292 Music Building; (714) 824-6615
Margaret Murata, Department Chair (Acting)
Faculty
Haroutune Bedelian, Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, London, Associate Professor of Music (violin, chamber ensembles)
Rae Linda Brown, Ph.D. Yale University, Associate Professor of Music (history, American musics)
Lisa Cherry, B.A. California State University Long Beach, Lecturer in Music (French horn)
Thomas Cockrell, D.M.A. State University of New York at Stony Brook, Assistant Professor of Music and Director of the University Orchestra (conducting, analysis)
Steven Crum, Lecturer in Music (jazz ensemble)
Christina Dahlin, M.F.A. University of California, Irvine, Lecturer in Music (voice, opera)
Jonathon Davis, M.M. The Julliard School of Music, Lecturer in Music (oboe)
Russell Dicey, B.F.A. California Institute of the Arts, Lecturer in Music (French horn)
Theresa Dimond, D.M.A. University of Southern California, Lecturer in Music (percussion)
Bernard Gilmore, D.M.A. Stanford University, Professor of Music (composition, theory)
Patrick Goeser, M.A. University of Iowa, Lecturer in Music (voice)
Frederick Greene, M.Mus. Ed. University of Southern California, Lecturer in Music (tuba)
Michelle Grego, M.M. University of Southern California, Lecturer in Music (bassoon)
Lorna Griffitt, D.M. Indiana University, Lecturer in Music (piano)
Robert Hickok, B.Mus. Yale University, Professor Emeritus of Music (choral conducting)
Nina Hinson, M.M. University of Southern California, Lecturer in Music (voice, opera, vocal pedagogy)
William C. Holmes, Ph.D. Columbia University, Professor Emeritus of Music (history, opera)
Joseph B. Huszti, M.Mus. Northwestern University, Professor of Music and Director of Voice and Choral Music (conducting, choral ensembles, voice)
Rosemary Hyler-Ritter, B.Mus. Catholic University of America, Lecturer in Music (accompanying, piano, vocal coaching)
Larry Kaplan, Performance Certificate, Academie International in France, Lecturer in Music (flute)
Laura Kuennen-Poper, M.M. Eastman School of Music, Lecturer in Music (viola)
Alfred Lang, M.F.A. University of California, Irvine, Assistant Professor of Music (trumpet, rock music)
Margaret Murata, Ph.D. University of Chicago, Department Chair and Professor of Music (history, theory)
James Newton, B.M. California State University, Los Angeles, Professor of Music (jazz studies, flute, composition)
Barbara Northcutt, B.Mus. University of Southern California, Lecturer in Music (oboe)
Peter S. Odegard, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Professor Emeritus of Music (theory, composition)
Leo Potts, M.A. California State University, Long Beach, Lecturer in Music (saxophone)
Ronald W. Sainio, M.Mus. University of Wisconsin, Lecturer in Music (basic voice, choral conducting, theory)
Mahlon Schanzenbach, M.A. California State University, Long Beach, Lecturer in Music (voice)
John Schneiderman, B.Mus. University of California, Irvine, Lecturer in Music (lute, guitar, American musics)
Nina Scolnik, B.Mus. Oberlin Conservatory, Performance Diploma, The Juilliard School, Lecturer in Music (piano)
H. Colin Slim, Ph.D. Harvard University, Professor Emeritus of Music (history)
Gayle Smith, B.A. University of California, Los Angeles, Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (London), Lecturer in Music (cello)
Ricardo Soto, D.M.A. University of Southern California, Lecturer in Music (choral ensembles)
David Stetson, B.M. University of Southern California, Lecturer in Music (trombone)
Additional professional staff in instrumental music supplement the faculty in accordance with the needs of the program.
The Department of Music offers two undergraduate degrees (the Bachelor of Arts in Music and the Bachelor of Music) and the Master of Fine Arts degree in Music. The minor in Music is unavailable until further notice.
The Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.) degree program is performance-oriented. It offers students the opportunity to specialize in one of the following: bassoon, clarinet, contrabass, flute, French horn, harp, lute and guitar, oboe, percussion, piano, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, tuba, viola, violin, violoncello, voice. (The specialization appears on the student's UCI transcript.) In addition, B.Mus. students may qualify for the Special String Performance option, an intensified curriculum for professional-level students. All B.Mus. students receive continuous private instruction, for a maximum of 12 quarters, and present a solo recital during their senior year. B.Mus. students participate in performance classes each quarter. Vocal performance students focus on diction, movement, stage presentation, repertory, criticism, and style. Guitar and lute students focus on ensemble work, repertory with other instruments and voice, criticism, and pedagogy. Piano students give weekly solo performances before other students, and also focus on criticism, style, and interpretation. String, wind, brass, percussion, and also piano students focus on quartet work, small ensembles, and solo sonatas privately coached and presented in afternoon recitals.
The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree program enables students to pursue elective subjects in music (such as composition or conducting), in the arts, or in other academic disciplines. Students receive two years of instrumental or vocal instruction and participate at the same time in two years of ensemble or repertory classes. Students also complete a senior project in an area of particular interest (a historical project, a composition, or a lecture/performance).
Music scholarships are offered to promising undergraduate performers. Awarding of scholarships is generally based on the preadmission auditions which are held in February.
The University's Education Abroad Program offers students the opportunity to study abroad during their junior year. Music majors may enroll in conservatories and universities in several countries; highly qualified performers may be eligible to attend the Conservatorio G. B. Martini in Bologna, Italy. See the Educational Abroad Program section for additional information.
In each baccalaureate degree program, students receive private lessons on their instruments, or in voice, and perform in orchestral or choral concerts, in chamber ensembles, and in solo recitals; however, such participation varies according to which degree the student elects to pursue.
A five-year program coordinated with the UCI Department of Education is available for students interested in obtaining a California Teaching Credential.
The Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree program in Music emphasizes composition, choral conducting, voice performance, piano performance, and instrumental performance.
Choral/Vocal
The Department offers a variety of choral ensembles that give every student, regardless of major, the opportunity to sing. Some groups participate in international concert tours. The California Chamber Singers, Concert Choir, Madrigal Singers, Women's Chorus, and Men's Chorus make up the permanent ensembles. Additional performances are presented in conjunction with professional orchestras, invitational festivals, and Southern California concert venues. In December, the Department also produces the annual series of Madrigal Dinners that celebrate the Christmas season at the court of Henry VIII.
Instrumental
The UCI Symphony Orchestra offers participants an opportunity to explore the great masterworks of the standard orchestral repertory. The orchestra performs a number of programs each year and each performance features a guest artist. Artists have included Lincoln Mayorga, piano; Margaret Batjer, violin; Stephen Erdody, violoncello; and the UCI Choral Union in Mendelssohn's Elija. Johann Strauss Jr.'s Die Fledermaus was presented in conjunction with the Departments of Drama and Dance.
Additional student performance opportunities are available with three bands: the Wind Ensemble performs great works from the concert band literature; the Jazz Ensemble is a standard 18-piece big band; and the UCI Band plays at athletic events, including the men's basketball season home games.
A degree in Music offers many career opportunities. Music is a highly competitive profession and a degree may or may not lead to professional employment with an orchestra or as a concert artist. Many graduates do, however, become successful freelance members of symphony orchestras, composers, and performers. Many others go on to pursue graduate degrees in performance, music history, conducting, arts management, music librarianship, composition, or secondary or postsecondary education. Some graduates have made careers in music publishing and in the recording industry.
All applicants for admission are required to pass an audition in their principal performing medium and will receive information concerning the mandatory audition approximately 60 days following the close of the application period.
Freshmen students wishing to enter either of the baccalaureate degree programs in Music must demonstrate appropriate performance proficiency and should have had a minimum of two years of instrumental or vocal instruction and should know scales, fundamental notation, and triads. In addition, they should have the ability to read music in both treble and bass clefs. Basic keyboard skill is highly desirable, as is experience as a solo performer. Choral, orchestral, band, or stage experience is desirable. Freshmen students who wish to pursue the B.Mus. degree should have, in addition to the above, at least three years (instead of two years) of private instruction; knowledge of scales, chords, and arpeggios; sight-reading ability; and a solo repertory from the sonata or chamber literature or the art song and oratorio literature.
