-studies solo and is also taking audition after audition. For Wallis, a mezzo-soprano, and John, a baritone, their time at Juilliard is already over, and their careers have been launched. Both are singing together on stage at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris in an opera by John Adams. The actors have started rehearsing the Shakespeare plays that they will be performing at the end of the year. Lars and Mariella talk about the issue of student debt. And Mathis' dream has come true – to play at the famous jazz club, the Blue Note.

It's the end of the school year for the Juilliard students. For some of them, it's the end of their studies and the beginning of their professional careers. Raymond dances his last solo on the Juilliard stage before leaving the US for the Grands Ballets Canadiens company in Montreal. For the first time since they started their studies, the actors of the drama division will perform in the Juilliard's main theatre, to an audience of both amateurs and professionals. Here, they will put into practice all the know-how they have accumulated in recent years, performing Shakespeare's two masterpieces "Hamlet" and "Twelfth Night". For Mariella and Mathis, it's time for their end-of-year exams and an appraisal of the past year. And although their studies are not yet over, they are already dreaming of life as an artist.