Northwestern University Music Academy

Northwestern University Music Academy Northwestern Music Academy in Evanston provides music instruction to children and adults Contact the coordinator in your area of interest to arrange a visit.

For more than 70 years, Northwestern University’s Music Academy in Evanston has provided music instruction to children and adult students from surrounding communities and the greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana area. Most Academy instructors also teach in the Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music and hold masters and doctoral degrees in music teaching and performance. The Academy serves as a te

aching laboratory for college students enrolled in pedagogy courses and is a member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts. More than 500 community students gather on campus each week for lessons in piano, strings and Kindermusik®. Students have many opportunities to perform in School of Music recital halls. The Northwestern Strings travel on alternate years to perform in either Midwest locations or overseas (including recent trips to Paris and Italy)

Families are welcome to observe music lessons and meet our instructors. The Academy director can also answer general questions related to music study and choice of instrument. Director: Dr. Susan Osborn
Piano Coordinator: Dr. Annie Hsiao
Strings Coordinator: Stacia Spencer
Kindermusik Coordinator: Jennifer Merry

Kindermusik at Northwestern is offering Summer classes for children ages 1 thru 5! In these early childhood music classe...
05/19/2026

Kindermusik at Northwestern is offering Summer classes for children ages 1 thru 5! In these early childhood music classes, students and their families have fun exploring music through singing, moving , playing instruments and creative activities. Summer classes are held for 4 weeks on Saturday mornings, June 6 thru 27, 2026 and July 11 thru August 1 at the Bienen Center for Musical Arts, 70 Arts Circle Drive, on the Evanston campus of Northwestern University. For more information and to register, please visit: https://www.music.northwestern.edu/kindermusik or contact Jennifer Merry, [email protected]

Congratulations to Gabe Nakayama, student of Dr. Lam Wong, for earning 2nd place in the 2026 NSMTA Karen Tobias Competit...
05/13/2026

Congratulations to Gabe Nakayama, student of Dr. Lam Wong, for earning 2nd place in the 2026 NSMTA Karen Tobias Competition!

Dad and new pup waiting for their girls to finish their piano lessons at the Northwestern Music Academy
04/30/2026

Dad and new pup waiting for their girls to finish their piano lessons at the Northwestern Music Academy

Northwestern Music Academy's guitar teacher, Mark Maxwell, was featured in a recent concert at the Ryan Center for the M...
04/17/2026

Northwestern Music Academy's guitar teacher, Mark Maxwell, was featured in a recent concert at the Ryan Center for the Musical Arts. Here is an excerpt from the Northwestern Daily: “Performing in the Parlor: The Golden Age of Guitar and Elocution,” mixed a repertoire of 19th-century music pieces with literary texts — a common combination in the U.S. at the time. Throughout the performance, Anne Waller, Mark Maxwell and Brian Torosian (Bienen ’89, ’95,’03) played on 19th-century Viennese guitar reproductions. Interspersed between the musical pieces, Fiona Maxwell (Communication ’18) performed selections of text.

Congratulations to Academy teachers, Dr. Karen Kan-Walsh and Dr. Lam Wong for their MTNA poster session, "Emerging Techn...
03/27/2026

Congratulations to Academy teachers, Dr. Karen Kan-Walsh and Dr. Lam Wong for their MTNA poster session, "Emerging Technologies: Motion Capture for Enhanced Learning and Accessibility."

A few photos from our wonderful Winter Recitals. Hard to believe Spring Quarter is just around the corner! Congratula...
03/27/2026

A few photos from our wonderful Winter Recitals. Hard to believe Spring Quarter is just around the corner! Congratulations to all.

Making your summer camp plans? Join us for our Summer 2026 Ensemble Camp! We will host a week of music making from Jun...
02/16/2026

Making your summer camp plans? Join us for our Summer 2026 Ensemble Camp! We will host a week of music making from June 22-27. Programs include two tracks: Piano Ensembles (4-hand and 2-Piano) and Chamber Music (Strings, Piano). Space is limited. For more information, please message us here. Registration details coming soon.

Students and families had a wonderful time at our 2026 Northwestern Music Academy Performathon​! More photos to come.
02/11/2026

Students and families had a wonderful time at our 2026 Northwestern Music Academy Performathon​! More photos to come.

Kindermusik at Northwestern has openings in their Spring Semester classes for children ages 1 thru 4! In these early ch...
01/24/2026

Kindermusik at Northwestern has openings in their Spring Semester classes for children ages 1 thru 4! In these early childhood music classes, students and their families have fun exploring music through moving, singing, playing instruments and creative activities. Classes are held at the Bienen Center for Musical Arts, 70 Arts Circle Drive, on the Evanston campus of Northwestern University on Saturday mornings. Spring classes begin on January 31, 2026. For more information and to register, please visit: https://www.music.northwestern.edu/kindermusik, or send me a private message!

Our Music Academy Teachers are out and about - making MUSIC in Chicago! Congrats to Kate Carter, Bianca d'Avila do Prado...
12/13/2025

Our Music Academy Teachers are out and about - making MUSIC in Chicago! Congrats to Kate Carter, Bianca d'Avila do Prado, and Jennifer Merry.

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1818 Hinman Avenue
Evanston, IL
60208

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