The top music school in the world is Curtis in most musicians' opinions. I'm sure you can find some ranking site that puts Juilliard at the top, and it is defi

The top music school in the world is Curtis in most musicians' opinions. I'm sure you can find some ranking site that puts Juilliard at the top, and it is definitely in the top 10 (many people put it at #2), but Curtis has by far the best reputation and the most competitive audition process. Colburn (on the west coast) is often also considered up there with Curtis depending on the instrument. Juilliard is probably the top drama school in the world, however. Also, Manhattan School of Music may be the best jazz school. Finally, what "listings" are you referring to? I have never seen a good listing of classical music performances anywhere I have lived, including New York, that wasn't essentially word-of-mouth.