IES Abroad Vienna – Music

For a classical musician, being a classical vocalist myself, Vienna is THE place to study abroad. I knew that the cultural and musical education I would receive there would be top notch, but I had no idea how life-changing this experience would be! I absolutely fell in love with life in Vienna, so much so that I hope to at least look into getting a masters degree in Austria, with the intent of pursuing a career in opera there one day. The faculty involved in the IES Abroad Vienna program are all wonderful and reliable individuals. They were devoted to every students’ personal health and mental well-being, but they also fostered an environment where we could venture out on our own in a safe and informed way. In addition to networking and professional connections made through IES Abroad Vienna, I formed many wonderful life-long friendships through program social events. If you are considering this program for study away, you should definitely do it!

As a classical voice student, Vienna was the only location that I considered for study abroad. Looking back on it, Vienna was absolutely the best location for me (and for most music students!). Although there was not enough support with the Visa process, the pre-departure staff were generally helpful with choosing internships, housing, and courses. The on-site staff were phenomenal, organizing frequent community-building activities. They did organize some culturally immersive activities (such as matching us with "language buddies"), but I wish there were more. The staff gave us suggestions for additional events, customs, and restaurants to try out in Vienna. The classes were of a high standard. All my professors made an effort to teach me about the culture of Vienna, and we frequently went on cultural excursions. Safety was taken seriously, and I always felt safe in Vienna. The music professors were fabulous, introducing me to new aspects of music history. If I could spent another semester (or year, or years!) in Vienna, I would do so in a heartbeat.

I should probably start by explaining the title of this review. During our orientation for my abroad program, we had a director tell us to make sure to "Squeeze the Juice" while studying abroad. Odd as this phrase was, it's one I think most people have heard before. It goes along with sayings like "make the most of things" or "live like there's no tomorrow." Point is, that phrase stuck and became a sort of motto in my study abroad experience. Academically, I studied with faculty of great renown I had no idea I would be studying with. I took private horn lessons with Franz Sollner, a retired horn player from the Vienna Philharmonic. I studied composition with Gabrielle Ploy, one of Austria's leading modern composers. I studied acoustics with Miguel Kertsman, an all around music man; active composer, incredible sound engineer, and Jazz pianist. And there were many other astounding faculty teaching classes, but sadly I could not take them all. Housing was very well provided in this program as well. My apartment was well situated. From my apartment I could easily access several modes of efficient public transportation and several grocery stores. The most impressive part of my apartment was the program collaborated with the apartment owner to create a state of the art practice facility in our very own building. Now that’s what I call Juicy! As a horn player, having a space to practice in where I would not be bothering the neighbors was immensely appreciated. The program also had many opportunities for cultural immersion from a language buddy program to field trips. The field trips were very well organized and took students all over to explore parts of Austria. For examples, in one trip I went on, we visited the city of Graz during the free museum night in Austria where I had a blast exploring a museum of locks and keys where I spent several hours in there (mainly because there was an interactive table on puzzle locks and there was one lock I just could not figure out but was too stubborn to give up on). Now That is what squeezing the juice is all about! On that trip, transportation, housing, and food was all planned by the program making the trip run smoothly and saving me the trouble of having to find all that myself! That is what squeezing the juice is all about. Within Vienna, many classes also went on field trips allowing for the goal of cultural immersion to be achieved academically. I also enjoy playing soccer, and in my case my most culturally immersive experience was to be able to join a few staff members in their local soccer team’s practice. Vienna itself is a very safe city, and I felt very safe at all times. The program has well set safety precautions, such as codes on doors to the school building, and even the practice facilities back in my apartment. The program requires a certain insurance, but I found this insurance very helpful. After your first one hundred euros in medical costs, the insurance covers the rest. Thanks to this, I was able to undergo an MRI while abroad for certain medical reasons, and I am very thankful for the program’s insurance covering these costs so I could squeeze the juice without having to squeeze my wallet. There is an incredible community in the program. The orientation period before school begins offers lots of opportunities to meet other students, as does living in an apartment with other students from your program.The main school building also offers a student lobby, so company is never far! The social events are great as well. For example, the language buddy program offers group events such as pub trivia. Did I also mention, though the program I also got to go to my first Viennese ball? Squeeze the Juice! I cannot express how dear the friends I made in my apartment, class, and program were to all these fun activities as well. I believe the friends I made in the program will remain my life long friends, even from afar, and I have the program to thank for bringing us so close together through its interactive activities and tight knit academic and living environment. So yeah, my program not only taught me the ridiculous saying “squeeze the juice,” but also the true meaning of this silly phrase and how to live your life better because of it.