Admission and Course of Study
The program is open to a limited number of qualified performers from any department. Admission to the program is by audition for a committee consisting of the directors and selected department faculty. Although enrollment in the program is limited to juniors and seniors, students may begin taking the courses that count toward certificate requirements in their freshman year. The Program is a two year course of study, and students must audition at the end of their sophomore year. The audition committee may, at their discretion, invite students whose auditions were borderline to reauditon at the beginning of the junior year.
The introductory theory course, Music 105-106 (Music Theory through Composition and Performance), serves as a prerequisite to the program. Students with an extensive theory background from high school may be excused from this requirement but must pass an examination to do so.
Two semesters of one of the Department of Music’s performance courses (Music 213, 214, 215, 216, 314) are required for the program. These courses cover traditional chamber music, jazz improvisation, song writing, opera scenes, German lieder and French chanson, conducting, and computer and electronic music.
In addition, students in the program choose two other Department of Music courses from those that fulfill the requirement for the music major. These include a lengthy list of history, literature, theory, analysis, and composition courses.
Theory: Music 205, 206
Group I (Western music history): Music 230, 232, 234, 236, 238, 240, 242
Group II (non-Western and non-canonical musics): Music 250, 251, 255, 257, 258, 259,260, 262, 264, 265
300 level (or higher): MUS 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 314, 315, 316, 318, 320, 321, 323, 324, 332, 333, 335, 336, 337, 339, 352, 366, 367, 430, 431
Some examples of courses with a performance component are Music 308 (Contemporary Music through Composition and Performance), and Music 312 (Jazz Theory through Improvisation and Composition). A full list is provided on the performance page.
Students in the program must successfully complete four semesters of private studio lessons during their junior and senior years, to the satisfaction of their studio teacher.
Students in the program will prepare a major performance project during the senior year. This could be a concerto appearance (if a student wins the University Concerto Competition), a full recital, or a recording. The project will be evaluated by a member of the performance faculty for determination of the awarding of the certificate. Students are also expected to participate in appropriate department ensembles (pianists are expected to fulfill this requirement through service as accompanists, or as members of a department ensemble).
Students in the Program may also have the opportunity to appear in concert with the professional performers who teach privately at Princeton, under the auspices of the Richardson Chamber Players.
Other Opportunities
The musical culture on the Princeton campus is alive with possibilities to make music of almost every conceivable form: opera, orchestra, rock, pop singing, gospel, musical comedy, and so on. There are also two major concert series on or near the campus that bring international artists to Princeton. Princeton’s close proximity to New York and Philadelphia (one hour by train) also gives students the chance to enjoy the world’s most vibrant center of music making. Students not only regularly attend concerts, but also have special opportunities, such as invitations to dress rehearsals at the Metropolitan Opera and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
For More Information
If you would like additional information about the Program, write to Michael Pratt, the program director, at the Department of Music, Woolworth Center, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544; e-mail address: mjpratt@princeton.edu. He can answer specific questions about the program and its faculty.
