Feedback

McGill.ca » Overview » Schulich School of Music » Graduate » Academic Programs

Schulich School of Music

Jump To:

Schulich School of Music

Location

Location

  • Schulich School of Music
  • Strathcona Music Building
  • 555 Sherbrooke Street West
  • Montreal, QC H3A 1E3
  • Canada

About Schulich School of Music

About Schulich School of Music

The Schulich School of McGill University, ranked Top 10 globally by the Princeton Review, is internationally renowned for its leadership in combining professional conservatory-style musical training, humanities-based scholarship, and scientific-technological research at the highest levels. Its programs encourage musicians and music researchers alike to push boundaries and explore new possibilities. The School’s facilities are a physical affirmation of our commitment and belief in the future of music, artists, creators, and researchers, and they encourage multimedia productions and trans-disciplinary collaborations. Among the most notable facilities are: a music library that houses one of the most important academic music collections in Canada, four concert halls, The Digital Composition Studio, sound recording studios, and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music, Media and Technology (CIRMMT), as well as a research network that links the Faculty with many other University departments and research institutes. Nestled in the heart of the city, the School also draws on the rich cultural life of Montreal—a bilingual city with a celebrated symphony orchestra, dozens of annual festivals, and hundreds of live music venues hosting world-class concerts.

The Master of Arts degree (M.A.) is available as a thesis option in Music Education, Music Technology, Musicology (with an option in Gender and Women’s Studies), and Theory (with an option in Gender and Women’s Studies), and as a non-thesis option in Music Education, Musicology, and Theory.

The Master of Music degree (M. Mus.) is available in Composition, Performance, and Sound Recording. Specializations offered within the performance option are: piano, guitar, orchestral instruments (including orchestral training), organ and church music, conducting, collaborative piano, opera and voice, early music, and jazz.

The Graduate Diploma in Professional Performance is open to accomplished musicians, singers, or established chamber ensembles.

The Doctor of Music degree (D.Mus.) is offered in Composition and Performance Studies while the Doctor of Philosophy degree (Ph.D.) is available in Composition, Music – Gender and Women’s Studies, Music Education, Musicology, Music Technology, Sound Recording, and Theory. Interdisciplinary studies are encouraged.

The Schulich School of music has multiple sources of funding for graduate study. Fellowships (including the Schulich Scholarships, Max Stern Fellowships, and McGill Excellence Fellowships) range in value from $1,500 to $12,000; some are renewable for multiple years of study (see www.mcgill.ca/gps/funding/students-postdocs).

There are also multiple opportunities for graduate students to obtain funding and experience as paid assistants at the Schulich School of Music. Positions are available as teaching assistants, invigilators, apprentice writers for program notes, sound recording technicians, library assistants, stage hands, and front-of-house staff. More advanced students can obtain positions as instructors. A variety of research assistantships in selected areas are also available. Inquiries should be directed to the Chairs of the Departments of Performance and Music Research, as appropriate.

