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:
Clifford 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.