Graduate program for voice/opera and composition/new music?

College Majors Music Major
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Hello fellow musicians! :slight_smile:

I’m a 22-year-old coloratura soprano just finishing a BM in voice performance this fall, and will be applying to graduate school in the coming year. I plan to pursue a degree in vocal studies/opera, but am also interested in studying composition on my own. Even though I never majored in comp as an undergrad, I have taken private comp lessons as an independent study, participated in studio class, and had several works performed by myself and others. I also feel a deep connection to contemporary and avant-garde music as a performer. My vocal technique is decently solid, but my bigger strength has always been my ears and musicianship. Since my skill set is so hard-wired for new music I’m hoping it will be a good niche to help set me apart, especially since competition is so fierce and I’m “another dang soprano.” Haha :wink: And on a somewhat related note, hopefully I can get an assistantship teaching music theory or ear training…

My overall career goals fall somewhere along the spectrum between (for example) Diana Damrau, Barbara Hannigan and Dominick Argento. In an ideal world I would like to simultaneously perform and compose opera with some concert work (again, as both a performer and composer) on the side. Realistically, I know pursuing both degrees is too much time and money, and I need to choose a primary focus to make myself marketable. Right now, I feel my best shot in that respect is a more general voice/opera degree. From what my professors have said composition seems easier to study on my own than performance. Plus, I haven’t been doing it as long so I’m not sure I’m ready for a graduate degree in that field. I’m still considering submitting a portfolio just to see what happens, though. If I don’t get into any schools for performance but I do for comp, then I guess I’ll know where God wants me… :stuck_out_tongue:

But anyway, regardless of my primary focus I still want to have room for as much versatility as possible so that if any opportunities come up that deviate from the expected path, I will still be just as equipped to adapt and take advantage of them. Ideally, I would like to find a school that encourages this sort of well-roundedness, specializes in opera and new music, has lots of opportunities for roles (so not schools with a huge post-graduate program where the masters students don’t get as much stage time), encourages performance of student compositions, and of course a voice teacher I connect well with (I know that’s the most important thing!).

With that said, here are the schools I’m looking at so far. I would like to narrow it down to no more than 10 for pre-screenings (and I know that many is still rather unrealistic, haha) and 5 for final auditions, with a good mix of top-tier, middle-of-the-road, and safety schools. Let me know if I’ve missed any, especially some lesser-known “hidden gems.” Or which you think I should rule out…

Yale University
Indiana University
Manhattan School of Music
Mannes School of Music
Johns Hopkins University (Peabody)
University of Houston
University of North Texas
Oklahoma City University
Northwestern University
University of Michigan
University of Toronto
University of Cincinnati College Conservatory
Cleveland Institute of Music
Binghamton University
Florida State University

Also, which vocal teachers at these schools do you recommend? I know that’s something I can only really figure out for myself, but I’d greatly appreciate any advice to narrow down who I take sample lessons with (especially since a lot of traveling will be involved…). The short version is that I need the studio to be a place of honesty, vulnerability, and safety. For more specifics, I started a separate thread since this is already too long, haha:

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/1902423-graduate-voice-teacher-advice.html?new=1

Thank you for any help you can give! :slight_smile:

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McGill University

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Have you considered UC San Diego? It has a focus on the performance of contemporary music, and Susan Narucki is on the faculty. http://musicweb.ucsd.edu/grad/grad-pages.php?i=204 They encourage collaboration between the composers and performance students - although I don’t know if they would allow you to study both, or write for the other performance students.

I do think you might run into issues in grad school getting your compositions performed (at least on official school concerts,) if there is a strong composition department there already and you’re not a part of it. Most of the works on the programs that are scheduled will be by the student composers and may not have spots for someone not in the program. And your fellow musicians may not have the extra time to perform your work. On the other hand, schools which don’t have a strong composition focus might welcome new pieces by performance students. On your list above those would be University of Houston, Oklahoma City University, Binghamton University and possibly University of North Texas, Florida State and Toronto. At the others you would certainly be in competition for performances with the composition students. On the other hand, wanting to sing New Music will make you extremely popular with the composers at the majority of the schools on your list.

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Thanks, didn’t think about that! Will ask faculty about that as I visit schools :slight_smile:

I do like the look of the collaboration among disciplines at UC San Diego, but am a little wary that they don’t seem to offer a MM degree and that I can’t find anything about an opera program. Do you know if they do any full-scale productions there, or where I could find that info? From what my voice teacher has said, I should really aim primarily for a good opera program with chances for roles so that I can start building up my resume and get as much experience as possible. I’m afraid that if I don’t then I’ll no longer be able to compete with all the other sopranos out there who are doing those things. On the other hand, my comp professors have told me repeatedly that it’s possible to write without a degree - though I’m certainly not discounting the wealth of instruction that comes from having one! It just seems more possible than opera to keep up independently…is that true, or is there no hope without a degree? I don’t want to pigeon-hole myself into a highly specific niche or close any doors unnecessarily…

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No, UC San Diego does not offer an MM in opera performance, nor put on operas. If you want to study opera, rather than New Music - than it is not the right place. Perhaps best to go there after further studies. If you want a performance degree, but also want a chance to sing new music - than I would suggest picking a program known for composition - as they will be more open to the music of now. The pursuit of composition simultaneously is a different question.

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And thanks, Tom SrOfBoston - looks promising! Noticed they seem to have an unusually big focus on early music, though (with an early music degree and ensembles, a Baroque opera every year, etc.)… How much is early music performed on/around campus compared to contemporary music, both in and outside of the composition department? Do they compliment or compete with each other? I’ve heard that schools often favor certain stylistic periods a bit more than others, and I’d rather not go somewhere where new music gets the shorter end of the stick.

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PM’ed you

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ps New music is a pretty broad term these days…can you give names of composers you admire or some other clues to the aesthetic environment you prefer?

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Maybe look into the UCLA School of Music. They’re considered one of the best programs for opera in the West. They have several well-known and seasoned performers on faculty (Vladimir Chernov, Juliana Gondek, Michael Dean), and the School of Music is strong in contemporary/new music.