Master's Programs

Master of Music (M.Mus.); Music — Composition (Thesis) (45 credits)
Students in the M.Mus. program develop their own individual voices through private instruction with some of Canada’s most accomplished composers, all of whom have distinguished themselves through high-profile commissions, performances, recordings, and awards. The faculty members' diverse interests ensure that students will find a suitable mentor/supervisor. The resources of the Digital Composition Studios also offer students an opportunity to work with a wide range of cutting-edge approaches to music technology, including mixed works, interactive composition, gestural controllers, acousmatic works, multichannel audio, computer-assisted composition, and more. Students also benefit from international new music festivals and conferences co-sponsored by the Schulich School of Music, a visiting artist series, and high-quality performances, readings, and recordings of their works by some of the school’s most esteemed ensembles (e.g., McGill Symphony Orchestra, McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble, etc.) and advanced performers. Commissioning opportunities exist through an established composer-in-residence program and through student-initiated performer-composer and interdisciplinary collaborations. Graduates have continued their studies at the doctoral level and then gone on to win prestigious awards (e.g., Jules Leger Prize); they also have successful careers in composition, film, literature, conducting, and teaching.
Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Music Education (Thesis) (45 credits)
This program provides an opportunity for studio- and classroom-based teachers, and music educators working in other community settings, to explore current issues in music education and to implement their own research studies. Seminars develop facility in a breadth of research methodologies and examine pertinent research developments in different fields, while simultaneously providing opportunities to link with other departments such as the faculties of Education, Cognitive Psychology, and Physiology. Ties with The Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music, Media, and Technology (CIRMMT), and Teaching and Learning Services provide a strong supportive network for interdisciplinary and multilingual research. Experienced faculty publishes regularly in the field’s leading journals in areas such as musical development, music perception, world and community-based music education, philosophical issues in music education, performance anxiety, music performance adjudication, technological applications, and the physiological bases of musical performance. Graduates of the program continue on to doctoral studies and pursue teaching careers around the world in various settings.
Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Music Technology (Thesis) (45 credits)
The M.A. in Music Technology is the only program of its kind in the world to apply cutting-edge scientific research to music and music making. Students are accepted from a wide range of musical backgrounds. Research goals are tied to the work of the area’s five faculty members and include the development of new and flexible strategies for sound analysis, real-time processing, synthesis and gestural control, instrument design, melodic pattern recognition, auditory display, music information retrieval, and symbolic manipulation of formal music representations, as well as the psychoacoustics of musical sounds and structures, among others. Students’ research is supported by the six laboratories forming the large multidisciplinary research infrastructure of The Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music, Media and Technology (CIRMMT), and almost unlimited technological resources (e.g., computing power, storage, measuring devices including several motion-capture systems). The Digital Composition Studio and state-of-the-art recording and acoustic environments provide opportunities to collaborate with accomplished performers and researchers in other music disciplines. Graduates hold commercial positions related to media technologies (e.g., gaming and audio industries) and continue their studies at the doctoral level in preparation for academic careers.
Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Musicology (Thesis) (45 credits)
This program is for students interested in developing research projects that bridge traditional methodologies with new critical approaches in musicology. The area’s humanistic orientation emphasizes the importance of political, social, and literary history, while also encouraging students to develop their skills in musical analysis, their sensitivity to different styles and performance practices, and their awareness of issues in aesthetics. Students receive guidance from leading scholars whose internationally acclaimed research ranges from medieval and renaissance music to the popular music of today. Collaborations with students from other areas and the doctoral program in seminars facilitate out-of-the-box thinking; opportunities to explore interdisciplinary research topics also exist through links with other departments, the Institute for the Public Life of Art and Ideas, and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music, Media, and Technology. The area also provides valuable pedagogical training through teaching assistantships in undergraduate music history courses. Graduates often continue their studies at the doctoral level at McGill and other major North American universities; others pursue careers in teaching, arts management, music business, journalism, and archival curation, among others.
Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Musicology (Thesis) — Gender and Women's Studies (45 credits)
This program is open to students who qualify for the M.A. in Musicology (thesis option) who are interested in cross-disciplinary research that focuses on issues centrally related to gender, sexuality, feminist theory, and/or women’s studies. Musicology requirements are augmented by participation in a Graduate Feminism Symposium that engages with a diverse array of critical and empirical perspectives. The program draws on the resources of the McGill Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies that includes faculty and graduate students from across the University. Supporting music faculty has interests in opera, film studies, aesthetics, theory of performance, and popular/jazz studies.
Master of Music (M.Mus.); Sound Recording (Non-Thesis) (60 credits)
This internationally renowned program is a course-based, professional training program designed for musicians who wish to develop the skills required in the music recording and media industries. It is based on the German Tonmeister program and offers extensive, hands-on opportunities to record a broad spectrum of solo recitals, large opera, and symphonic repertoire with soloists and choirs, and complex Jazz Band and pop idioms. McGill’s professional-quality facilities provide state-of-the-art equipment for research and the recording of any size of ensemble in high-resolution multichannel audio and high-definition video, and include a variety of audio recording studios equipped for surround recording, four concert hall recording spaces, a technical ear training lab, an orchestral film scoring stage, an opera studio, and post-production and editing suites. The Faculty includes prominent researchers as well as award-winning recording engineers and producers in the fields of music production, television, and film sound familiar with cutting-edge technologies and new developments. The program also has close ties with industry that facilitate opportunities for internships. Graduates are leaders in the field working in highly respected studios around the world and winning both creative and scientific international competitions.
Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Theory (Thesis) (45 credits)
The M.A. in Theory is for students interested in exploring how specific pieces of music are put together and how this understanding may be generalized to relate to the way other pieces of music are composed. Music theory and elective seminars develop expertise in various analytical models and familiarity with the critical issues that define the discipline as a basis for developing individual research projects. Collaborations with students from other areas and the doctoral program in seminar discussions facilitate out-of-the-box thinking; opportunities to explore interdisciplinary research topics in perception and cognition exist through collaborations with music researchers from the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music, Media and Technology. The area also provides valuable pedagogical training through teaching assistantships in undergraduate theory courses. The Faculty has a breadth of experience in early music theory, formal functions, Schenkerian analysis, mathematical models, theories of rhythm and meter, serialism, and popular music analysis. Graduates have been accepted into doctoral programs at McGill, Yale, Eastman, Harvard, Columbia, Oxford, and Cambridge, among others.
Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Theory (Thesis) — Gender and Women's Studies (45 credits)
This program is open to students who qualify for the M.A. in Theory (thesis option) who are interested in cross-disciplinary research that focuses on issues centrally related to gender, sexuality, feminist theory, and/or women’s studies. Theory requirements are augmented by participation in a Graduate Feminism Symposium that engages with a diverse array of critical and empirical perspectives. The program draws on the resources of the McGill Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies that includes faculty and graduate students from across the University.

Master of Arts (M.A.): Music — Music Education (Non-Thesis) (45 credits)

Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Musicology (Non-Thesis) (45 credits) and

Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Theory (Non-Thesis) (45 credits)
This course-based program has options in music education, musicology, and theory. Seminars provide breadth of disciplinary knowledge and understanding of research methodologies and critical issues. Expertise in two areas is developed through two written papers. Students receive guidance from leading scholars whose internationally acclaimed research covers a broad spectrum of topics central to each discipline. Collaborations with students from other areas and the doctoral program in seminars facilitate out-of-the-box thinking.

The Option in Music Education provides an opportunity for studio-, classroom-, and community-based music educators to read, understand, and apply research studies in different fields to their own practices.

The Option in Musicology is for students interested in a humanistic orientation to topics in music history and musicology that bridges traditional methodologies with new critical approaches.

The Option in Theory develops skill with different analytical models and the ways in which they may be used to explore how specific pieces of music are put together.

Some graduates continue to doctoral studies; others pursue careers in teaching, arts management, music business, journalism, and librarianship, among others.

Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Vocal Pedagogy (Thesis) (47 credits)
The Master of Music: Vocal Pedagogy is not being offered in the 2012–2013 academic year.
Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Jazz Performance (Thesis) (45 credits)
The M.Mus. in Jazz Performance is flexibly designed to offer specialization in Jazz Composition, Jazz Performance, and Jazz Orchestra training. All students take courses in jazz pedagogy, composition, and arranging, and benefit from close interaction with a diverse, creative, and professionally active faculty. A recital and a CD recording of original music are the principal thesis requirements. Our outstanding ensembles include the McGill Jazz Orchestra, the ten-piece McGill Chamber Ensemble, two more jazz orchestras, a saxophone ensemble, and over twenty jazz combos. Teaching opportunities vary from year to year, but are generally available in Jazz Theory, Jazz Ear Training, Jazz Orchestra 3, Jazz Improvisation, and Jazz Combo. Montreal’s vibrant jazz scene also provides rich opportunities for performance and musical engagement. Graduates have active touring careers, teach in university jazz programs, and have produced recordings that have earned Juno awards.
Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Early Music (Thesis) (45 credits)
Established in 1975, this program is the longest-standing Early Music program in North America. It offers early music specialists interested in historical performance practices a rich variety of performing experiences, including 15–20 chamber ensembles (vocal, madrigal, viol, and recorder consorts, etc.), the Cappella Antica, and the Baroque Orchestra. McGill is also the only North American music faculty to produce a fully staged performance of an early opera every year. Recent productions include: Handel’s Alcina, Agrippina, and Imeneo, Lully’s Thésée, and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Faculty are prominently involved in Montreal’s internationally acclaimed Early Music community. The Schulich School of Music also owns a large collection of early instruments that is available to students. Graduates perform with Montreal-based early music ensembles, including, among others, Les Violons du Roy and the Arion Baroque Orchestra, as well as Aradia and Tafelmusik in Toronto, and various ensembles in Europe (e.g., Concerto Palatino, Centre de musique baroque de Versailles).
Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Orchestral Instruments and Guitar (Thesis) (45 credits)
The premiere orchestral training program in Canada, this program is for talented instrumental musicians and guitarists wishing to hone their artistry and expressive, interpretative skills in a flexibly designed curriculum rich in performance opportunities. Ensembles emulate professional settings, and include five orchestras—two full orchestras (the renowned McGill Symphony Orchestra and the McGill Sinfonetta), one opera orchestra, one baroque orchestra, and one contemporary music ensemble—as well as one large wind symphony and one guitar ensemble. Opportunities for chamber music also abound. String players benefit from a rigorous string quartet training program and trail-blazing pedagogical approaches. Brass and wind musicians also perform a wide range of large ensemble repertoire for their instruments; percussionists perform, tour, and record with the esteemed McGill Percussion Ensemble. Thesis recitals foster individual creativity and diversity by offering a range of options important for orchestral musicians—orchestral excerpt exams run like orchestral auditions, chamber music recitals, and concerto competitions—as well as solo recitals, sound recording, and interdisciplinary projects including collaborations with composers and the Digital Composition Studio, among others. There is a focus on healthy performance and a broad range of seminars that ground performance practice in the broader humanistic and scientific contexts of music and artistic research-creation. Ensemble conductors are world-class; faculty include the concertmasters and principal players of major Canadian orchestras, including the Montreal Symphony Orchestra; percussion instructors have international profiles and a breadth of experience in world and contemporary repertoires. Graduates have secured positions in orchestras throughout North and South America, and in Europe, and with the Canadian Opera Company, Ensemble Moderne, and others.
Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Collaborative Piano (Thesis) (45 credits)
Students in this program develop their artistry as collaborative musicians in vocal, instrumental, and opera repetiteur settings. The program is not a chamber music program in that it prepares pianists to assume coaching responsibilities as well as collaborate with other musicians. Candidates need to have excellent technique and interpretative skills, sight-reading abilities, and previous collaborative experience. The program is flexibly defined to allow students to specialize or gain experience in a variety of settings and with a broad cross-section of vocal, instrumental, orchestral, and theatrical repertoire. Concert recitals, choral ensembles, studio lessons with high-quality performers, and opera productions provide professional settings in which students master their craft. Faculty includes internationally renowned collaborative pianists, vocal coaches, conductors, and stage directors. Graduates pursue careers as collaborative pianists, accompanists, opera repetiteurs, studio teachers, and coaches.
Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Piano (Thesis) (45 credits)
The M.Mus in Piano develops artistic expression and interpretative skills by immersing the advanced pianist in a vibrant musical environment that blends performance training with humanities-based scholarship. The flexibly designed program revolves around an integrated piano seminar involving all studios and includes collaborative opportunities in instrumental, vocal, and contemporary music performance at a high level, piano pedagogy, and performance practice through fortepiano/harpsichord study as options. Recital options include solo and chamber music performance, sound recording, and interdisciplinary projects, including collaborations with strong composition students and the Digital Composition Studio. Dynamic faculty performs internationally and has diverse teaching, coaching, and adjudicating experience in a broad range of solo, chamber, and concerto repertoires. Graduates often continue their studies at the doctoral level, have been selected for national/international competitions, and pursue careers as collaborative pianists, opera coaches, and as independent studio teachers.
Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Organ and Church Music (Thesis) (45 credits)
This program provides talented organists and church music scholars with an opportunity to hone their artistry and interpretive skills. The flexibly designed program combines performance with seminars in historically informed performance practice, music and liturgy, counterpoint, improvisation, continuo playing, and choral conducting, among other options. Thesis performance options allow for creativity and diversity by including options for solo and chamber music recitals, concerto performances, recording projects, church music projects, and opportunities for interdisciplinary research and collaborations with strong composers and other departments. Students benefit from excellent facilities that include practice organs built by Beckerath, Casavant, Tsuji, Wilhelm, and Wolff, as well as the famous French classical organ in Redpath Hall. A number of assistantships are available in downtown churches with some of Montreal’s most distinguished church musicians. Graduates have won prizes in major national and international competitions and pursue church music careers around the world.
Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Conducting (Thesis) (45 credits)
Students in this program specialize in orchestral, wind, or choral conducting. Enrolment is limited to outstanding candidates having highly developed musical skills in voice, instrumental, or piano performance. The program provides for concentrated podium time, interactions with world-class conductors, score study, and the development of rehearsal technique. A range of seminars provides for the in-depth study of performance practice and the development of analytical skills with leading scholars in musicology and theory. Thesis performance projects involve concert recitals with various Schulich School of Music ensembles. Some graduates continue on to doctoral studies; others pursue conducting and teaching positions in schools, orchestras, and as opera assistants.
Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Opera and Voice (Thesis) (45 credits)
The M.Mus in Opera and Voice develops vocal growth and artistic expression by immersing students in a vibrant musical environment that blends performance training with humanities-based scholarship. The flexibly designed program provides the option for students to specialize in opera performance or to develop artistry in a variety of solo and operatic repertoires. There are three opera productions every year, including one Early Music opera with period instruments. Other performance opportunities include solo recitals, studio concerts, Cappella Antica, oratorios, chamber music ensembles, master classes with leading artists in the field, recording projects, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Performance opportunities emulate professional contexts, including rehearsals in a first-class opera studio and individual repertoire coaching with internationally renowned coaching staff. Voice faculty, stage directors, and set designers are outstanding soloists and creative artists involved with major companies, opera programs, and festivals the world over. McGill singers are selected to participate in various professional young artist programs and have won major national and international auditions including the MET auditions and NATSAA. Recent graduates perform with orchestras and opera companies in Canada, as well as companies in the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and Eastern Europe.

