A vibrant community of talented people who thrive in a rich cultural atmosphere...

where students come to study with mentors who inspire them, to perform the best of the literature and to associate with new and old friends who understand “what makes them tick.” Our international faculty members and conductors come to collaborate with students who are refining their skills for a lifetime in the arts. Dedicated teachers and consummate professionals, they enjoy working with young musicians, actors and dancers in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Counselors come to share their knowledge and talents, to perform alongside students and faculty, to contribute fresh ideas from their studies at universities and conservatories around the world, and to provide supervision for the residential community.

A rigorous program in music, dance, and musical theater for dedicated students ages 12-18 …

who seek to master their craft for career or avocation. Intensive rehearsal, practice, and class time are devoted to in-depth development of technical and expressive abilities. Students work closely with an international faculty, gaining exposure to their individual vision and style while performing major works of the repertoire. As a pre-professional program, the Institute prepares students for conservatory auditions by providing academic training and performance experience at the highest level. PAI students who do not wish to pursue a career in the arts enjoy the association with those who do and welcome the challenge and stimulation of a demanding program.

A campus alive with the arts.

Imagine dance productions with live music, major symphonic repertoire at every orchestra concert, wind and jazz ensembles that perform university and professional-level music, choirs handling the masterworks of the repertoire, and a full-length and fully mounted musical theater production. Rarely do young performers have continuous exposure to such significant works and the opportunity to perform them so well.

PAI students perform every week.

We present more than 35 public performances in the 42-day season. This exhilarating schedule raises performance levels, reinforces knowledge of the repertoire, and attracts packed houses every week. It also trains young performers to become confident – to reach for improvement rather than strive to outperform others. That training comes from repeated stage experience, with immediate feedback from a caring community of peers and faculty.

We keep our numbers small.

PAI requires every student to audition for acceptance so ensemble needs, class size, teacher/student ratio, and performance opportunities are not compromised.

We foster a warm environment …

where easy interchange among students and staff encourage supportive relationships. Wyoming Seminary’s beautiful campus and international community combine with the mixture of music, theater and dance for stimulating conversations, wonderful artistic experiences, and lasting friendships.

Students and teachers work side-by-side throughout the day.

Side-by-side programs in which students rehearse and perform with professionals are not exclusive to PAI. Many symphony orchestras sponsor side-by-side mentoring programs that have successfully motivated students to become better musicians. Correspondingly, students at PAI benefit from rehearsing and performing in ensembles with their teachers. In total, they have over five contact hours per day with their teachers in rehearsals, masterclasses, private lessons and chamber music sessions. The unusually large amount of time students have with high caliber professionals is what makes the side-by-side experience at PAI so meaningful.

Masterclasses and performances by nationally known

guest artists …

add an exciting dimension to our program. In years past, PAI has hosted world renowned solo artists such as Charles Treger, violinist; Brad Garner, flutist; and Umberto Lucarelli, oboist, to name a few. Included among the many master teachers and performances of the 2007 season were six-time Emmy Award-winner David Canary; the internationally acclaimed Shanghai String Quartet; recording jazz artist and jazz band director at the University of Michigan, Ellen Rowe; founder of the Pennsylvania Ballet, Barbara Weisberger; acting provost of the University of the Arts, Rick Lawn; and recording organist, Mark Laubach.