Specialist in Music in Chamber Music

Application deadlines are specific to degree programs. See our Graduate Admissions page for a list of all deadlines.

Designed for pre-formed groups of any instrumentation at the early stages of their professional career. Applicants must possess a master’s degree in performance or its equivalent, along with substantial experience performing solo and ensemble repertoire.

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Curriculum

The Specialist in Music in Chamber Music requires a minimum of 30 credits. Coursework to include: minimum 8 credits chosen from among the following courses: Piano Chamber Music, Woodwind Small Ensemble, Brass Small Ensemble, String Quartet, Mixed Chamber Music, Chamber Music minimum 8 credits of Performance 639 and/or 640 minimum 8 credits chosen from among the following courses: Chamber Arts Collective, Early Music Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Vocal Chamber Music, Digital Music Ensemble, Electronic Chamber Music, CDE, CAO, Small Jazz Ensemble minimum 6 credits of other SMTD courses as electives

Final Project:

Final Project final projects: Two full ensemble chamber music performances (minimum 70 min. of music each) featuring a variety of chamber music showing programmatic & stylistic depth & breadth. Each performance must include at least two complete works, and both performances must include written and/or spoken program notes.
One performance must include at least one world premiere or alternative approved by the Chair of Chamber Music
One performance must include at least one significant collaborative work (minimum 15 min.) with a medium outside the ensemble’s focus (e.g. dance, theatre, PAT, visual art, etc.) approved by the Chair of Chamber Music

Silent Advisor

Degree requirements and term-by-term layout for current students.

Faculty


Andrew Bishop

Chair of Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation and Professor of Music
Department Chair

Mark Kirschenmann

Lecturer of Jazz & Contemporary Improvisation and Lecturer in the Residential College

Ellen Rowe

Chair of Conducting and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Music

Performance Opportunities

The thriving chamber music scene at SMTD offers students nearly limitless options to perform, innovate, and collaborate in small, self-driven, and diverse ensembles.

  • Small ensembles from the traditional to the new.
  • Mixed ensembles including any combination of strings, winds, piano, percussion, and voice
    ensembles studying different styles: roots music, improvisation, commissions, and more.
  • Chamber Arts Ensemble, an advanced course providing a nose-to-tail experience of putting on mixed media events.

Competition Opportunities

Launched in 2014, with guest judges selecting winners from groups representing the breadth of SMTD’s chamber music offerings, the Briggs Competition is open to any instrumentation/voice types in unconducted groups of 3-10 members. Every member of an entering group must be enrolled at the University of Michigan in the winter semester of the competition.

Questions?