Graduate Diploma

Graduate Diploma in Professional Performance (30 credits)
This is a new, one-year postgraduate diploma providing concentrated study for three types of extremely accomplished musicians: the emerging or professional singer, emerging or established chamber ensemble (including jazz combos, piano collaborations), and the individual artist preparing for competition, audition, concerto performance, tour, recording project, etc. The flexibly designed program assumes a high level of performance (doctoral/professional) and involves intensive coaching, performance, and repertoire study/research tied to the artist’s or chamber ensemble’s professional goals, and a media project. Singers have voice coaching and training in movement and acting, with performance opportunities linked to McGill Opera productions. Ensembles develop individual artistry as well as group identity, with respect to sound, communication, skills, and performance practice. The first graduates of the program, the Cecilia String Quartet, won the 2010 International Banff String Quartet Competition and were prizewinners at the Bordeaux 2010 International Chamber Music Competition.

Doctoral Programs

Doctor of Music (D.Mus.); Music — Composition
Students in this program create extended original works of art that push the boundaries of the discipline. Composers refine their musical language and artistic voice through private instruction with some of Canada’s most accomplished composers, all of whom have distinguished themselves through high-profile commissions, performances, recordings, and awards. The faculty members have diverse interests that ensure composers will find a suitable mentor. The resources of the Digital Composition Studios also offer composers an opportunity to work with a wide range of cutting-edge approaches to music technology. Students also benefit from international new music festivals and conferences co-sponsored by the Schulich School of Music, a visiting artist series, and high-quality performances, readings, and recordings of their works by some of the school’s most esteemed ensembles and advanced performers. Commissioning opportunities exist through an established composer-in-residence program and through student-initiated, performer-composer and interdisciplinary collaborations. Graduates have won prestigious awards (e.g., Jules Leger Prize, SOCAN competition) and have successful careers in university teaching, (freelance) composition, film, literature, and conducting.
Doctor of Music (D.Mus.); Music — Performance Studies
This program is for the artist/scholar. Students perform at a professional or near-professional level and have well-defined research interests linked to their performance. A broad range of seminars ground performance practice in the broader humanistic and scientific contexts of music and artistic research-creation. Seminars encourage the critical thinking and the fertile exchange of ideas that promote new ways of engaging with music by providing a forum in which performers can interact with students in other areas. Comprehensive examinations provide students with an opportunity to develop credentials in three areas of expertise in preparation for teaching careers, while articulating the background and critical issues surrounding their thesis work. The latter consists of a lecture/recital and a paper (including a recording of the recital). Students benefit from exceptional mentoring by internationally renowned coaches, the research expertise of faculty from the Department of Music Research, master classes, opportunities to collaborate with strong composition students, and the rich performance life of the Schulich School of Music and Montreal. Students win major fellowships (SSHRC, Fulbright, FRQSC, Canada Council). Graduates have won major national and international competitions and pursue teaching and performing careers in a wide variety of contexts globally.

