About the Composition Department
Peabody provides expert guidance and rigorous professional training to young composers in a congenial and supportive atmosphere. Faculty members are internationally recognized composers whose works are performed in venues throughout the world. Students from Peabody are regularly awarded major composition prizes and fellowships, and alumni have gone on to teaching positions in leading conservatories, colleges, and universities, both domestically and abroad. At Peabody, we feel that the student can benefit best from an environment in which he or she is encouraged to discover a voice which is unique and personal, unencumbered by pressures to tend toward one style or another.
Composition majors pursue their studies in private weekly lessons with their individual teachers, supplemented by departmental seminars which include presentations by distinguished visiting composers, new music ensembles, and soloists. In addition to the regularly scheduled opportunities within the conservatory, recent opportunities provided students include a reading session of student orchestral works with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under Music Director Marin Alsop, performances of student works by leading new music soloists and ensembles, and collaborations between Peabody students and other major institutions, including most recently the Walters Art Gallery.
Each year there are a number of readings of student orchestral works by the conservatory’s top orchestra, the Peabody Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, there are annual readings with the conservatory’s wind ensemble and chorus. Another remarkable opportunity which happens every two years, is the selection of a number of students to write opera scenes. These scenes are then rehearsed and performed under the guidance of Peabody’s internationally recognized opera director, Roger Brunyate. Recitals of student chamber works are scheduled regularly by the Composition Department throughout the year. All recitals and readings are professionally recorded by the Peabody Recording Studios.
Peabody has in place a Distinguished Composer-in-Residence program, in which a leading composer comes to the institute to give regular masterclasses throughout the year. The current holder of this position is Christopher Rouse. The city of Baltimore boasts an ever-growing and diverse new music scene, and the faculty encourages interaction between Peabody students and the music community at large. In addition to the hundreds of concerts at Peabody which composition majors have access to, the Peabody owns an extensive library of music both new and old, and students are encouraged to take advantage of this with regularity. For young composers who wish to learn by hearing their works performed and applying that immediate feedback for future growth, Peabody offers excellent opportunities.
[ Back to top ]How to apply
Due to the very high number of applicants and the small number of places offered for admission each year, gaining a place as a composition major at Peabody is not easy. Like all students auditioning at Peabody, applicants will be required to take examinations in music theory and ear training. Applicants to the department of composition will be expected to do well in these areas, at a level commensurate with the degree program sought. Below are other generalized core expectations for the degree programs in composition at Peabody:
B.M. Auditioning prospective B.M. students should be fully conversant in the reading and writing of music. B.M. candidates are expected to demonstrate some knowledge of 20th Century music, including post-war music (music written since 1945). Scores consisting of a variety of instrumentations are strongly encouraged. For B.M. candidates however, an orchestral score is not required. Three scores – but no more than three – should be submitted. All recordings should be contained on a single CD, with the names of the compositions indicated clearly on the CD. Acoustic performances are strongly encouraged but not required. MIDI performances are acceptable. Instrumental proficiency (the applicant's ability to play an instrument) is not required, but strongly encouraged.
M.M. Auditioning prospective M.M. students are expected to demonstrate a solid overview of contemporary music, including post-war music (music written since 1945). Three scores – but no more than three – should be submitted. Scores consisting of a variety of instrumentations are required. At least one work should be for large ensemble (at least 10 players). All recordings should be contained on a single CD, with the names of the compositions indicated clearly on the CD. At least one of the submitted scores must be represented on the CD by an acoustic (non-MIDI) recording. Instrumental proficiency is not required, but strongly encouraged.
D.M.A. Auditioning prospective D.M.A. students are expected to demonstrate their ability to be conversant in all aspects of contemporary music through the present-day. Three scores – but no more than three – should be submitted. Scores consisting of a variety of instrumentations are required. At least one work must be composed for orchestra. All recordings should be contained on a single CD, with the names of the compositions indicated clearly on the CD. At least two of the submitted scores must be represented on the CD by acoustic (non-MIDI) recordings. Instrumental proficiency is not required, but strongly encouraged.
Peabody’s Admissions Office has prepared PDF files with detailed instructions for applying to the B.M., M.M., and D.M.A. degree programs. Your application will include the following items:
- Online application form and supplemental form
- Three letters of recommendation
- Portfolio
- Works list
- Transcripts
- Personal essay (B.M. only)
- Four copies of an essay on a musical topic of your choice (D.M.A. only)
All application materials must be received by December 1, 2011. The deadline for applying for financial aid is February 1, 2012. Decision results will be mailed on April 1, 2012.
Please direct any questions about the application process or application requirements to the Admissions Office at (800) 368–2521 (toll-free) or (410) 234–4848 (local).
[ Back to top ]Frequently asked questions
Is there a predominant compositional style among faculty and students at Peabody?
There is no “Peabody style” of composing. Both faculty and students write in a variety of styles, genres, and media. The stated goal of our faculty is to help you identify and realize your compositional goals.
How difficult is it to have one’s music played at Peabody?
Not difficult. Student works are heard in a variety of settings. There are six departmental recitals offered each year. Composition students recruit their own performers, who are paid by the department for their time. There are also five large ensemble readings a year — three by the Peabody Symphony Orchestra and one each by the Peabody Wind Ensemble and Peabody Singers. Student works on these readings are selected competitively by the composition faculty.
There are numerous other performance opportunities for student composers. Composers may present individual recitals, student-led ensembles often perform student works. There are also several programs offered periodically that connect student composers and performers, for example the 24-hour Concert, Opera Études, and New Chamber Music.
What should I submit in my application portfolio?
The application portfolio allows our faculty members during the prescreening and interviewing process to evaluate examples of music you have written, and you should therefore submit works that you feel represent your best work. See the above requirements for each degree. Do not submit original scores. They will not be returned to you.
What classes will I be required to take?
The curriculum for all degree programs is stated in Peabody’s academic catalog. Current curricula for the B.M. degree is found on pages 52–53, for the M.M degree on page 88, and for the D.M.A. degree on page 103. Course descriptions may be found on pages 123–160
Can I study computer music as a student at Peabody?
Computer music study is incorporated into the B.M. and M.M. degree. All undergraduate students and only graduate students without prior documented computer music study must take Introduction to Computer Music. Students may also elect to take advanced courses offered by the Computer Music Department.
If you are primarily interested in writing computer music, you may wish to apply instead to the computer music composition degree, offered by the Computer Music Department at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Where can I learn more about the Composition Department?
Our department handbook presents detailed information on the opportunities offered by the Composition Department. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to peruse this handbook. Applicants to the D.M.A. program are also encouraged to peruse the Office of Academic Affairs’s D.M.A. Guidelines, which outline the academic requirements and procedures for doctoral programs at Peabody.
Whom should I contact with further questions?
Michael Rickelton, the department’s current graduate assistant, is available to answer any further questions you may have. He may be reached by e-mail at mrickel1@jhmi.edu.
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