Nina Simone was enrolled in a conservatory.
The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia that offers courses of study leading to a performance diploma , Bachelor of Music , Master of Music in Opera , or Professional Studies Certificate in Opera . The Juilliard School ( [ ˌdʒuːliˈɑrd ] ) located in the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side of Manhattan , New York City , is a performing arts conservatory established in 1905 . Nina Simone . With the help of a few supporters in her hometown of Tryon , North Carolina , she enrolled in the Juilliard School of Music in New York . Years later , two days before her death , the Curtis Institute of Music bestowed on her an honorary degree .