Bachelor of Musical Arts in Performance, Strings
Application Deadline for Fall 2025 - December 1, 2024
Designed for students who want the flexibility to pursue more coursework within the liberal arts in addition to an education in music. This is an interdisciplinary degree with a larger commitment to liberal arts.
Curriculum
The Bachelor of Musical Arts in Performance: Strings requires a minimum of 120 credits: coursework is approximately 50% within SMTD and 50% within the liberal arts. The liberal arts coursework can be tailored to a student’s specific interests. Students will elect either a performance or multidisciplinary track. SMTD coursework to include:
Performance Track
- Private lessons
- Music Theory
- Musicology
- Ensemble participation: at least two terms of band, orchestra, or choir; two additional terms of any ensemble
- Piano
Multidisciplinary Track
- Private lessons
- Music Theory
- Musicology
- Ensemble participation: four terms of at least two different ensembles
- Piano
Performing Arts Technology
Silent Advisor
Degree requirements and term-by-term layout for current students.
Faculty
Richard Aaron
Danielle Belen
Aaron Berofsky
Eric Chin
Caroline Coade
Christian Colberg
Amir Eldan
David Halen
Joan Holland
Fabiola Kim
Pei-Ling Lin
Joseph Maile
Jeremiah Shaw
Nicholas Walker
Performance Opportunities
From large ensembles in celebrated concert halls to chamber groups in intimate recital spaces, performance opportunities across all disciplines abound, with nearly 900 student performances each academic year. Whether your focus is on early, classical, or contemporary music, whether your passion is for jazz, electronic, or world music, there is an ensemble—or in many cases, multiple ensembles—to suit your interests, including specific opportunities for percussion, piano, and organ & carillon. For students in theatre & drama, musical theatre, dance, and opera, opportunities abound in both professionally produced and student-run presentations.
Organ Performance
Students perform and study with their peers in studio classes and perform for the public in solo student recitals and studio recitals. In addition, the Organ Department organizes several recitals each term in local churches in the communities surrounding Ann Arbor and Detroit.
Carillon Performance
The University of Michigan has two world-class carillons. Half-hour recitals are given on weekdays throughout the academic year and are open to the public to view. Intermediate and advanced carillon students may perform for the campus regularly on these recitals.
Early Music Ensembles
Students interested in historically oriented performance have opportunities to explore music from across the centuries, performed on authentic period instruments and high-quality replicas.
Ensembles
Organ students have opportunities to perform with the University of Michigan orchestras, bands, and choral ensembles, and can gain extensive experience in continuo playing on organ and harpsichord with the Baroque Chamber Orchestra.