Iowa Conservatory

Brilliance at every stage.

Be Seen.

MUSIC

THEATRE ARTS

VISUAL ARTS

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Be heard. Be valued.

You can be an ICON. Put the arts at the center of your high school experience. Engage in projects to build a wealth of skills central to your goals as an artist. Find like-minded peers and lean on support from professional artist-educators to develop real-world performances. Prepare your portfolio or audition book for college or performing or the visual arts scene after graduation.

Iowa Conservatory provides an intensive arts education in the areas of dance, theatre, music, visual arts, and design & production.

Our ICON faculty facilitates student-driven experiences in a challenging and supportive environment to foster the development of every student-artist. Students spend the majority of every school day taking in-person arts classes and working on productions and performances. Required academic coursework in the areas of math, reading, science, and social studies is completed through the state-accredited Iowa City Community School District Online Learning Program. Student schedules are tailored to their unique trajectories with a project-based learning approach!

DANCE

A program for students suited for and dedicated to the study of dance. Dancers progress in classical or contemporary concentrations.

CLASSICAL

Dancers deepen their study of ballet and modern dance into advanced technique and variations classes, and build experience in dance composition. Carefully designed elective offerings in the areas of contemporary dance will also be provided. Students can be both pre-pointe or en pointe.

CONTEMPORARY

Dancers explore advanced technique in contemporary dance, supported by a solid foundation in classical technique classes. Students study dance composition and have the opportunity to select electives such as tap, jazz, and musical theatre dance.

MUSIC

A program for students interested in growing their individual musicianship with non-traditional high school music-making opportunities.

VOICE

Students receive individual and small group vocal lessons and participate in voice studio classes, build technical skills, study diction, and receive vocal coaching. Music theory, musicianship and basic piano skills are also covered.

PERCUSSION & PIANO

For individuals with a background in piano or percussion that want to learn how to accompany, improvise, expand their repertoire, improve technique, theoretical understanding, and musicianship. Piano students accompany for dance classes and perform in recitals curated to their interests. In addition to piano, a complete instrumentarium of tuned and untuned percussion instruments are also utilized.

COMPOSITION

Students learn the foundations of music composition with opportunities to be mentored by current composers, creating their own pieces or sections of music that can be performed by peers or others in the greater community.

“Music can change the world because it can change people.” BONO

THEATRE ARTS

A program for students looking for a deeper experience in all aspects of theatre education. Students can choose from the following two concentrations:

ACTING

In-depth study in the foundations of acting, scene study, voice production, and literature. All actors receive some training in movement and singing.

MUSICAL THEATRE

Partnering with voice concentration as a music discipline, students participate in all foundational acting work but focus intensely on vocal production, participate in small group singing ensembles, and dance. At the same time, students work collaboratively with the design & production department on student-led/teacher-student co-directed creative works and productions.

“The theatre was created to tell people the truth about life and the social situation.” STELLA ADLER

VISUAL ARTS

A program for students to develop an extensive foundation in visual arts. Students work with a variety of art forms including painting, drawing, 3D, and more with a strong emphasis on storytelling and expression. Curating a portfolio of student work is a central component of the visual arts program.

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

A program for students who engage in visual arts and want to take their work to the stage.

SET DESIGN

Students create scenes and props for performances from the first concept sketches to building a model to constructing the set.

COSTUME DESIGN

In-depth work on developing sewing skills, designing and fitting costumes, wig-making, and makeup art.

LIGHTING AND SOUND DESIGN

Develop the mood and tone of productions using color, texture, and sound effects. Coordinate lighting and sound with other elements of stage design such as costuming, props, and scenic design.

ICON Boarding

Our Student Life Team includes residential assistants (RAs), school counselors, and learning coaches; all trained to respond to the unique needs of adolescent learners in a boarding school setting. The apartment-style co-op living halls are within three blocks of Iowa Conservatory and provide 7-day week boarding with full-time live-in RAs, with 1:8 ratios. ICON’s cosmopolitan Iowa City neighborhood is peppered with a wide variety of affordable restaurants to choose from when students are not cooking with their RAs and suitemates. ICON’s Director of Student Life connects students with a variety of activities, outings, and community engagement opportunities.

ICON Gap Year

The ICON Gap Year Program is designed for students looking to spend more time preparing to make the next step in their post-secondary educational journey. ICON’s expert arts faculty works closely with Gap Year students to achieve their dreams, whether that means preparing for college auditions or placement in professional companies. Students elect to pair ICON’s arts education with college courses of their choosing or concentrate solely on building their artistic portfolio. Upon completion of the Gap Year program, students receive a Certificate of Performing and Visual Arts Industry Fundamentals with an Arts Area Specialization.

ICON provides network-building workshops, masterclasses, and seminars with special guest teachers and mentors from the industry to broaden students’ professional reach.

ICON Full Day

ICON Full Day students receive an extensive arts education, which includes private and small group coaching sessions and coursework in the arts with our world-renowned faculty. Academic courses are completed in the state-accredited online learning program through the celebrated Iowa City Community School District. While students can choose to major in dance, theatre arts, music, visual arts, or design & production, they also practice their craft in an interdisciplinary, project-based learning setting, collaborating with other artists to build real-world experience. Upon graduation, Full Day students receive a high school diploma from ICCSD and a high school Certificate of Performing and Visual Arts Industry Fundamentals with Arts Area Specialization from ICON.

ICON Half Day

ICON Half Day students receive a comprehensive arts education provided by our artist-teachers. This program is a great fit for students desiring to remain in their home school setting but need a more intensive arts education to complement their studies. Students commute to campus each afternoon to be immersed in arts education, along with Full Day and Gap Year students. Half Day students enroll in classes based on interest, skill level, and experience. Additionally, Half Day students that attend ICON for more than two years receive a Certificate of Completion in Performing and Visual Arts Industry Fundamentals.

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THE STAGES OF ICON

Learn from the best!

ICON students have the opportunity to learn alongside multiple venues in the vibrant Iowa City arts scene. This includes our on-campus partner The James Theater, distinguished Hancher Auditorium, historic Englert Theatre, FilmScene, and Riverside Theatre. Our connections throughout Iowa City and the surrounding area provide students real world experiences in a wide variety of performance and arts settings.

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FIND YOUR PLACE IN IOWA CITY.

Home of the Hawkeyes, Iowa’s first capital, and the University of Iowa. Iowa City tradition blends small-town charm with big city opportunities, keeping students, arts and culture at the forefront of the community.

Known as the “The Greatest Small City for the Arts!”

Named one of the best American cities for creatives!

Ranked one of the best places to live in the U.S.!