Private Lessons

• Step 1: Please fill out the lesson inquiry form.

• Step 2: Our Private Lesson Coordinator will be in contact with you to set up your initial lesson.

• Step 3: After your initial lesson is complete, speak with the instructor to determine your weekly lesson length and number of lessons for the academic year.

• Step 4: Confirm your registration with the Private Lesson Coordinator.

Students and their families cannot enroll themselves in private lessons online.

Adding On Lessons

If you would like to register for additional lessons, please contact the registrar at 860.768.4451 or hcdbills@hartford.edu. 

Adding a Second Instrument

If you would like to add an additional instrument, please contact the Private Lesson Coordinator at 860.768.4451 or hcdlesson@hartford.edu.

Adding an Ensemble 

If you would like to add an ensemble or chamber group, please contact the Ensemble Coordinator at 860.768.4451 or littlejoh@hartford.edu.

The Hartt School Community Division takes great pride in the quality of its pre-college performers. One of the ways we recognize these performers is through departmental honors auditions and recitals held each spring. Students chosen to participate in the honors program are also eligible for the school scholarships described below. The Honors Program is by teacher recommendation only. Students will be notified by their private teacher if they qualify for this program.

Guitar

Scholarship Opportunities 

• Beatrice Sewall Scholarship is awarded to the highest ranking student at the audition.
• The Guitar and Harp Senior Award is given to the highest ranking senior at the audition.

Percussion, Winds, and Brass

High school students are selected for the Senior Honors Recital by audition. Younger students may audition at the recommendation of their teacher. Honors scholarships and awards are presented at the recital.

Scholarship opportunities 

• The Beatrice Sewall Scholarship is awarded to the highest ranking student at the audition.
• The Woodwinds, Brass and Percussion Senior Award is given to the highest ranking senior at the audition.

Piano, Organ, and Harpsichord 

Honors students will be chosen to perform on Junior and Senior Piano Honors Recitals. Junior Piano students (grades 3–5) will be chosen by teacher recommendation.

Scholarship opportunities 

• Musical Club of Hartford – Evelyn Bonar Storrs Scholarship I is awarded for the best performance by a pianist in grades 9-11 at the Piano Honors Auditions.
• Musical Club of Hartford – Evelyn Bonar Storrs Scholarship II is awarded for the second best performance by a pianist in grades 9-11 at the Piano Honors Auditions.
• Dr. Watson Morrison Scholarship is awarded for the best performance by a pianist in grades 6-8 at the Piano Honors Auditions.
• Jeffrey Quinn Morrison Prize is awarded for the best performance by a pianist in grade 12 at the Piano Honors Auditions.

Strings

Scholarship Opportunities 

• Senior String Honors: Abraham M. Huang Memorial Award is awarded for the best performance in the Senior String Honors Audition.
• Junior String Honors: John Jorgensen Memorial Award is awarded to a serious cello student. In absence, the award may be given to a qualified string student.
• String Honors Program: Abraham M. Huang Memorial Prize is a talent prize awarded to the best performer in the String Honors Audition process. The student may not be a graduating senior.
• Abraham M. Huang Memorial Prize Senior Award is a non-monetary award given to the most-deserving graduating senior in the honors audition.

Voice

Students may audition for the Senior (grades 9-12) or Junior Honors Concert (grades 6-9).

Scholarship Opportunities

• Bel canto Scholarship is given to a talented vocalist with a special interest in opera and classical music.
• Other awards may be available at the discretion of the department chair through the Nancy Andersen Vocal Activities Fund.

Composition

The Composition Honors Program provides mentorship and performance opportunities to advanced composition students entering grades 9–12. Upon successful application to the program, each Honors Composer is paired with an HCD performer or ensemble to create a new work to be premiered at the end of the school year. Additionally, students receive mentorship from the head of the Composition and Musicianship department and our Graduate Fellow. Students participating in the Honors Program must be enrolled in either private lessons or the Young Composers Project.

Collaborations are arranged by the Head of the Composition and Musicianship Department. These projects differ each year, and past Honors partnerships have been arranged with HCD soloists and chamber ensembles, Opus ’89 string orchestra, Philharmonia Winds, and the Dance Department. The exact nature and timeline for each Honors Composition project is decided no later than the first few weeks of the fall semester.

Please note: We are not enrolling Year 1 Students for the 2022-23 school year. Check back for future offerings.

Achievement Days take place annually in May. They allow our students and families to:

• Mark progress through a structured and positive experience
• Receive useful suggestions and encouragement
• Motivate students in a supportive atmosphere

Participation in Achievement Days will take the place of one private lesson the week of the adjudication. 

Piano

The Hartt Piano Performance Achievement Days (HPPAD) is a distinctive graded program loosely based on the models of the long-standing British ABRSM exams and the Canadian RCM exams. All pre-college pianists (including those taking jazz or Suzuki method) participate in HPPAD. 

The HPPAD framework is allows our teachers to design individual courses of study for their students with clear benchmarking throughout the course of study. During this time, students will:

• Present a program of prepared music and technique to a panel made up of members of our piano faculty
• Receive comments from the faculty and earn certificates of achievement

The certificates are graded according the levels of the Hartt piano curriculum: Elementary 1–4, Intermediate 1–4, Advanced 1–2, Pre-College 1–2, and a diploma for high-school seniors. Participation and completion of these levels allow students and their parents to monitor and track progress. 

Solo performance is an important aspect of every musician's growth and development. In addition to studio recitals organized by your teacher, we encourage students to participate in Hartt Community Division solo recitals. These are open to all of our students by teacher recommendation.

The Hartt School Community Division is committed to providing access to our programming for all populations, including children and adults with special learning needs. In order to best serve students with exceptionalities, we strive to maintain an open dialogue of clear communication with families and students about their specific needs.

Although we are unable to provide the same services as public schools, or other programs that specialize in this area, we will work with each family to identify resources and support structures to help the student to succeed. If requested, HCD is able to recommend options for school programming, and will offer guidance to educators concerning appropriate and beneficial instructional activities and/or materials.

To discuss unique needs, please contact the Private Lesson Coordinator at hcdlesson@hartford.edu or call 860.768.4451. Hartt Community Division Professional Staff will facilitate dialogue with the appropriate instructor, director, and/or administrator.