About the Program

The music program at Stanford connects innovative scholarly research with music-making. It is a diverse, welcoming community where creative performance meets academic exploration in fields ranging from music history and composition to cognitive science and computer-based technologies. Designed to serve a broad campus constituency, the department offers a variety of concerts, lectures, and workshops throughout the year. Whether you are looking to deeply develop your musical talents or connect your passion for music with other academic disciplines, you will find a collaborative home in which to develop your skills and understanding.

What You'll Study

Your musical journey at Stanford will combine a broad foundation of shared experiences with the flexibility to dive deeply into your areas of personal interest. You will find:

• A Balanced Foundation: You will build essential tools in theory, performance, history, cultural contextualization, technology, and science to form your core musical literacy.

• Diverse Subplans: You can tailor your studies by choosing from a one of a variety of subplan options, including Composition; Conducting; Music, Science, and Technology; Musicology and Ethnomusicology, as well as various Performance concentrations; Theory; or a Self-designed concentration.

• Ensembles and Performance: You can participate in a diverse array of musical groups and performance opportunities, including orchestras, jazz and chamber ensembles, taiko, guzheng, steelpan, and choral groups.

• Cutting-Edge Innovation: Explore the intersection of music, technology, and science through the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics alongside students and scholars from multiple disciplines.