Longy School of Music of Bard College
Master of Music in Performance or Composition
Cambridge, USA
Master degree
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
USD 56,500 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
* 2025-26 estimated tuition
Key Summary
About: You're ready to take a deep dive into artistic and academic study in this two-year Master of Music programme at Longy. Catalyst Curriculum pairs musical excellence with skills in design, production, and audience engagement, letting you lead your education with faculty facilitators. Major areas include brass, collaborative piano, composition, historical performance, jazz and contemporary music, opera, organ, piano, strings, vocal performance, and woodwinds.
Career Outcomes: Graduates join major orchestras, touring companies, conservatory faculties, apprenticeships, freelance roles, and community outreach programmes. Notable placements include Boston Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, New World Symphony, and schools such as New England Conservatory.
You’re ready to take a deep dive academically and artistically in this two-year Master of Music program. Longy's innovative Catalyst Curriculum pairs musical excellence with a focus on the skills you’ll need to become a professional musician: the ability to design experiences, produce projects, and engage audiences with exceptional musical encounters. Dedicated career coaching will help guide your studies and prepare you for what comes after graduation.
Catalyst Curriculum
Training Musicians to be Catalysts
We’re training musicians to be catalysts—artists who know how to create change and make things happen. That’s why we’ve turned our graduate education on its head with a different kind of curriculum, customized for you. It pairs musical excellence with a focus on the skills you’ll need to be a musician: the ability to design experiences, produce projects, and engage audiences with exceptional music encounters. With faculty as your facilitators, you’ll take the lead in your own education: exploring, experimenting, and following your passion. You’ll learn how to create your own opportunities for work and, ultimately, you’ll discover who you want to become as a musician.
Major Areas
- Brass
- Collaborative Piano
- Composition
- Historical Performance
- Jazz and Contemporary Music
- Opera
- Organ
- Piano
- Strings
- Vocal Performance
- Woodwinds
Level: Graduate
Duration: 2 years
Longy's Master of Music Curriculum for 2021-2022 Academic Year (36-40 total credits)
Catalyst Curriculum Courses - 4 credits
- Musician's Portfolio - 1 credit
- Teaching Artistry - 1 credit
- Entrepreneurship OR Project-Based Class - 1 credit
- Engagement Course (choose one from the list below) - 1 credit
- Advanced Teaching Artistry
- Music as a Healing Art
- Sistema Side-by-Side Lab
- Music and Civic Engagement
Artistic Development - 32-36 credits
- Studio Lessons - 12 credits
- Performance - 4 credits
- Improvisation - 1 credit
- Creation/Composition - 1 credit
- Advanced Topics - 2 credits
- Open Credits - 12-16 credits
Catalyst Benchmarks
- 1st Year and Final Recital
- Custom Commission
- Artist Statement Workshops
- Career Coaching
Core Skills
Core skills vary for each department. For more information, please visit Longy School of Music's 2021-2022 Degree Requirement Handbook.
We pledge to remove financial barriers. When we award scholarships, we’re looking to the breadth of each candidate’s experiences and their potential to contribute, both artistically and personally. In Fall 2020, every student in Longy’s incoming class received institutional financial support—because we invest in musicians who strive to make a difference in the world.For more information please visit Longy's page on Scholarship and Financial Aid.
Recent Longy graduates have gone directly into the ranks of major performing organizations, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, New World Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, Orquestra del Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia (Valencia, Spain), Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, and the Zurich Opera House Orchestra.
Others have gained entrance to such institutions as Boston Conservatory, Boston University, Eastman School of Music, Hartt School, Indiana University, Kent State University, Manhattan School of Music, Michigan State University, Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, New England Conservatory, University of Cincinnati, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, University of Southern California, and other schools for graduate or further graduate study.
Still others have joined touring companies, been admitted to apprenticeship programs, worked as freelance performers, embarked on teaching careers, and contributed to the growth of community outreach programs.
At Longy, we prepare students to become exceptional musicians who can engage new audiences; teach anyone, anywhere; and use artistry to change lives in communities around the world.
This is what makes an ideal student at Longy:
- Transform lives through the power of music
- Have joy making and sharing music with others
- Growth as a teaching artist
- Willingness to be honest and use self-assessment
- Respect for individuals
- Become apart of a diverse and supportive community
- Use creativity of thought and innovation
- Allow freedom to explore new things in music
- Become an advocate for the arts