College Prep

The Rochester Conservatory offers a college prep music course for those students planning to audition for a music degree.  Our college prep music classes are designed to supplement private music lessons with all of the skills required of a college music major, including theory, piano proficiency, harmonization, transposition and improvisation.  These classes offer everything a budding music major needs to begin their music career!

Faculty:

c.wilkinsClifford Wilkins (Co-Owner of the Rochester Conservatory) has been teaching piano at the Conservatory since 1989.  He has been teaching piano professionally since 1977.  Mr. Wilkins has a BA in Music, Piano Major, from Oakland University and Post-Baccalaureate studies with Misha Kotler, pianist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Eugene Bossart, head of the accompaniment department at University of Michigan and Professor Emeritus of Chamber Music at University of Michigan.  Mr. Wilkins began his music career at the age of 10 as a Church Organist at Sacred Heart Church in Roseville, MI.  He has continued as a Church Organist and is currently Director of Music at St. Irenaeus Parish in Rochester Hills, a position he has held since 1982.  Mr. Wilkins taught Music Theory at University of Michigan-Flint and served as the staff accompanist there.  He has also pursued an active career as a chamber music musician, performing all over the Metropolitan Detroit area, including Orchestra Hall, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Public Library, Brunch with Bach, Evenings with Mozart, plus hundreds of other concerts.  Mr. Wilkins has performed with the Detroit Festival Choir at Carnegie Hall in New York.  Twice Mr. Wilkins has taken his choir on a performance tour to Italy, conducting the choir and performing on the organ at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, St. John Lateran in Rome, the Sorrento Cathedral, and the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi.  Mr. Wilkins has always enjoyed teaching piano and is a Master Teacher.  He sees the potential of each of his students and encourages them to reach higher than they thought possible.

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Testimonials

  • My children started in the Musikgarten program when they were 2 years old and we have never left! Both kids are studying two instruments each and having a blast playing together! Our house is filled with music! I am amazed at the high quality of professional teachers at the Rochester Conservatory. Everyone is so dedicated and positive! We will be sad to leave when the kids graduate from high school! - Nancy

  • I wanted to let you know how amazing Igor has been for my son. He was in a low spot in his practice and wanted to quit. Igor has brought that love and spark back to him. I can’t say enough good things about him! - Elizabeth

  • Thank you for putting on this presentation!! It was very well done. We appreciate all your efforts to make it happen, and the added bonus that we can share with our loved ones.

  • We have been so happy at the Rochester Conservatory!! Our three children love their teachers and are learning so much so quickly! Whenever our kids play in public we always get asked by other parents about where they study - I proudly tell them all about the Rochester Conservatory! - Allison

  • I have always wanted to play the piano, and now that I am retired I finally have the time! It's awesome!! My teacher is so sweet and very, very patient with this old guy! I really enjoy the lessons and even the performance workshop classes. This year I think I will even play in a recital!! - Mack

  • I wish we had found the Rochester Conservatory sooner! My son has been studying elsewhere for 2 years and we decided to make a change to the Conservatory because we felt he wasn't progressing. He learned more in his initial consultation lesson than he learned in the entire two years with his previous teacher! Thank you Cliff and Kay Ellen Wilkins for providing such a fabulous environment and for your dedication to your students for all of these years! - Margaret

  • As we adjust to online lessons because of Covid-19, Camelia has been fantastic as always and brings a lot of joy to our daughter which we are grateful for especially because she misses her friends terribly. - Melissa

  • Bravo to the conservatory for putting together a great show. I was skeptical of how the online recitals would turn out with our daughter singing and then adding the track later, but it was amazing. Thanks for doing what you do and making sure the kids still had a recital.

  • Best kept secret in downtown Rochester! - Sally