Ph.D. in Music

Students in the Ph.D. program pursue original research that makes a significant contribution to the fields of Composition, Music Education, Musicology, Music Technology, Sound Recording, and Theory. Seminars, a doctoral colloquium, visiting lecturer series, and international conferences provide forums for students from different areas to interact by encouraging the critical thinking and fertile exchange of ideas that promote new ways of engaging with music through listening, performing, cutting-edge technologies, and analytical methods. Opportunities for inter- and cross-disciplinary collaborations exist through the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music, Media and Technology, the Institute for the Public Life of Art and Ideas, The Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies, the Performance Department, and other departmental links across the University and, in the technology areas, with science and industry. Supportive faculty recognized internationally as leaders in their respective disciplines mentor students from admission through job placements. Travel funding exists for students to present papers at conferences; many students win external scholarships (SSHRC, FRQSC, Vanier, Rhodes Scholar, etc.) and national and international awards; students gain valuable pedagogical or technological training through teaching and lab assistantships. Graduates pursue careers in academia, industry, composition, and various other arts-related fields.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.); Music — (Composition, Music Education, Musicology, Music Technology, Sound Recording, Theory)
The thesis for the Ph.D. in composition involves the creation of an original large-scale work and research that increases our understanding of music and musical processes. Students in music education investigate a broad spectrum of critical issues through a variety of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The Musicology area adopts a humanistic orientation that bridges traditional methodologies with new critical approaches. Research in Music Technology and Sound Recording can lead to patents, among other outcomes and benefits from unlimited technological resources. Theorists engage with all repertoires and analytical methods.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.); Music — Gender and Women's Studies
This program is open to doctoral students who are interested in cross-disciplinary research that focuses on issues centrally related to gender, sexuality, feminist theory, and/or women’s studies. Music requirements are augmented by participation in a Research Methods course and a Graduate Feminism Symposium that engages with a diverse array of critical and empirical perspectives. The program draws on the resources of the McGill Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies that includes faculty and graduate students from across the University. Supporting music faculty has interests in Opera, film studies, aesthetics, theory of performance, and popular/jazz studies.

Schulich School of Music Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Schulich School of Music Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Revision, October 2012. Start of revision.

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

Master’s Degrees

Applicants for the master's degree must hold a B.Mus. or a B.A. degree with a Major or Honours in music including considerable work done in the area of specialization.

Applicants found to be deficient in their background preparation may be required to take certain additional undergraduate courses.

All applicants (except those for performance, musicology, and sound recording) will be required to take placement examinations.

Applicants to the Composition, Music Education, Music Technology, Musicology, Sound Recording, and Theory programs are requested to submit samples of work done in their special area.

Applicants to the Music Education program should normally have had two years of teaching experience.

All applicants to the Performance programs will be required to pass an entrance audition. Only those applicants who clearly demonstrate the potential to become professional performers on their instruments will be admitted. Master's applicants to female voice and conducting are required to submit screening material by the specified Dates for Guaranteed Consideration.

Applicants to the Vocal Pedagogy Option should have a minimum of three to four years' experience in studio teaching.

A reading knowledge of German is strongly recommended as a prerequisite for graduate work in Choral Conducting, Musicology, and Theory.

Graduate Diploma in Professional Performance

Applicants for the Graduate Diploma must hold an M.Mus. or B.Mus. degree with equivalent professional experience. All musicians must be highly accomplished performers and are required to submit a screening DVD by the Dates for Guaranteed Consideration. Only the most advanced applicants will be invited to pass a live entrance audition. Chamber ensembles must apply and complete diploma requirements as a formed ensemble.

D.Mus. Degree

Applicants for the D.Mus. degree in Composition must hold an M.Mus. degree in Composition, or its equivalent, and must submit scores and/or recordings of their compositions at the time of application.

Applicants for the D.Mus. degree in Performance Studies must hold an M.Mus. degree in Performance, or its equivalent, and are required to submit a screening DVD, samples of written work, and a statement of research interests by the specified Dates for Guaranteed Consideration. Only the most advanced applicants will be invited to pass a live entrance audition and interview.

Ph.D. Degree

Applicants for the Ph.D. degree in Composition must hold an M.Mus. in Composition or equivalent and must submit scores and/or recordings of their compositions at the time of application, and a written description (no more than two pages) of the research path(s) they wish to follow.

Applicants for the Ph.D. degree in Music Education, Music Technology, Musicology, Sound Recording, Music – Gender and Women's Studies, or Theory must hold a master's or a bachelor's degree equivalent to a McGill degree, in Music Technology, Music Education, Musicology, Theory, or Sound Recording. Applicants with a bachelor's degree will normally be admitted to the M.A. program for the first year and may apply for admittance to the Ph.D. program after the completion of one full year of graduate coursework. Qualified applicants who have already completed an appropriate master's degree will be admitted to the second year of the Ph.D. program.

Application Procedures

Application Procedures

McGill’s online application form for graduate program candidates is available at www.mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/apply.

See Application Procedures (for All Admissions Starting Summer 2013) for detailed application procedures.

Additional Requirements

Additional Requirements

The items and clarifications below are additional requirements set by this department:

Dates for Guaranteed Consideration

Dates for Guaranteed Consideration

Canadian International Special/Exchange/Visiting
Fall: Dec. 1 Fall: Dec. 1 Fall: Dec. 1
Winter: N/A Winter: N/A Winter: N/A
Summer: N/A Summer: N/A Summer: N/A

Revision, October 2012. End of revision.