Transfer students pursuing either undergraduate degree should have had college-level private instrumental or vocal instruction; two years of music theory; the history of western music; ear-training; sight-singing; sight-reading; and piano. All transfer students must pass a performance audition in order to enter either baccalaureate degree program.
For transfer students pursuing the B.Mus. degree, results of the audition will determine the minimum number of quarters necessary to complete degree requirements. All transfer students also must take placement tests in musicianship, theory, and history in order to transfer these courses in fulfillment of the UCI Music degree requirements. These placement exams are given just before the beginning of the student's first quarter of study at UCI.
It is strongly recommended that all entering B.Mus. students have at least the following experience and/or abilities in music:
Voice students--ability to perform solo literature; at least two years of private study and/or participation in choral or instrumental ensemble; some facility at the keyboard; a background in Italian, French, and German art songs.
Piano students--ability to perform a Prelude and Fugue from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, the first movement of a classical sonata of the difficulty of Beethoven's Pathetique, and a composition from the Romantic period of the level of a Chopin Impromptu.
Woodwind and brass students--ability to sustain tone production; accurate intonation over a dynamic range (from pianissimo to fortissimo ); control of breath and articulation; all major and minor scales and arpeggios (legato and staccato ) commensurate with the range and technique of the particular instrument; ability to play and read repertory from the seventeenth century to the present with a demonstrable knowledge of the sonata literature for the particular instrument.
Percussion students--mastery of rudimentary snare drum techniques to include open and closed rolls, flams, ruffs, and drags; familiarity with mallet percussion instruments (including bells, xylophone, and marimba) and ability to play rolls on tympani; knowledge of tuning techniques and basic rhythmic reading, major and minor scales, and basic note reading skills.
String students--ability to produce a clear tone and precise intonation with and without vibrato; controlled vibrato; slurred, detaché, louré, staccato, and simple spiccato bow strokes; knowledge of all major and minor scales and arpeggios; ability to play and read repertory of a difficulty comparable to the symphonies of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert as well as demonstrable knowledge of the sonata and/or chamber music literature for the particular instrument.
Special String Performance students--Violin: major and minor scales and arpeggios through three octaves, one movement from a Bach unaccompanied sonata or partita, one movement from a Classical or Romantic sonata, two contrasting movements of a Classical or Romantic concerto from the standard repertory; Viola: major and minor scales and arpeggios through three octaves, one movement from a Bach suite, one movement of a sonata or concerto from the standard repertory (e.g., Brahms sonata, or concertos by Handel, Hoffmeister, Bartók, or Telemann); Violoncello: major and minor scales and arpeggios through three octaves, one movement from a Classical sonata (e.g., Sammartini G major sonata, Beethoven sonata) or two contrasting movements from a Bach suite, one movement from a Romantic sonata (e.g., Brahms, Strauss) or one movement from a concerto from the standard repertory (e.g., Lalo, Saint-Saëns, Dvôrák, Haydn, Boccherini); Double Bass: major and minor scales and arpeggios, a solo from Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals or comparable work, two contra string movements from any concerto of the standard repertory.
Guitar and lute students--ability to perform a Renaissance fantasy and dance (e.g., Dowland, Holborne), a baroque prelude and dance (e.g., Bach, Weiss), a classical etude, sonata, or theme and variations (e.g., Sor, Giuliani), and a twentieth-century etude (e.g., Villa-Lobos, Brouwer). Ability to sight-read single lines on all parts of the fingerboard and multivoice pieces up to the fifth position. Prior knowledge of the lute is desirable but not required. Guitarists with a nonclassical background (fingerstyle, jazz, rock) will be considered if they have adequate facility on the instrument and the desire to explore the classical guitar and lute repertory.
| Course Groups by Major | |
| Piano major | |
| Private Lesson | Music 165 |
| Solo Performance Class | Music 175 |
| Ensemble | Music 176 |
| Voice major | |
| Private Lesson | Music 168 |
| Solo Performance Class | Music 63, 163 |
| Ensemble | Music 162 |
| Guitar/Lute major | |
| Private Lesson | Music 190 |
| Solo Performance Class | Music 174 |
| Ensemble | Music 176 |
| String major | |
| Private Lesson | Music 166 |
| Solo Performance Class | Music 176 or 194 |
| Ensemble | Music 160 |
| Woodwind/Brass major | |
| Private Lesson | Music 167 |
| Solo Performance Class | Music 176 |
| Ensemble | Music 160, 161, or 178 |
| Percussion major | |
| Private Lesson | Music 190 |
| Solo Performance Class | Music 177 |
| Ensemble | Music 160, 161, or 178 |
University Requirements: See pages 5761.
