UConn Music: Compose your future through these progressive graduate programs

20 Dec 2019

With its inspiring array of graduate programs and certificates, the Department of Music at the University of Connecticut (UConn) is where tomorrow’s music talents come to compose career success.

By directing aspiring musicians to take the next turn in their education, UConn offers a plethora of creative and academic avenues to pursue, specifically tailored to meet your talents.

And if you require a strategic change in study location, you’ll be happy to know that the department is nestled in the US region of New England, at the heart of Connecticut’s music scene.

Effectively equipped with the von der Mehden Recital Hall, a musical hub that attracts thousands of guests and hosts nearly 130 concerts and events a year, you’ll also have the unique opportunity to showcase your newfound UConn skills to the stage.

And by visiting the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts located nearby, which is dedicated to UConn President Albert N. Jorgensen, you can catch informative Concert Talks with special guest speakers and get involved with extraordinary musical workshops.

Therefore, combining your participation in engaging events and performances at UConn Music with the real-world value of your selected graduate program, you’ll create a professional portfolio capable of captivating any future employer.

Progress your passions with a Performer’s Certificate

At the Department of Music, the UConn Performer’s Certificate aims to provide a concentrated course of study in performance for outstanding musicians who have completed a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from a university or music conservatory in the US or an international equivalent.

And by offering you certificates in the musical areas of Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, & Percussion, Piano, Voice and Conducting, UConn lifts any limitations that may have been placed on your potential, encouraging you to take your performance passions further.

Approved by the winner of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and a UConn Assistant Professor of Cello, Sophie Shao, a Performer’s Certificate offers budding young musicians a golden ticket into highly sought-after careers.

“I think a Performer’s Certificate at UConn allows a student to have the company of talented students while they focus on improving their own playing. They get to play in orchestras and make musical friends while having private lessons on the instrument that’s suited to their personal career goals.

“The relatively rural location allows them to focus more intensely and create deeper friendships with their peers,” Shao says.

So if you want to get started with a UConn Performer’s Certificate, refer to this informative Graduate Handbook for guidance.

Play to your strengths with a Master’s Program

After achieving your Performer’s Certificate, you can continue your professional journey through the Master of Music (M.M) or the Master of Arts (M.A) degrees.

For the Master of Arts (M.A) avenue, you can choose to specialise in Historical Musicology where you’ll study four courses in music history that concentrate on important genres, major composers and historical style periods.

Or, you can delve into Music Theory, where you’ll study topics such as Schenkerian Theory and Analysis, the History of Music Theory and 20^th Century/Atonal Theory and Analysis.

The Master of Music (M.M) avenue, on the other hand, allows you to specialise in Performance, Choral Conducting, or Instrumental Conducting.

Clarifying the difference between the two, the Department of Music notes on their overview page that, “The Master of Arts in Music is awarded in recognition of demonstrated accomplishment in the field of music, with special emphasis in historical musicology or theory. The Master of Music is awarded in recognition of musical accomplishment with special emphasis in performance or conducting.”

Plus, all new students must take the Graduate Theory Placement Examination as part of the Master’s application process.

Produce and develop with a Doctoral Program

If you’re hoping to develop your talents further after a Master’s program, then you can opt for a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree or a Doctor of Philosophy in Music (PhD) at the Department.

The Doctor of Musical Arts degree is the highest practice-oriented degree in the field of music and it is designed for students that want to become creative contributors in both performance and skill, encouraging you to specialise in either Performance or Conducting.

UConn Department of Music

The Doctor of Philosophy in Music, meanwhile, is awarded in recognition of distinguished scholarly achievement in the field of music and permits you to specialise in Music Theory and History.

Plus, the acquisition of this degree testifies to the mastery of the general subject of music, to a concentration of knowledge or skill in some specialty within the field of music, and to the acquisition of research skills applicable to the activities of scholarship and teaching in music.

Nevertheless, each UConn Music graduate program pieces together new skills, expert faculty members and a harmonious to create an educational ensemble for you to experience.

And if you’re ready to produce an employable portfolio, find out more about how you can unite your talents with UConn Music today.

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