Back to Top

Schulich School of Music Faculty

Schulich School of Music Faculty

Dean, Schulich School of Music
Sean Ferguson
Director, Graduate Studies
Eleanor Stubley
Chairs
Jean Lesage – Department of Performance
Christoph Neidhöfer – Department of Music Research
Associate Dean (Research and Administration)
Julie Cumming
Associate Dean (Academic and Student Affairs)
Sara Laimon
Professors
William Caplin; B.M.(USC), M.A., Ph.D.(Chic.) (James McGill Professor)
Brian Cherney; B.Mus., M.Mus., Ph.D.(Tor.)
Kevin Dean; B.M.E.(Iowa), M.Mus.(Miami)
Hans-Ola Ericsson; Mus. Dir. Exam.(Royal Swedish Academy of Music), Graduate, Hochschule für Musik(Freiburg)
Steven Huebner; B.A., B.Mus., L.Mus.(McG.), M.F.A., Ph.D.(Princ.) (James McGill Professor)
Stephen McAdams; B.Sc.(McG.), Ph.D.(Stan.), D.Sc.(Paris) (Canada Research Chair)
John Rea; B.Mus.(Wayne), M.Mus.(Tor.), M.F.A., Ph.D.(Princ.)
Peter Schubert; B.A., M.A., Ph.D.(Col.)
Joel Wapnick; B.A.(NYU), M.A.(SUNY), M.F.A.(Sarah L.), Ed.D.(Syrac.)
Wieslaw Woszczyk; M.A., Ph.D.(F. Chopin Academy of Music, Warsaw) (James McGill Professor)
Associate Professors
Stefano Algieri
Theodore Baskin; B.Mus.(Curtis), M.Mus.(Auck.), Principal Oboe, Montreal Symphony
Tom Beghin; Diplôme Supérieur(Louvain), M.A., D.M.A.(C'nell)
Denys Bouliane; B.Mus., M.Mus.(Laval), Graduate, Hochschule für Musik(Hamburg)
David Brackett; B.A.(Calif.-Santa Cruz), M.M.(New England Cons.), D.M.A.(C'nell)
Alain Cazes; Premier Prix(Cons. de Montréal)
Carolyn Christie; B.Mus.(McG.), Montreal Symphony
Julie Cumming; B.A.(Col.), M.A., Ph.D.(Calif., Berk.)
Martha de Francisco; Diploma(Musikkhochschule, Detmold)
Philippe Depalle; B.Sc.(Paris XI and ENS Cachan), D.E.A.(Le Mans and ENS Cachan), Ph.D.(Le Mans & IRCAM)
Sean Ferguson; B.Mus.(Alta.), M.Mus., D.Mus.(McG.)
Gordon Foote; B.Sc., M.A.(Minn.)
Ichiro Fujinaga; B.Mus., B.Sc.(Alta.), M.A., Ph.D.(McG.)
Matt Haimovitz; B.A.(Harv.)
Patrick Hansen; B.Mus.(Simpson), M.Mus.(Missouri)
Kyoko Hashimoto; B.A.(Tokyo), Professional Studies(Juilliard)
Alexis Hauser; Diplom(Konservatorium der Stadt, Wien)
Melissa Hui; B.Mus.(Br. Col.), M.F.A.(Calif. Inst. of Arts), D.M.A./M.M.A.(Yale)
Timothy Hutchins; Dip. L.G.S.M.(Guildhall), B.A.Hons.Mus.(Dal.), Principal Flute, Montreal Symphony
Jan Jarczyk; B.A., M.A.(Academy of Music, Cracow), Dip.(Berklee)
Abe Kestenberg
Richard King; B.Mus.(Dal.), M.Mus.(McG.)
Hank Knox; B.Mus., M.Mus.(McG.) (William Dawson Scholar)
Sara Laimon; B.Mus.(Br. Col.), M.Mus.(Yale), D.M.A.(SUNY, Stony Brook)
Philippe Leroux; Premier Prix(Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris)
Jean Lesage; Concours, Diplôme d'études supérieures(Cons. de Montréal)
George Massenburg (Dean's Chair in Music)
Michael McMahon; B.Mus.(McG.), Graduate, Hochschule für Musik(Vienna)
Douglas McNabney; B.Mus.(Tor.), M.M.(W. Ont.), D.Mus.(Montr.)
Marina Mdivani; Post-graduate Dip.(Moscow Cons.)
Dennis Miller; Principal Tuba, Montreal Symphony
Christoph Neidhöfer; Graduate, Hochschule für Musik(Basel), Ph.D.(Harv.)
William Porter; B.Mus.(Oberlin), M.M., M.M.A., D.M.A.(Yale)
Winston Purdy; B.Mus.(McG.), M.M.(Eastman)
André Roy; B.Mus.(Curtis)
Gary Scavone; B.Sc., B.A.(Syrac.), M.Sc., Ph.D.(Stan.)
Thérèse Sevadjian; B.Mus., M.Mus.(Montr.)
Eleanor Stubley; B.Mus.(Tor.), M.Mus.(Bran.), Ph.D.(Ill.)
Joe Sullivan; B.A.(Ott.), M.M.(New England Cons.)
Julian Wachner; B.Mus., D.Mus.(Boston)
Marcelo Wanderley; B.Eng.(UFPR), M.Eng.(UFSC), Ph.D.(Paris VI and IRCAM)
André White; B.A.(C'dia), M.Mus.(McG.)
Lloyd Whitesell; B.A.(Minn.), M.A., Ph.D.(Stony Brook)
John Zirbel; B.Mus.(Wisc.), Principal Horn, Montreal Symphony
Assistant Professors
Lisa Barg; B.A.(Antioch), M.A., Ph.D.(Stony Brook)
Nicole Biamonte; B.F.A.(SUNY Purchase), Ph.D., M.Phil.(Yale)
Rémi Bolduc
James Box; B.M.(Southern Methodist U.), M.M.(Cleve. Inst. of Music), Principal Trombone, Montreal Symphony
Isabelle Cossette; Premier Prix(Cons. de Québec), M.Mus.(McG.), D.Mus.(Montr.)
Robert Crowley; B.M.(Eastman), M.M.(Cleveland); Principal Clarinet, Montreal Symphony
Russell DeVuyst; B.Mus.Ed.(Boston Cons.), M.M.(New England Cons.), Associate Principal Trumpet, Montreal Symphony
Elizabeth Dolin; B.Mus.(Tor.), Artist Dip.(Ind.)
Andrew Dunn; P.G.Dip.(GSMD), M.A.(TVU), P.C.R.A.M., L.R.A.M.
Mark Fewer; B.Mus.(Tor.)
Jean Gaudreault; LL.L.(Montr.), Graduate(Cons. de Québec), Montreal Symphony
Chris Paul Harman
Aiyun Huang; B.A.(Tor.), D.M.A.(Calif.-San Diego)
Valerie Kinslow; B.A.(McG.)
Roe-Min Kok; B.Mus.(Texas), M.A.(Duke), Ph.D.(Harv.)
Joanne Kolomyjec; B.Mus.(Tor.)
Stéphane Lévesque; Premier Prix(Cons. de Montréal), M.Mus.(Yale), Principal Bassoon, Montreal Symphony
Denise Lupien; B.M., M.M.(Juilliard), Concertmaster, Orchestre Métropolitain
Fabrice Marandola; Premier Prix(Cons. de Paris), M.Mus., Ph.D.(Sorbonne)
Ilya Poletaev; B.Mus.(Tor.), M.Mus., M.A., D.M.A.(Yale)
Richard Roberts; B.Mus.(Ind.), Concertmaster, Montreal Symphony
Brian Robinson; B.Mus.(Tor.), Montreal Symphony
René Rusch Daley; B.Mus.(Lawrence), M.A., M.Mus.(Mannes), Ph.D.(Mich.)
Jennifer Swartz; Dip.(Curtis), Principal Harp, Montreal Symphony
Sanford Sylvan; B.Mus.(Manhattan School of Music)
Lena Weman Ericsson; M.A.(Uppsala), Ph.D.(Luleå)
Jonathan Wild; B.Mus., M.A.(McG), Ph.D.(Harv.)
Adjunct Professors
Soren Bech; M.Sc., Ph.D.(Tech. Univ. of Denmark)
Durand Begault; B.A.(Calif.-Santa Cruz), M.F.A.(Mills Coll., Calif.), Ph.D.(Calif.-San Diego)
Jonas Braasch; Dipl. Physics (Dortmund), Doct-Eng, Ph.D.(Ruhr-Univ. Bochum)
Steven Epstein; B.S.(Hofstra)
Kenneth Gilbert; D.Mus.honoris causa(McG.), O.C., F.R.S.C., Hon. RAM
Lars T. Lih; B.A.(Yale), B.Phil.(Oxf.), Ph.D.(Princ.)
William Martens; B.A.(Miami), Ph.D.(N'western)
Jean-Paul Montagnier; B.A., M.A.(Lyon), Ph.D.(Duke)
Axel Mulder; Drs.(Rijks Universiteit Groningen), Ph.D.(S. Fraser)
Samuel Pearlman; B.A.(Stony Brook)
John Roston; B.A., M.A.(McG.)
Marc-Pierre Verge; B.A., M.Sc.(Laval), Ph.D.(Eiden.)
Herbert Waltl
Faculty Lecturer
Lisa Lorenzino; B.Mus.(Tor.), B.Ed.(Sask.), M.A.(McG.), Ph.D.(Alta.)
Back to Top