School Requirements: None.
Departmental Requirements--Core
Five quarters of theory (Music 30A-B-C and 35A-B); two years of musicianship (Music 5A-B-C and 15A-B-C); one year of music history (Music 40B-C-D); one quarter of tonal counterpoint (Music 43) or one quarter of history of jazz (Music 78A or 78B); attainment of a passing score on the Piano Sight-Reading Examination, to be taken no later than the first quarter of the junior year.
Bachelor of Arts Degree: Satisfactory completion of the Core requirements; one quarter of analysis (Music 155A); one quarter upper-division topics course chosen from the Music 140145 series or Music 155B; two years of instrumental or vocal instruction (12 units maximum, selected from Music 6568, 168-170; two years of ensemble or repertory classes as assigned by the Department (12 units selected from Music 63, 160164, 171176, 178, 179, 194, or 197). Transfer students must complete at least six units of instrumental or vocal instruction in residence and six units in ensemble or repertory courses in residence.
All students are required to complete one of the following as a Senior Project: (1) a lecture of approximately 20 minutes in length on a musical subject presented to students, faculty, and guests, which can be a revision of a paper or project prepared for a course; (2) a two- to three-minute composition in a twentieth-century idiom, written under faculty supervision; or (3) a thesis on a musical subject of at least 15 typed, double-spaced pages, which can be based on material taken from a course other than Music 155B. Proposed projects must be approved by the B.A. advisor by the end of the fall quarter of the year in which graduation is expected. Upon approval of the project proposal and with faculty supervision, a student may take Music 199 to research and write the thesis.
Bachelor of Music Degree: Satisfactory completion of the Core requirements; one quarter of analysis (Music 155A); one quarter upper-division topics course chosen from the Music 140145 series or Music 155B; instrumental or vocal instruction each quarter of residence (Music 165170); senior recital (Music 192S); completion of the following courses each quarter of residence and according to the approved Bachelor of Music specialization:
Orchestral or Band instruments: orchestra, wind ensemble, or jazz band, as assigned by the Department (Music 160, 161, or 178) and chamber ensembles (Music 176).
Guitar and Lute: guitar and lute workshop (Music 174) and chamber ensembles (Music 176).
Piano: piano repertory (Music 175 each quarter of residence); six quarters of ensemble performance (three quarters of Music 76P and three quarters of Music 176), for any quarters of which may be substituted Music 160P, 161P, 166P, 178P, 179, or 194 with the consent of the instructor; and three quarters of choral/vocal accompaniment, to be chosen from Music 162P, 164P, or 197; transfer students in piano distribute this requirement in a 2:1 ratio over quarters of residence.
Voice: chorus (Music 162) and vocal performance (Music 63 or 163). With written permission of the director of the program in voice, a student when in residence may substitute two quarters of acting (Drama 30A-B) and two quarters of music theatre workshop (Drama 165) for a maximum of four quarters of vocal performance (Music 63 or 163). During the quarter of their senior recital, students, with written permission of the Music faculty, may be exempted from their ensemble requirement.
Bachelor of Music Degree (Special String Performance): Satisfactory completion of the Core requirements; four years of instruction in the major instrument (Music 77 and 177); four years of orchestra (Music 160); two years of chamber music (Music 194); any three courses in history or criticism of art, dance history, development of drama, dramatic literature, or film criticism; four to eight units of a music elective selected from Music 145, 135A, 135B, 140144, 155A-B; senior recital (Music 196).
