MM Curricula
This section provides in-depth information on each major. It is meant to be used in conjunction with the application form. In particular, applicants to programs in composition and music education are encouraged to compare the information here with the information found in the section on the MA degree program in order to choose the graduate program best suited to their career goals.
MM Majors:
Composition
Choral Conducting
Orchestral Conducting
Early Music
Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media (Performance)
Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media (Writing)
Music Education
Opera (Performance)
Opera (Stage directing)
Performance and Literature
Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music
Master of Music with a Major in Composition
Prerequisites:
- A minimum of 18 semester hours or the equivalent in undergraduate composition courses
- 12 semester hours of lower-division theory courses
- 12 semester hours of upper-division courses in counterpoint and orchestration
- Before admission to the graduate division, at least one work in one of the larger forms should have been composed.
The application process:
- Prescreening requirement - Applicants must submit copies of a minimum of three or a maximum of four scores of original compositions with the application by the application deadline. Scores must be reduced to 11"x17" or smaller. Recordings of composed works are encouraged, but are not required. Due to the large number of scores and recordings submitted, materials will not be returned; do not submit originals.
- Personal statement - A personal statement must be submitted with the application, by the application deadline. This statement should include information about training, goals, and accomplishments.
- Interview requirement - Following faculty review, a limited number of applicants will be invited to interview in Rochester with a member of the composition faculty. (Interviews are not conducted at regional audition centers.)
- Audition requirement - Because the MM is a performance-oriented degree, all composition major applicants will be scheduled for an audition on their applied instruments or voices, and will continue applied study as part of the curriculum. The audition repertory should be prepared according to the guidelines given for the major in performance and literature. (Pianists: Note that there is a specific repertory listing for composition majors.)
Curriculum:
- CMP 401 and 402 – Advanced Composition I and II
- CMP 491 and 492 – Composition Symposium
- TH 421 – Pedagogy of Theory
- Applied Music - Primary lessons on the student’s instrument or voice
- Electives
- CMP 496 – MM thesis: This thesis must be in the form of an extended composition for an ensemble of at least four performers, written under the guidance of a member of the composition faculty.
- Public performance – The recital required of composition majors in the MM degree program must be at least one hour in length, and must feature the candidate as solo performer in at least one work not composed by him or her. The recital must contain at least one work (not necessarily the thesis) written by the student during his or her years of study at Eastman.
- Comprehensive examinations – Composition students in the MM program will present a 30-minute public lecture on their own music and progress toward the degree. The lecture will function as a comprehensive review and be evaluated by the composition faculty.
Master of Music with a Major in Conducting (Choral)
Prerequisites:
- An undergraduate degree in music
- A minimum of six semester hours of music history
- A minimum of 16 semester hours of theory
- Significant experience as a choral singer and conductor
- Language proficiency equivalent to one year of college-level instruction in French, German, or Italian (proficiency in two of these languages is strongly recommended)
The application process:
- Prescreening requirement - Applicants must submit a preliminary videotape showing the applicant in a rehearsal situation and a concert situation. The conductor should be in full frontal or partial profile view; at least part of the ensemble should be in view. Repertory should be appropriate to the musical and technical level of the ensemble. This tape is to be submitted with the application, by the application deadline.
- Audition requirement - Following faculty review, a limited number of applicants will be invited to audition in Rochester. This audition will take place with an Eastman choral ensemble. The audition repertory will be decided upon in consultation with the director of choral activities. (Choral conducting applicants who wish to take applied voice lessons may audition for secondary lessons in the fall.)
Curriculum:
- CND 423 and 424 – Choral Conducting II and Choral Techniques and Methods II
- CND 461 and 462 – Rehearsal Techniques
- CND 223 and 224 – Choral Literature
- Two courses from MHS 421-426 – Music History
- MHS 480 – Music Bibliography
- TH 400 – Analytical Techniques
- ENS 420 – Choral
- Applied music lessons
- Electives
- Recital requirement – Choral conducting majors will conduct a public recital with an Eastman ensemble.
- Oral examination requirement – Candidates must pass an oral examination of lyric diction in English, Latin, German, and either French or Italian.
- Comprehensive examinations
- MM Listening Exam
Master of Music in Conducting (Orchestral)
Prerequisites:
Admission will be based on successful completion of an audition conducting an Eastman ensemble with repertoire to be determined by Eastman faculty. Successful candidates will show proficiency in rehearsal procedure, baton technique, and interpretive skill. A musicianship test including dictation, sight singing, solfège, score identification and analysis, and keyboard skills will also be administered at the audition. An undergraduate degree in music and one year of college-level study of German, French, or Italian are prerequisites to admission.