Master of Music (M.Mus.); Music — Composition (Thesis) (45 credits)

Additional prerequisite courses may be assigned to candidates in Composition, Music Education, Music Theory, Music Technology, and Musicology following transcript review and/or placement exams.

For more information, see Master of Music (M.Mus.); Music — Composition (Thesis) (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Music Education (Thesis) (45 credits)

Additional prerequisite courses may be assigned to candidates in Composition, Music Education, Music Theory, Music Technology, and Musicology following transcript review and/or placement exams.

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Music Education (Thesis) (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Music Technology (Thesis) (45 credits)

Additional prerequisite courses may be assigned to candidates in Composition, Music Education, Music Theory, Music Technology, and Musicology following transcript review and/or placement exams.

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Music Technology (Thesis) (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Musicology (Thesis) (45 credits)

Additional prerequisite courses may be assigned to candidates in Composition, Music Education, Music Theory, Music Technology, and Musicology following transcript review and/or placement exams.

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Musicology (Thesis) (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Musicology (Thesis) — Gender and Women's Studies (45 credits)

Additional prerequisite courses may be assigned to candidates in Composition, Music Education, Music Theory, Music Technology and Musicology following transcript review and/or placement exams.

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Musicology (Thesis) — Gender and Women's Studies (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Music (M.Mus.); Sound Recording (Non-Thesis) (60 credits)

For more information, see Master of Music (M.Mus.); Sound Recording (Non-Thesis) (60 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Theory (Thesis) (45 credits)

Additional prerequisite courses may be assigned to candidates in Composition, Music Education, Music Theory, Music Technology, and Musicology following transcript review and/or placement exams.

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Theory (Thesis) (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Theory (Thesis) — Gender and Women's Studies (45 credits)

Additional prerequisite courses may be assigned to candidates in Composition, Music Education, Music Theory, Music Technology, and Musicology following transcript review and/or placement exams.

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Theory (Thesis) — Gender and Women's Studies (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Arts (M.A.): Music — Music Education (Non-Thesis) (45 credits)

Additional prerequisite courses may be assigned to candidates in Composition, Music Education, Music Theory, Music Technology, and Musicology following transcript review and/or placement exams.

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.): Music — Music Education (Non-Thesis) (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Musicology (Non-Thesis) (45 credits)

Additional prerequisite courses may be assigned to candidates in Composition, Music Education, Music Theory, Music Technology, and Musicology following transcript review and/or placement exams.