| Sample Program -- B.A. | |||||
| FALL | WINTER | SPRING | |||
| Freshman | |||||
| Music 5A | Music 5B | Music 5C | |||
| Music 30A | Music 30B | Music 30C | |||
| Lessons | Lessons | Lessons | |||
| Ensemble | Ensemble | Ensemble | |||
| English and Comp. | Music 10 (Elective) | Music 10 (Elective) | |||
| Lit. WR39A | English and Comp. | English and Comp. | |||
| Lit. WR39B | Lit. WR39C | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Music 15A | Music 15B | Music 15C | |||
| Music 35A | Music 35B | Music 43 or 78 | |||
| Lessons | Lessons | Lessons | |||
| Ensemble | Ensemble | Ensemble | |||
| Breadth VI | Breadth VI | Breadth VI | |||
| Junior | |||||
| Music 40B | Music 40C | Music 40D | |||
| Breadth III | Breadth III | Breadth III | |||
| Breadth V | Breadth V | Breadth V | |||
| Breadth VI | Elective | Elective | |||
| Senior | |||||
| Music 155A | Music 140145, | Breadth II | |||
| Breadth II | or 155B | Elective | |||
| Breadth VII | Breadth II | Elective | |||
| Elective | Breadth VII | ||||
| Elective | |||||
| Sample Program -- B.Mus. | |||||
| FALL | WINTER | SPRING | |||
| Freshman | |||||
| Music 5A | Music 5B | Music 5C | |||
| Music 30A | Music 30B | Music 30C | |||
| Major group1 | Major group1 | Major group1 | |||
| English and Comp. | Music 10 (Elective) | Music 10 (Elective) | |||
| Lit. WR39A | English and Comp. | English and Comp. | |||
| Lit. WR39B | Lit. WR39C | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Music 15A | Music 15B | Music 15C | |||
| Music 35A | Music 35B | Music 43 or 78 | |||
| Major group1 | Major group1 | Major group1 | |||
| Breadth VI | Breadth VI | Breadth VI | |||
| Junior | |||||
| Music 40B | Music 40C | Music 40D | |||
| Major group1 | Major group1 | Major group1 | |||
| Breadth VI | Music 192J | Upper-division writing | |||
| Breadth V | Breadth III | Breadth V | |||
| Breadth V | |||||
| Senior | |||||
| Music 155A | Music 140-145 or 155B | Breadth III | |||
| Major group1 | Major group1 | Major group1 | |||
| Breadth II | Breadth II | Music 192S | |||
| Breadth VII | Breadth VII | Breadth II | |||
| Breadth III | |||||
1 Three courses taken concurrently that are determined by the student's major. See Course Groups by Major chart.
| Sample Program -- Special String Performance B.Mus. | |||||
| FALL | WINTER | SPRING | |||
| Freshman | |||||
| Music 5A | Music 5B | Music 5C | |||
| Music 30A | Music 30B | Music 30C | |||
| Music 77 | Music 77 | Music 77 | |||
| Music 160 | Music 160 | Music 160 | |||
| English and Comp. | Music 10 (Elective) | Music 10 (Elective) | |||
| Lit. WR 39A | English and Comp. | English and Comp. | |||
| Lit. WR 39B | Lit. WR 39C | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Music 15A | Music 15B | Music 15C | |||
| Music 35A | Music 35B | Music 43 or 78 | |||
| Music 77 | Music 77 | Music 77 | |||
| Music 160 | Music 160 | Music 160 | |||
| Arts Course | Arts Course | Arts Course | |||
| Breadth VI | Breadth VI | Breadth VI | |||
| Junior | |||||
| Music 40B | Music 40C | Music 40D | |||
| Music 177 | Music 177 | Music 177 | |||
| Music 160 | Music 160 | Music 160 | |||
| Music 194 | Music 194 | Music 194 | |||
| Breadth VI | Music 192J | Breadth III | |||
| Breadth V | Breadth III | Breadth V | |||
| Breadth V | |||||
| Senior | |||||
| Music 177 | Music 177 | Music 177 | |||
| Music 160 | Music 160 | Music 160 | |||
| Music 194 | Music 194 | Music 194 | |||
| Music Elective | English and Comp. | Music 196 | |||
| Breadth II | Lit. WR 139 | Breadth II | |||
| Breadth VII | Breadth II | Breadth VII | |||
| Breadth III | |||||
Degree Offered
M.F.A. in Music, with emphasis in composition, choral conducting, vocal performance, piano performance, and instrumental performance.