Curriculum:
- CND 481, 482, 483, 484 – Orchestral Conducting
- CND 441, 442, 443, 444 – Colloquy in Conducting
- MHS 480 – Music Bibliography
- Two courses from MHS 423-426 – Music History
- TH 400 – Analytical Techniques
- ENS 400 – Two semesters ensemble (minimum)
- Electives – Recommended electives include Applied Music Study (2 semesters, up to 4 credits), Orchestration, and Advanced or Intermediate Keyboard Skills, as appropriate.
- The student will conduct a minimum of two short rehearsals with the Conducting Orchestra each month.
- The student will be required to conduct a performance of one main orchestral work not less than 25 minutes in length, and will undergo an oral examination dealing with this work approximately two weeks before the performance with a jury of three faculty members selected by the Conducting and Ensembles Department.
- The student is also required to pass the MM listening examination, covering repertoire from all stylistic periods.
Master of Music in Early Music (Emphasis in Historical Plucked Instruments)
Prerequisites:
Undergraduate degree, with performance background. No prescreening or papers are required for this degree. Live auditions are preferable, but if impossible, a videotape is acceptable. Audition repertory should consist of three contrasting pieces showing the candidate’s best technical and musical development.
Curriculum:
- Applied music lessons
- MHS 480 – Music Bibliography
- MHS 422 – Music in the Renaissance and MHS 423 – Music in the Baroque
- TH 451 – Modal Counterpoint or TH 452 – 18th-Century Counterpoint
- PED 451 and 452 – Lute Literature and Pedagogy (lute majors only)
- KBD 407 – Harpsichord Literature and Pedagogy through the 18th-Century (harpsichord majors only)
- TH 475 or TH 476 – Intermediate or Advanced Keyboard Skills (harpsichord majors only)
- KBD 443 – Basso Continuo
- MHS 441 and 443 – Keyboard Continuo Realization
- ENS 207, 208 – Collegium Musicum or CHB 277 – Baroque Chamber Music Music Literature
- Listening examination
- Oral examination (based on repertoire to be performed on the recital)
- One solo recital
Master of Music with a Major in Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media (Performance Skills)
Prerequisites:
- Eastman bachelor's degree or equivalent
- Highly developed improvisational skills
- Extensive jazz small group experience
- Two years of applied instruction on primary instrument
- Advanced study in jazz theory and improvisation
The application process:
- Prescreening requirement - Applicants must submit a preliminary audition recording, plus the Supplemental Application for Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media Degree Programs, with the application, by the application deadline. Required repertory guidelines for prescreening for applicants with a performance emphasis may be found on the Jazz Supplemental Application (see Admissions website). The following may be used as a general guide:
- Three to four selections in varying jazz styles (ballad, swing, straight eighth note, etc.) that emphasize the applicant’s improvisational skills
- Recordings that feature the soloist in jazz small group formats are preferred; play-along recordings are also acceptable. Large ensemble recordings that feature the soloist may be faded into and out of the solo segments.
- Applicants are encouraged to include examples of non-traditional improvisational formats as well as their original compositions and arrangements.
- Audition requirement - Following faculty review, a limited number of applicants will be invited to audition in Rochester. (JCM auditions are not conducted at regional audition centers, nor are taped auditions acceptable.) In Rochester, the applicant will be scheduled for three auditions on the same day: (1) a solo jazz audition accompanied by an Eastman student rhythm section; (2) a classical audition; (3) a group jazz audition with the other JCM applicants that day. The solo jazz audition should be prepared according to the guidelines on the supplemental application. The classical audition should be prepared according to the repertory guidelines given for the major in performance and literature.
Curriculum:
- Special placement tests are required for this major. Entering jazz students will be given placement tests in the history of music, jazz theory, and functional jazz piano. Students with deficiencies in these disciplines will be required to complete review courses. Credits for review courses are not counted toward the degree requirements.
- Normally two years are needed to complete the coursework for this major.
- A performance emphasis of lead/studio trumpet is possible within the JCM major. Because of the special skills required in this area, the candidate may elect to participate in orchestra, wind ensemble, and chamber ensembles, in addition to the usual JCM course of study.
