Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition
Designed for students seeking to develop into a highly-qualified professional composer, through intensive study with major artist-teachers, this program is a rigorous three-year course of study that offers an exceptional musical education (technique, score study, diversity of programming, rigor in the depth and breadth of repertoire), encourages collaborations, and emphasizes personal and musical growth. Composition students will create many opportunities to work with performers, conductors and ensembles of varying size and repertoire focus, and develop new uses of music technology. The DMA culminates with the composition of an original large-scale dissertation.
Curriculum
The awarding of the doctoral degree is based upon demonstrable skill and proficiency in the major and cognate fields, not upon completion of a specified number of credit hours. Many variations on the usual pattern of elections will be acceptable, especially in those cases in which the student pursues independent study or works on special projects or research. After consultation with the advisor, the student should undertake various course elections that will help them to prepare for the general preliminary examinations.
Final Project:
The dissertation in Composition will consist of a score of major proportions in which the candidate finds ample opportunity to demonstrate strength of imagination and maturity of craft and musical language. The composition may be for an ensemble other than symphony orchestra, provided that the candidate has previously submitted scores that convince the Composition Department of their secure command of the orchestral medium. The writing of the student’s dissertation composition will be supervised by their dissertation committee.
Silent Advisor
Degree requirements and term-by-term layout for current students.
Faculty
Evan Chambers
Michael Daugherty
Roshanne Etezady
Kristin Kuster
Erik Santos
Bright Sheng
Performance Opportunities
There is a vibrant culture of collaboration between performers and composers at SMTD. Student composers receive premieres of their works at a variety of venues, including 5-6 Student Composer Concerts per year, and concerts by U-M ensembles. Competitions for new choral music and instrumental works are featured each year. Our performance studios actively commission new works for their degree recitals, and the Chamber Music department offers an annual award for the best performance of an SMTD composer’s work. Composition students also regularly collaborate with filmmakers, dancer/choreographers, and are actively involved in directing music for stage productions, a cappella groups, and musical theatre performers. Each term, the William Bolcom Residency in Composition hosts renowned guest artists who come to campus to interact with students and faculty through lessons, workshops, meals, lectures, and performances. Funding for student performance projects is available from SMTD's EXCEL grant programs, as well as through the Rackham Graduate School for MA and DMA students.
New Music Concerts
Student composers often take the spotlight with their compositions performed at the annual New Music Concerts by the University Orchestras.