Admission
Applications for admission to the degree program are should be submitted by March 1 for the following fall quarter. Applicants must meet the general requirements for admission to graduate study and hold a B.A. in Music, or B.Mus., or the equivalent. Applicants should have completed at least two years of college study, or the equivalent, of one of the following languages: French, German, Italian, Spanish, or Latin.
Applicants must also submit an eight- to ten-page paper on a musical subject (analytical, theoretical, historical); this requirement may be fulfilled by the submission of an undergraduate term paper.
All applicants for programs in performance must audition for members of the Music faculty by March 1. In special cases, a recently recorded demonstration of performance may be accepted. Applicants for the program in composition must submit scores and tapes of their works.
All applicants for admission must demonstrate competence in basic musical skills: sight-singing, written and keyboard harmony, dictation, and minimal facility at the keyboard (including sight-reading). The examination will be administered in late March for all applicants who live within a 100-mile radius of UCI; all other applicants will be sent information concerning a proctored examination. In some cases, students who do not demonstrate appropriate proficiency in some area may be considered for admission. If admitted, these students will be required to make up any deficiency by the end of the first year of residency.
General Degree Requirements
Normally, two years of residence are required. Each candidate must enroll for at least 12 units each quarter (normally consisting of three courses) for six quarters, exclusive of summer sessions. Reading knowledge of French, German, Italian, Spanish, or Latin must be demonstrated by passing a written examination administered through the Department of Music, or by passing the appropriate language course (level 2A) for one quarter. This course must be passed with a grade of B or better to fulfill the foreign language requirement. All graduate students must pass the foreign language requirement prior to the comprehensive examination.
Comprehensive examinations are taken after the fourth quarter in residence as a prerequisite to candidacy for the M.F.A. degree. A student who fails the comprehensive examination may reschedule it once in the following quarter. Participation in performance at UCI as assigned by the Department throughout residence is required.
Specific Degree Requirements
Seventy-two quarter units in graduate or approved upper-division undergraduate courses must be completed with a grade of at least B in each course. Not more than 20 units in upper-division courses may count toward the degree. Specific course requirements must be completed in one of the following areas:
Choral Conducting: two courses in bibliography (Music 200); one course in analysis (Music 201); one course in history (Music 220); two quarters of tutorials (Music 190); five courses in graduate studio vocal literature (Music 210); one quarter of tutorials (Music 191); one course in directed reading (Music 250); two quarters of graduate projects (Music 240); four electives; participation in performance as assigned by the Department of Music each quarter of residence; preparation of a thesis project in performance, supported by a written essay.
Composition: two courses in bibliography (Music 200); one course in analysis (Music 201); one course in history (Music 220); one course in directed reading (Music 250); six courses in graduate studio composition (Music 212); two courses in graduate projects (Music 240); two quarters of tutorials (Music 190); one quarter of tutorials (Music 191); three electives; participation in recitals of student compositions as assigned by the Department of Music each quarter of residence; preparation of a project in composition, supported by a written essay.
Instrumental Performance: two courses in bibliography (Music 200); one course in analysis (Music 201); one course in history (Music 220); six courses in graduate studio instrumental literature (Music 211); six quarters of chamber ensembles and performance, of which at least two will be devoted to contemporary music (Music 176); two quarters of graduate projects (Music 240); three electives; participation in a large ensemble each quarter of residence, as assigned by the Department of Music. There will be a solo recital at the end of the second year of residence.
Piano Performance: two courses in bibliography (Music 200); one course in analysis (Music 201); one course in history (Music 220); six courses in graduate studio instrumental literature (Music 211); two quarters of graduate projects (Music 240); six quarters of chamber ensembles and performance, of which at least two will be devoted to contemporary music (Music 176); three electives. There will be a solo recital at the end of each of the two years of residence.
Vocal Performance: two courses in bibliography (Music 200); one course in analysis (Music 201); one course in history (Music 220); one quarter of tutorials (Music 190); two quarters of tutorials (Music 191); five courses in graduate studio vocal literature (Music 210); two courses in graduate projects (Music 240); one course in directed reading (Music 250); four electives; participation in performance as assigned by the Department of Music each quarter of residence; preparation of a thesis project in performance, supported by a written essay.
