Composition

Composition faculty member reviews a piece of sheet music with a student while sitting at a piano

CCM's composition programs provide students with a knowledge of music both past and present. In addition, students study the various analytical and compositional procedures of music.

CCM's composition programs serve as a resource for all music students, and especially composition majors, enriching the already active musical atmosphere of the college.

Courses cover introductory electronic music, techniques, advanced computer and electroacoustic music composition, music programming, timbre studies, multimedia composition and improvisation.

The CCM Center for Computer Music contains several classroom studios and smaller rooms, working environments for composition, research and performance. The facilities contain 8-channel, 5.1 and stereo audio systems.


Faculty

Headshot of Michael D. Fiday

Michael D. Fiday

Professor of Composition

513-967-6492

Headshot of Ellen R. Harrison

Ellen R. Harrison

Adjunct Associate Professor of Composition; CCM Prep Master Teacher, Theory and Composition

513-556-2595

Headshot of Mara M. Helmuth

Mara M. Helmuth

Professor of Composition

513-556-0807

Headshot of Douglas Knehans

Douglas Knehans

Norman Dinerstein Professor of Composition Scholar

513-556-9401

Headshot of Miguel A. Roig-Francoli

Miguel A. Roig-Francoli

Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music Theory and Composition

513-556-1821


Composition, Musicology and Theory Division Head and Staff

Headshot of Matthew G. Peattie

Matthew G. Peattie

Interim Division Head of Composition, Musicology, and Theory; Associate Professor of Musicology

513-556-6046

Headshot of Darlene Y. Miller

Darlene Y. Miller

Executive Staff Assistant

513-556-6046

CCM's admissions process begins on August 1 (undergraduate) and September 1 (graduate) for entrance in the following year's fall semester. All application materials must be submitted on or before December 1 to be considered for specific scholarship awards. Visit the CCM Admissions website for additional application instructions.

Composition - BM, MM, DMA

Pre-screening

Applicants must submit the required pre-screening materials via getacceptd.com/ccm on or before December 3 in order to be considered for admissions and invited for an audition.

Pre-screening Requirements
  • Portfolio of three original works:
    • Undergraduate applicants: a recording of at least one of the submitted works (live recordings are preferred where possible)
    • Graduate applicants: recordings of at least two of the submitted works (live recordings are preferred where possible)
    • All applicants: documentation of the submitted works should include scores (in the case of works with instruments or voice) or alternate format (in the case of purely electronic music)
  • All applicants should submit a list of works composed
  • For applicants with electronic music experience, please submit a statement listing software used, a description of how it was used, and genres of interest.

Interview

Interviewees will be asked to discuss their background and interests, and demonstrate their musical knowledge.


News and Events

1

CCM apparel now available for purchase online

March 23, 2023

Back by popular demand, official CCM-branded apparel is now available for purchase online! Show your school spirit this spring with official UC College-Conservatory of Music apparel. The CCM Tribunal is sponsoring the college's spring apparel campaign to help raise funds for student initiatives. CCM-branded t-shirts, hoodies and quarter-zip pullovers are available for purchase online now through April 23, 2023.

2

Counseling services now available to CCM students through...

January 18, 2023

CCM students can now access counseling services within the CCM Village thanks to the addition of a CAPS embedded clinician. A member of UC’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) staff, Dalziel Reliford-Stone (she/her/hers) is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with Supervision (LPCC-S) who will serve as an embedded clinician for CCM and DAAP. In this new position, Dalziel hopes to work with students and staff to support a culture that embraces authenticity, self-acceptance and wholeness.

3

CCM shares spring 2023 schedule of major performances and events

November 22, 2022

Audiences are invited to return to the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s (CCM) concert halls and theaters to experience world-class performances and presentations by the next generation of performing and media artists! The college’s spring 2023 schedule of free and ticketed events is now available. Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning on Monday, Nov. 28, through the CCM Box Office.

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