PhD in Music - Performance in La Jolla United States | University of California, San Diego

The Performance Program in the Department of Music is dedicated to cultivating innovative, thoughtful, and enthusiastic interpretations of modern compositions. As Robert Erickson, one of our founding faculty members, famously remarked, UC San Diego serves as a vibrant collective of musical artists.

Musicians engage dynamically within this collaborative space, working alongside both faculty and student composers while investigating novel performance techniques, digital music tools, spontaneous composition, and various other artistic inquiries. Interpreting contemporary works is seen as an inventive process that harmonizes technical mastery with artistic discovery.

Advanced performance students can pursue either an MA or DMA specializing in modern music interpretation. Both curricula involve mandatory graduate-level coursework and close mentorship from faculty advisors. Participants are urged to approach their individual practice with curiosity and ambition. Graduation requirements feature two public performances and the defense of original performance-based research.