- Applied music lessons
- JCM 451 and 452 – Jazz Performance Workshop (four semesters total)
- JCM 406 – Graduate Jazz Pedagogy
- JCM 456 – Advanced Performance Projects-Contemporary Media
- JCM 441 – Advanced History and Analysis of Jazz Styles
- JCM 491-494 – Jazz Forum
- JCM 200 – Large Jazz Ensemble
- Electives
Master of Music with a Major in Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media (Writing Skills)
Prerequisites:
- Eastman bachelor's degree or equivalent
- Highly developed improvisational skills
- Extensive jazz small group experience
- Two years of applied instruction on primary instrument
- Advanced study in jazz theory and improvisation
- One year of jazz composition/arranging
- One year of non-jazz composition is recommended
The application process:
- Prescreening requirement - Applicants must submit scores and recordings of original compositions and/or arrangements plus the Supplemental Application for Jazz and Contemporary Media Degree Program with the application, by the application deadline.Suggested repertory for prescreening for applicants with a writing emphasis is:
- Three to four scores of compositions and/or arrangements that display writing for large and small jazz group formats.
- Recordings of works submitted may be included. Recordings from reading sessions and rehearsals are acceptable. If live performers are not available, recordings of computer sequences of works may be submitted.
- Candidates with a background in classical composition are encouraged to submit one or two examples of original non-jazz works.
- Writing concentration applicants must also submit a jazz performance recording, although two selections in varied styles will suffice.
- Audition requirement - See "Performance Skills" above. The JCM faculty will interview writing-emphasis applicants as part of their auditions. More information may be found on the Jazz Supplemental Application (see Admissions website).
Curriculum:
- Special placement tests are required for this major. Entering jazz students will be given placement tests in the history of music, jazz theory, jazz history, and functional jazz piano. Students with deficiencies in these disciplines will be required to complete review courses. Credits for review courses are not counted toward the degree requirements.
- JCM 481 and 482 – Advanced Projects in Arranging and Composition
- JCM 225 – Jazz Composition and Arranging III
- JCM 451 and 452 – Jazz Performance Workshop
- JCM 406 – Graduate Jazz Pedagogy
- JCM 456 – Advanced Performance Projects-Contemporary Media
- JCM 441 – Advanced History and Analysis of Jazz Styles
- JCM 491-492– Jazz Forum
- JCM 200 – Large Jazz Ensemble Electives
Master of Music with a Major in Music Education
Prerequisites:
- A high standard of musicianship and scholarship
- Breadth of musical and general education
- Teaching experience is strongly recommended but not required
- A prospective student must audition successfully at a Master's level in the chosen performance area: applied music, composition, conducting (choral), or jazz studies and contemporary media.
The application process:
- Applicants to the MM degree program with a major in music education must complete the Supplemental Application for Music Education Applicants, and submit it with the application by the application deadline. This form includes an essay requirement.
- On the audition day in Rochester, an interview with a member of the music education faculty will be scheduled.
- Applicants seeking initial certification will be scheduled for a skills assessment test. (Click here for a sample skills assessment test.)
- Audition requirement - Because the MM degree is a performance-oriented degree, all music education major applicants will be scheduled for an audition on their applied instruments or voices, and will continue applied study as part of the curriculum. The audition repertory should be prepared according to the guidelines given on the website for the major in performance and literature. (Pianists: Note that there is a specific repertory listing for music education majors.)
Curriculum:
- Applied music lessons
- MUE 402 – Measurement and Evaluation
- MUE 413 – Introduction to Research
- MUE 465 – Instrumental Techniques or CND 423 – Choral Conducting II or CND 424 – Choral Techniques and Methods II
- MUE 471 – Teaching Internship
- MUE 501 – History and Philosophy of Music Education
- MUE 502 – Curriculum Seminar
- Specified Elective – theory, composition, or orchestration
- General Electives – music education, music history, theory, conducting, pedagogy, performance, or education courses offered by the University of Rochester’s Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development
- Comprehensive examinations
MM-MUE Summers-Only Program:
Summers-only study is available for students admitted to the Master of Music in Music Education program. Normally, a Summers-Only student has full time employment as a music teacher and completes the majority of coursework for the degree during consecutive summer sessions. For those music teachers employed in the Rochester area, a limited number of courses may be completed in Fall and Spring semesters
Master of Music with a Major in Opera (Performance)
Prerequisites:
An undergraduate degree with a major in Applied Vocal Performance (see “Master of Music with a Major in Performance and Literature”). The same prerequisites that apply to the MM in Voice Performance will apply to the MM in Opera (Performance). Admission to this program is through audition by the voice and opera faculty. Only candidates considered vocally ready to undertake leading operatic roles will be considered. Students must demonstrate vocal talent and previous stage experience that make a professional career on the operatic stage upon completion of the degree likely.
