Undergraduate Program
Composing is the act of creating original music. It draws upon both intuitive and intellectual talents, challenging the student to write music of value to composers, performers and audiences.
The purpose of the undergraduate degree program in composition is to provide a structured course of study that will lay a foundation for possible graduate work in this field. Career opportunities as a professional composer often require studies beyond the bachelor's degree. The Bachelor of Music in composition takes four years to complete and courses include instruction in the following areas, among other electives and university requirements:
- Private instruction in Composition
- Theory and Musicianship
- Music History
- Ethnomusicology
- Orchestration
- Counterpoint
- Composition Labs and Symposia
- Electronic Music
- Music Business
From the outset, students at CCM study with major teachers of their choice and are encouraged to study with multiple teachers during the course of their degree. Extensive work is done in CCM’s computer music studios. Interaction with student performers under professors’ guidance is offered in workshop courses. Multidisciplinary courses are occasionally team-taught by composition faculty and faculty in other disciplines (dance, visual art, etc.).
Composers of national and international renown visit CCM to teach, lecture and meet informally with students to discuss their own work and that of other composers. These visits sometimes coincide with performances of the composer's work by CCM ensembles or other ensembles in the greater Cincinnati area such as the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Visits by guest composers add a valuable element to CCM's commitment to the creation, performance and recognition of new music. Guests have included such distinguished composers as John Adams, Timo Andres, Christopher Cerrone, Gabriela Lena Frank, Jennifer Higdon, Nathalie Joachim, Missy Mazolli, Andrew Norman, Iris de Schiphorst, Carl Vine, Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, and many others.
The successful composer brings talent, creative imagination, competency, theoretical and historical knowledge, desire and determination to achieve goals. Ability to work both alone and collaboratively is important. The university setting offers a myriad of educational opportunities in acoustic and electronic realms, as well as opportunities to interact with similarly talented students.