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Musicology (Non-Thesis) (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Theory (Non-Thesis) (45 credits)

Additional prerequisite courses may be assigned to candidates in Composition, Music Education, Music Theory, Music Technology, and Musicology following transcript review and/or placement exams.

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.); Music — Theory (Non-Thesis) (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Vocal Pedagogy (Thesis) (47 credits)

Applicants to the Performance program are expected to have a background in Music Theory equivalent to the B.Mus. in Performance. Applicants found to be deficient in their background preparation may be required to take certain additional music theory undergraduate courses. The following program prerequisites may be assigned as additional required courses based ...

For more information, see Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Vocal Pedagogy (Thesis) (47 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Jazz Performance (Thesis) (45 credits)

Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Drums, Piano, Guitar, Bass, Voice The following program prerequisites may be assigned as additional required courses on the basis of transcript review: MUHL 393 History of Jazz MUJZ 440D1/MUJZ 440D2 Advanced Jazz Composition MUJZ 461D1/MUJZ 461D2 Advanced Jazz Arranging MUJZ 493 Jazz Performance Practice

For more information, see Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Jazz Performance (Thesis) (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Early Music (Thesis) (45 credits)

Voice, Baroque Flute, Recorder, Baroque Oboe, Baroque Bassoon, Baroque Violin, Baroque Viola, Baroque Cello, Early Music Clarinet, Viola da Gamba, Organ, Harpsichord, Lute, Early Brass, Fortepiano Applicants to the Performance program are expected to have a background in Music Theory equivalent to the B.Mus. in Performance. Applicants found to be deficient in ...

For more information, see Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Early Music (Thesis) (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Orchestral Instruments and Guitar (Thesis) (45 credits)

Applicants to the Performance program are expected to have a background in Music Theory equivalent to the B.Mus. in Performance. Applicants found to be deficient in their background preparation may be required to take certain additional music theory undergraduate courses. The following program prerequisite may be assigned as an additional required course on ...

For more information, see Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Orchestral Instruments and Guitar (Thesis) (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Collaborative Piano (Thesis) (45 credits)

Applicants to the Performance program are expected to have a background in Music Theory equivalent to the B.Mus. in Performance. Applicants found to be deficient in their background preparation may be required to take certain additional music theory undergraduate courses. The following program prerequisites may be assigned as additional required courses on the ...

For more information, see Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Collaborative Piano (Thesis) (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Piano (Thesis) (45 credits)

Applicants to the Performance program are expected to have a background in Music Theory equivalent to the B.Mus. in Performance. Applicants found to be deficient in their background preparation may be required to take certain additional music theory undergraduate courses. The following program prerequisite may be assigned as an additional required course on ...

For more information, see Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Piano (Thesis) (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Opera and Voice (Thesis) (45 credits)

Applicants to the Performance program are expected to have a background in Music Theory equivalent to the B.Mus. in Performance. Applicants found to be deficient in their background preparation may be required to take certain additional music theory undergraduate courses. The following program prerequisites may be assigned as additional required courses based ...

For more information, see Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Opera and Voice (Thesis) (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Organ and Church Music (Thesis) (45 credits)

Applicants to the Performance program are expected to have a background in Music Theory equivalent to the B.Mus. in Performance. Applicants found to be deficient in their background preparation may be required to take certain additional music theory undergraduate courses. The following program prerequisites may be assigned as additional required courses based ...

For more information, see Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Organ and Church Music (Thesis) (45 credits).

Back to Top

Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Conducting (Thesis) (45 credits)

Orchestral, Wind Band, and Choral Applicants to the Performance program are expected to have a background in Music Theory equivalent to the B.Mus. in Performance. Applicants found to be deficient in their background preparation may be required to take certain additional music theory undergraduate courses. The following program prerequisite courses may be ...

For more information, see Master of Music (M.Mus.); Performance: Conducting (Thesis) (45 credits).

Back to Top

Graduate Diploma in Professional Performance (30 credits)

Two full-time terms of residence are required.

For more information, see Graduate Diploma in Professional Performance (30 credits).

Back to Top

Doctor of Music (D.Mus.); Music — Composition

A minimum of two years' residence is required beyond the M.Mus. in Composition, or its equivalent. Details concerning the comprehensive examinations, composition performance, thesis, and academic regulations are available from the Graduate Coordinator, Schulich School of Music or from the Music Graduate Handbook ...

For more information, see Doctor of Music (D.Mus.); Music — Composition.

Back to Top

Doctor of Music (D.Mus.); Music — Performance Studies

A minimum of two years' residence is required beyond the M.Mus. in Performance, or its equivalent. Details concerning the comprehensive examinations, composition performance, thesis and academic regulations are available from the Graduate Studies Coordinator, Schulich School of Music or from the Music Graduate Handbook ...

For more information, see Doctor of Music (D.Mus.); Music — Performance Studies.

Back to Top

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.); Music — (Composition, Music Education, Musicology, Music Technology, Sound Recording, Theory)

The Ph.D. requires a minimum of three years of full-time resident study (six full-time terms) beyond a bachelor's degree. A candidate who holds a master's degree in the area of specialization may, on the recommendation of the Department, be permitted to count the work done for the master's degree as the first year of resident study. Details concerning the ...

For more information, see Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.); Music — (Composition, Music Education, Musicology, Music Technology, Sound Recording, Theory).

Back to Top

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.); Music — Gender and Women's Studies

Additional prerequisite courses may be assigned to candidates in Composition, Music Education, Music Theory, Music Technology, and Musicology following transcript review and/or placement exams.

For more information, see Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.); Music — Gender and Women's Studies.

Back to Top
Schulich School of Music—2012-2013 (last updated Oct. 1, 2012) (disclaimer)