The Academy of Vocal Arts is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music as a non-degree granting music program that is authorized to bestow students, who successfully complete the program requirements, with an Artist Diploma.
All accepted students are enrolled for an entire academic year consisting of two terms in a nine-month period beginning on the first Monday after Labor Day and ending on approximately the third Friday in May. AVA does not offer summer programs or other courses of study during June, July or August.
Resident Artists are expected to attend all classes, lessons and required rehearsals. Promptness is required in all cases. Absences or repeated tardiness may result in a failing grade, or in extreme cases, dismissal from AVA. All classroom courses will have attendance policies established by the instructor, in accordance with school policy. Absences are forgiven when they are caused by special rehearsals scheduled for performance. Such rehearsals are announced to the instructor by the administration in advance.
Before accepting any outside engagement, whether during rehearsals and classes or not, the singer must obtain a written release first from his/her voice instructor and then from both the executive and music directors. No releases will be given during the final month of rehearsing an opera, or during the run of performances, to those singers performing in that production.
All students are required to own concert attire (long dress or full-length skirt and top with sleeves for women; tuxedo and dark suit for men). At all times students are expected to dress in attire appropriate to their position as students and performers.
Requests for transcripts must be made in writing. Official transcripts will be released only to an outside agency. There is no fee for a transcript. The Academy of Vocal Arts adheres to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.
Additional rules and regulations of AVA are outlined in the Student Handbook, which all students receive on the first day of the school year. Students may be subject to dismissal at any time for failure to adhere to the rules of AVA as stated in the Student Handbook.
In addition to purchasing piano/vocal scores, all students will be required to purchase textbooks and workbooks for classes as well as texts, if required, for opera history, etc.
The Academy of Vocal Art is committed to the principles of equal opportunity as defined under federal and state law, and does not discriminate unlawfully on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, color, creed, disability, national/ethnic origin, age, disabled veteran/Vietnam-era, Genetic Information and Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), or veteran status in its admission policy, program, or activities, educational policies, scholarships, fellowships and other Academy-administered programs, or employment practices and programs