Audition requirements:
Applicants who have been accepted for a live audition must prepare five operatic arias, and two songs from the standard French and/or German song repertoire. See the website for repertory guidelines.
Curriculum:
- VCE 460A – Applied lessons
- MHS 480 – Music Bibliography
- One course from MHS 423-426 – Music History
- TH 400 – Analytical Techniques
- One course from OP 211-214 – Opera Workshop
- OP 415 – Opera Repertoire
- OP 416 – Advanced Opera Seminar
- OP 215 – Opera Performance Project: Two major lyric theater roles, or one major lyric theater role and one specialized recital
- Electives – may include: an additional Opera Repertoire or Opera Workshop class; Seminar in Opera Directing; Voice Pedagogy; Lyric Diction; Song Literature; Music Theory; keyboard or aural skills courses; piano lessons; or Arts Leadership courses.
- Comprehensive listening exam, covering repertoire from all stylistic periods
- An oral examination focusing on the operatic roles studied and performed, and any material relating to the student’s course of study
- A thorough knowledge of singing diction and comprehension of at least two standard operatic languages (Italian, French, German). Language deficiencies identified upon entering the degree program must be removed before completion of the degree. Language course hours taken to this end may not be applied as electives.
- Students will be evaluated within the first year of study by means of jury and review of coursework to determine adequate progression within the degree program. This evaluation committee will consist of the dramatic and musical directors of opera, the chair of the Voice & Opera department, and the student’s applied voice teacher. Repertory would include three arias in three different languages covering a variety of styles, and a secco recitative from standard 17th- or 18thcentury operatic repertory.
Master of Music with a Major in Opera (Stage Directing)
Prerequisites:
An undergraduate degree in a relevant applied music or theater discipline. Admission to this program is through audition by the relevant applied music faculty and the opera faculty. Only candidates with significant performing, directing, and/or theater experience will be considered. They must demonstrate talent that makes a professional career as a stage director upon completion of the degree likely. No more than one student will be admitted during an academic year.
Audition requirements:
Applicants who have been accepted for a live audition must:
- Audition for the faculty in their applied music field, to determine the student’s musical proficiency. Students must be accepted in their applied instrument at a level that is equal to entering the School as a first-year student. For voice, three vocal selections in three languages (two from stage works) will be required. Students whose area of study is not in music will have to show proficiency as well as provide evidence of scholarly work in their chosen field. These students will provide a portfolio of support material (resume, CV, videotapes of performances, portfolio of artwork or theatrical designs). They will also be required to take history and theory entrance exams to test proficiency. If remedial courses are required, they may not be substituted for elective courses.
- Direct students in an opera scene. The staging session will last for approximately one hour, and the scene will be selected by the dramatic director and music director. Singers in the scene will be prepared and selected from the Eastman School.
- Interview with the dramatic director and music director of the opera department
Curriculum:
- MHS 480 – Music Bibliography
- One course from MHS 423-426 – Music Theory
- TH 400 – Analytical Techniques
- OP 401, OP 402– Seminar in Opera Stage Directing
- OP 416 – Advanced Opera Seminar
- One course from OP 211-214 – Opera Workshop
- OP 410 – Opera Production: Stage Management
- OP 490 – Opera Directing Project (independent study)
- Electives – may include Opera Repertoire, Opera Workshop, Music History, Advanced Opera Seminar, Voice Pedagogy, Arts Leadership, and Lyric Diction courses. Theater, dance, and art courses from the University of Rochester may also be taken. Up to four credits of applied music may also be taken for elective credit.
- Students participating in the degree program will be required to direct scenes from the Opera Workshop class, participate as an assistant stage manager and assistant director in the Opera Main Stage productions, and complete a final directing project (a chamber opera or scenes program).
- An oral examination and portfolio evaluation, focused on the final directing project and any material related to the student’s course of study (including any scenes that the student directed while at Eastman and Main Stage productions with which the student assisted).
- The student must have a thorough knowledge of the operatic repertoire, and comprehension of at least two standard operatic languages (Italian, French, German). Language deficiencies identified upon entering the degree program must be removed before the completion of the degree. Language course hours taken to this end may not be applied as electives.
- Comprehensive listening exam, covering repertoire from all stylistic periods.
