Master of Music (Performance: Choral Conducting Emphasis)
This program is a two-year commitment designed to prepare conductors in effective musical leadership at the academic and/or the professional level. The applicant is expected to have prior experience as a choral conductor.
This program is designed to:
- offer to graduate students extensive exposure to choral literature of all eras and genres;
- deepen their understanding of the relationship between choral literature and its performance;
- strengthen their ability to read, comprehend, and interpret notated music;
- enhance their ability to organize and run a choral rehearsal in the most efficient way possible, help them develop a gestural vocabulary to relay the interpretation of scores in live performances.
Concurrently, graduate students will craft their ability to make well-founded decisions in the fields of programming repertoire, choral pedagogy, and leading vocal ensembles in concert. To that end, they will be asked to emphasize on the active evaluation of their teaching, rehearsal, and conducting behaviors. As those behaviors are informed by a solid understanding of fields including music theory, aural skills, music history, and music education, this degree prioritizes enriching the ability of the students to purposefully transfer those skills into efficient practices in rehearsal and performance.
In terms of the art of conducting itself, graduate students will not be asked to copy gestures, motions, or language used by their instructor. Instead, they will be encouraged to find their own gestural vocabulary and choral artistry, essentially realizing choral music in a way that is honest and relevant to who they are as musicians and people.
