Music Performance degree option

The Performance Option in the Virginia Tech Department of Music is designed for students who aspire to careers as professional singers, pianists, orchestral players, studio teachers, and university professors. The ultimate goal in the faculty's collaborative effort is the integration of private applied work and classroom instruction to produce independently functioning musicians, whose performance product is both intellectually well-conceived and aesthetically satisfying. As graduate school is usually required tor most performance careers, it is significant to note that a number of Virginia Tech graduates have pursued advanced degrees at the most prestigious graduate schools in the country, and are engaged in successful careers as orchestral players, opera singers, and university professors.

Program Features

Artist-Teachers

The performance faculty provides high quality traditional applied music instruction in the areas of wind instruments, strings, piano, voice, and percussion. Performance opportunity is regularly provided for students in studio master-classes and departmental convocations. The culmination of this study is presented in public junior and senior recitals.

Large Ensembles and Chamber Music

Students are presented with coached performance opportunities in orchestra, band, choral, and chamber music settings. As performance careers are highly competitive, partaking of the broadest spectrum of performance experiences is encouraged.

Curriculum

The department provides both traditional and high tech approaches to courses and independent studies in music theory, ear training, music history, computer applications, orchestration, and pedagogy. With a very low student-to-faculty ratio, the Virginia Tech course offerings in music are among the most personalized in the country. in the region, and it makes them very attractive candidates for teaching positions throughout the music education profession.

Concerts

Beyond the classroom and applied studio, informal instruction continues in over 100 live concerts presented annually by the department, providing students with first-hand artistic demonstrations of style, performance practice, literature, and stage deportment.