- Students may be evaluated at the end of the first semester in residence to determine adequate progression within the degree program. This evaluation committee will consist of the dramatic and musical directors of opera, the chair of the Voice & Opera department, and the student’s applied teacher.
Master of Music with a Major in Performance and Literature
NOTE: This major has a prescreening requirement for voice and for piano only.
Prerequisites:
- Performance proficiency equivalent to that required for completion of the BM in applied music at Eastman. Students whose primary applied music study is voice will be expected to make up any deficiency in language requirements.
- A minimum of 6 semester hours of music history
- A minimum of 16 semester hours of music theory
Audition requirements:
All applicants to this major must audition for the Eastman faculty. Applicants are required to select and prepare an audition program that demonstrates, through advanced repertory, their highest technical and musical achievements. Please refer to the website for more information on audition options and repertory guidelines.
Curriculum:
- Applied music lessons
- MHS 480 – Music Bibliography
- MHS 421-426 – A minimum of two music-history period courses is required
- TH 400 – Analytical Techniques
- Music literature listening examination
- Oral examination
- Degree recital
- Individual departmental requirements:
- Guitar: GTC 401 and 402 – Seminar in guitar studies
- Harp: PED 210 and 211 – Harp Pedagogy
- Harpsichord: KBD 407 – Harpsichord Performance and Literature Through the Eighteenth Century and KBD 443 – Continuo
- Organ: KBD 421-424 – Organ Repertory I-IV
- Piano: ACY 100G – Studio Accompanying. A major in piano performance and literature is required to be the exclusive pianist for one singer and one instrumentalist during each semester of residence, up to and including four semesters. Specific policies are outlined in “Collaborative Partnerships,” a document available to all registered students through the chamber music department.
- Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion: ENS 400. Two semesters of large ensemble are required. Additional semesters may be taken for elective credit.
- Voice: CHB 431, and either CHB 432 or OP 415. CHB 431 and 432 – Voice Repertory. OP 415 – Opera Repertory. One semester of chorus is required.
- Woodwind specialist: In addition to the courses in music history and theory taken by all students majoring in performance and literature, the candidate in woodwinds also will enroll for the following in place of the elective courses:
- A minimum of two semesters of study of the major instrument, the secondary major instrument, and each of three secondary minor instruments
- Two semesters of ensemble
- Recital requirements – A full recital on the major and secondary instruments, and a performance or a less formal recital of a sonata or equivalent work on each of the secondary minor instrument
Master of Music with a Major in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music
Prerequisites:
- A bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, with a major in piano performance or accompanying
- Language proficiency equivalent to one year of college-level instruction in French, German, or Italian
Application process:
- Applicants to the MM program with a major in piano accompanying and chamber music must submit the Supplemental Application for Majors in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music with the application by the application deadline.
- Applicants to this major must perform a collaborative audition in Rochester. (Auditions at regional audition centers or by self-prepared tape are not acceptable for this major.)
- The repertory lists for the collaborative audition are found in the supplemental application for this major. Applicants must choose works as directed on that form. Complete information on the audition requirements may be found in the supplemental application and on the Piano Accompanying website.
- Applicants will perform their auditions with Eastman student vocalists and instrumentalists chosen by the director of the accompanying program.
Curriculum:
- ACM 460A – Four semesters of private accompanying study
- CHB 401 – Instrumental Sonata and Duo Repertoire
- CHB 402 – Voice Repertoire for Pianists
- CHB 403 – Piano Chamber Music Repertoire or ACY 405 - Opera Coaching
- ACY 415A, 415B, 416A, 416B – English, German, French, and Italian Lyric Diction
- TH 475 – Intermediate Keyboard Skills; or TH 476 – Advanced Keyboard Skills
- TH 400 – Analytical Techniques
- MHS 480 – Music Bibliography
- MHS 421-426 – A minimum of one music-history period course is required
- Electives (may include keyboard study)
- Foreign language requirement – Within the first year at Eastman, students majoring in piano accompanying and chamber music are required to pass a language comprehension examination in French, German, or Italian. In addition, they must either successfully complete the vocal diction courses in German, English, French, and Italian with a grade of B+ or higher, or demonstrate diction proficiency in all four languages by examination.
- Jury – MM majors in piano accompanying and chamber music must play before a jury in December of the first year in residence.
- Music literature listening examination
- Oral examination
- Recital requirement – Majors in this program will present two recitals: one with a vocalist or vocalists, the other with an instrumentalist or instrumentalists.