Main navigation
- Programs
- Subjects
- Universities
- Destinations
- Advice
Music theory is an interdisciplinary field that connects with various academic disciplines such as history, composition, literary studies, science, and philosophy. This welcoming approach is reflected in both faculty and students, creating a tight-knit, collaborative, and encouraging scholarly environment. Instruction and research cover everything from ancient musical traditions to contemporary works, encompassing classical, jazz, and popular genres.
The theory faculty are recognized for their expertise in diverse subjects, including Schoenberg's atonal and twelve-tone compositions, Berlioz's musical forms, the relationship between text and structure in 19th-century songs, contemporary composers' works, and how 18th and 19th-century ideas shaped music theory.
With the largest full-time music faculty on the West Coast north of Los Angeles, the School of Music and Dance maintains strong roots in classical traditions while encouraging innovation in new musical works.
Graduates of this program will achieve the following outcomes: Master advanced performance techniques, with performance studies making up two-thirds or at least one-third of the curriculum, Develop expertise in complementary music fields like theory, analysis, music history, ethnomusicology, and teaching methods. These supplementary studies, which enhance overall musical proficiency, account for at least one-third of the program, Vocal performance majors must demonstrate fluency in English, German, French, and Italian pronunciation, along with phonetic skills applicable to other languages. They need sufficient language ability to interpret repertoire texts, To showcase their professional readiness, students must present a public performance (which may serve as their thesis), typically featuring at least sixty minutes of solo recital material.