Rochester,
NY,
United States
Type
Private
Degrees offered
Bachelor's Degree
Bachelor of Music in Composition in Rochester United States | University of Rochester
University of Rochester
|
Rochester United States
Visit institution website
for more information
Qualification
Bachelor Degree
Languages
English
Delivery Mode
On-Campus
Tuition (2025)
USD
63,150
Attendance
Full-time
Full-time Duration
48 months
Eastman cultivates a vibrant community of dedicated music students with the drive and inquisitive nature to excel. We nurture not just performance skills, but also academic knowledge and real-world competencies. The four-year Bachelor of Music program is structured to enhance both artistic performance and practical, scholarly capabilities. This degree's foundation includes private lessons, ensemble work, music theory, music history, keyboard skills, and humanities studies. Students pursuing this BM degree typically aim for careers as performers, music educators, composers, theorists, musicologists, or other music-related professions.
The composition specialization emphasizes mastering musical elements through comprehensive study of modern harmony, melody, rhythm, counterpoint, and tone color. Composition students rotate among faculty members throughout their four years while maintaining instrumental or vocal studies and ensemble participation.
Our curriculum provides comprehensive training in modern musical forms while helping students develop their unique artistic voice. To expose students to diverse compositional approaches, our Department implements a rotation system where students typically work with different faculty members each year over a three-year span. This approach ensures all faculty members guide students at every level, from undergraduates to doctoral candidates.
Destination of Study
Subjects of Study
Language Requirements
English
IELTS 6.5
Qualification Requirements
Recommendations - Undergraduate applicants should provide two (2) letters of recommendation from the following sources:
A primary instructor on your instrument or voice, such as a private instructor, music teacher, conductor or coach. This recommendation should focus on your musical development, as well as your capabilities in areas including dedication, preparedness, collaboration and leadership.
A high school academic teacher who can speak to your abilities in areas such as writing, critical thinking, class participation, and time management. Transfer applicants may use a college-level professor or a high school teacher for this recommendation. Home-schooled applicants should choose a recommender who is not their parent.
An optional third letter of recommendation may be submitted by applicants who (a) are applying on more than one major or instrument or (b) who wish to have an additional recommender provide context on personal or academic circumstances that have impacted their academic or musical progress (such as a gap year, uncharacteristically low grades in a semester or year etc.)
Personal Statement - All applicants must upload a personal statement within the application. There is no specific prompt for this personal statement, but it should give the Admissions Committee an opportunity to learn more about you as an individual and gain a sense of who you are beyond your application, resume, transcript, and other application materials.
The personal statement should be a minimum of one page and maximum of five pages in length, double-spaced, in 12-point font. The essay must be your own original writing, and must be written in English, not translated from another language.
Repertoire List - Please upload a comprehensive listing of the significant repertoire you have studied in the last 5 years within the Other Documents section of the application. Jazz applicants: Please list both the jazz and classical repertoire you have studied on your repertoire list.
Transcripts - Applicants are required to submit academic transcripts from each secondary school and college/university attended.
Transcripts must include grades 9 through 11, or equivalent.
International applicants must submit transcripts in English, or accompanied by a certified English translation. In the United States, 9th grade is considered a part of high school, therefore, we require six semesters of grades to fully review your transcript.
In some cases where it is unclear, International students will be asked to demonstrate that their high school/secondary education is equivalent to a US high school education. Documents will be reviewed in the month of January and you will be notified if a third party evaluation is needed.
Scores & Documents
Applicants to majors in Composition, Jazz Writing, and Theory must submit the following preliminary materials for review by the faculty. These applicants must also upload a recording for their primary instrument (or voice) as noted above.
Composition applicants must submit:
Composition scores: PDF copies of three or four scores uploaded within the application for review by the composition faculty. Each score must be clearly marked with the applicant's name. If you are submitting a large-ensemble score (full orchestra, etc.) then it is also recommended that you mail a hard-copy to:
Office of Admissions
A primary instructor on your instrument or voice, such as a private instructor, music teacher, conductor or coach. This recommendation should focus on your musical development, as well as your capabilities in areas including dedication, preparedness, collaboration and leadership.
A high school academic teacher who can speak to your abilities in areas such as writing, critical thinking, class participation, and time management. Transfer applicants may use a college-level professor or a high school teacher for this recommendation. Home-schooled applicants should choose a recommender who is not their parent.
An optional third letter of recommendation may be submitted by applicants who (a) are applying on more than one major or instrument or (b) who wish to have an additional recommender provide context on personal or academic circumstances that have impacted their academic or musical progress (such as a gap year, uncharacteristically low grades in a semester or year etc.)
Personal Statement - All applicants must upload a personal statement within the application. There is no specific prompt for this personal statement, but it should give the Admissions Committee an opportunity to learn more about you as an individual and gain a sense of who you are beyond your application, resume, transcript, and other application materials.
The personal statement should be a minimum of one page and maximum of five pages in length, double-spaced, in 12-point font. The essay must be your own original writing, and must be written in English, not translated from another language.
Repertoire List - Please upload a comprehensive listing of the significant repertoire you have studied in the last 5 years within the Other Documents section of the application. Jazz applicants: Please list both the jazz and classical repertoire you have studied on your repertoire list.
Transcripts - Applicants are required to submit academic transcripts from each secondary school and college/university attended.
Transcripts must include grades 9 through 11, or equivalent.
International applicants must submit transcripts in English, or accompanied by a certified English translation. In the United States, 9th grade is considered a part of high school, therefore, we require six semesters of grades to fully review your transcript.
In some cases where it is unclear, International students will be asked to demonstrate that their high school/secondary education is equivalent to a US high school education. Documents will be reviewed in the month of January and you will be notified if a third party evaluation is needed.
Scores & Documents
Applicants to majors in Composition, Jazz Writing, and Theory must submit the following preliminary materials for review by the faculty. These applicants must also upload a recording for their primary instrument (or voice) as noted above.
Composition applicants must submit:
Composition scores: PDF copies of three or four scores uploaded within the application for review by the composition faculty. Each score must be clearly marked with the applicant's name. If you are submitting a large-ensemble score (full orchestra, etc.) then it is also recommended that you mail a hard-copy to:
Office of Admissions
Tuition
USD
63,150