Colburn School

It’s always a privilege to announce Colburn students’ accomplishments, honors, and competition wins, such as the recent Community School of Performing Arts winners at the California Branch of the American String Teachers Association-Los Angeles Section (CalASTA-LA) Bowed Strings Competition. This year, however, CalASTA-LA also honored the School with its 2026 Distinguished Service Award, and recognized Community School Faculty member Nancy Yamagata with the 2026 Outstanding Studio Teacher Award.

Read more in this month's Colburn in Focus: https://buff.ly/ORkwrNu

Don't miss an incredible free performance of Tchaikovsky’s impassioned Symphony No. 5 on two-pianos with eight of our distinguished faculty's hands. A special conversation with violinist Adam Millstein will open the program. Join us online via livestream or in-person in Thayer Hall this Saturday, June 20, at 6:30 pm!

MMore information and to watch the livestream: https://bit.ly/4vy0eBf

There's still time to sign up for Summer Classes!

Explore our acclaimed programs—from guitar to musical theatre and more—for ages 7 months to adults. Reserve your spot: https://buff.ly/yqWOGjt

There's still time to catch the incredible performers in this years Sounding Point Academy Recital Series! Join us live and in-person in Thayer Hall, or tune in from wherever you are via livestream. Get the details and watch along: https://buff.ly/5uxeAsF

Wishing a major Colburn Congratulations to Music Academy alumni Starla Breshears (cello) and James Birch (violin) on winning first and second place respectively at the Irving M. Klein International String Competition !

Both former Kohl Scholars, Starla studied with Clive Greensmith and James studied with Bob Lipsett.

Read more and watch all rounds of the competition on The Violin Channel:
https://buff.ly/PBUmHVb

After nearly 20 years of assisting Colburn students and staff, Deborah Smith, director of Library, Student Academic Engagement, and Learning Resources, has retired.

Her extensive knowledge of resources empowered students to expand their knowledge of composers, musical compositions, and the history of classical music. We wish her a very happy and well-earned retirement.

For updates like this in your inbox, subscribe to Colburn in Focus: https://buff.ly/vUFbYch

After decades of dedication to the Community School of Performing Arts, Richard Schwabe retires. He leaves an impressive legacy of teaching generations of young musicians, shaping the Strings department, and more.

Check out this month's Colburn in Focus newsletter for this story and more:
https://buff.ly/KnmydeQ

Today took over Grand Avenue!

Positioned between the Music Center, the Colburn School, MOCA, and The Broad, this stretch of Grand Avenue has long served as a civic gathering place. It is a place where architecture, performance, and public life intersect.

Five choreographers—Dimitri Chamblas, Madeline Hollander, Benjamin Millepied, Jamar Roberts, and Pam Tanowitz—each responded to a section of Philip Glass’s score for the experimental film Koyaanisqatsi, creating a unified work reflecting on technology, modern life, and a world out of balance—and it was dazzling. To top it off, we’re thrilled to watch .dance Baller IV student Celestia De Castro join in for the final portion.

Did you wander by today to catch any or all of this special program? Let us know what you thought in the comments 💃

📸:

Presented by and at the with the support of Terri and Jerry Kohl.

City of Dance is presented in 2026 with a new section with the foundational support of Dance Reflections by

The American Contemporary Ballet is coming to DTLA! Join them at the Bank of America Plaza for Spectacular Balanchine! from June 4 – 20, and, if you're a dance student, you can get free tickets for tonight's performance—June 5—with code BALLETTONIGHT !

The program includes dances from Stars and Stripes, Who Cares?, Western Symphony and Union Jack, all to live band music by composers George Gershwin, John Philip Sousa and Hershey Kay—and features two Colburn Dance alumni: Annette Cherkasov '20 and Quincey Smith '22, who will be retiring from Dance after the final performance, so don't miss your last chance to see her perform while honoring ballet’s greatest choreographer over nine nights of carefree, exuberant dance and music!

Get your tickets: https://us.patronbase.com/_ACBDances/Productions/30/Performances

🗣️ Dance is taking over DTLA TODAY! 💃 We’re closing down Grand Avenue this afternoon, June 5 at 12:30 pm, for a special free performance as part of City of Dance, a multi-day program taking dance out of the theater and into iconic public sites across LA.

So spend your lunch break with the breathtaking talent of artists in a piece set to Philip Glass’s score for the experimental film Koyaanisqatsi. Five choreographers—Dimitri Chamblas, Madeline Hollander, Benjamin Millepied, Jamar Roberts, and Pam Tanowitz—each responded to a section of the music, creating a unified work reflecting on technology, modern life, and a world out of balance. Because the work is designed to be encountered in public space, audience members are welcome to stay for as long as they like and move around the performance as it unfolds.

The Grand Avenue Takeover is made possible with the generous support of Terri and Jerry Kohl. RSVP to receive arrival and street closure information on the day of the performance at the link in our bio.