MUSIC THEORY & COMPOSITION
With equal emphasis on research, pedagogy and creativity, our music theory and composition faculty educate the next generation of scholars, teachers and composers. Students work closely with faculty and visiting guest artists to hone their skills.
The Programs
Music Theory
Our music theory students have the opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary coursework and make connections across campus, such as with musicology and ethnomusicology in the School of Music and with the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies in our building. They may also partner with American studies, cognitive science, linguistics, philosophy, psychology and other fields across campus.
Essential theory coursework includes the readings course Critical Concepts in Musical Theory, plus Schenkerian analysis, post-tonal music analysis and music theory pedagogy. Seminars in regular rotation include Introduction to Choreomusical Analysis, Musical Movement and Musical Analysis, and Theory in Analysis (theory and philosophy of music analysis); seminars in the 18th century String Quartet, Early Modernism, and Rhythm and Meter.
Our graduate student teaching assistantships give students the chance to work with music majors and non-music majors in lecture settings, aural skills labs and with music technology.
Composition
Our composition students participate in annual opportunities for composition readings by major artists. Recent years have brought readings by Ensemble dal Niente, Invoke, JACK String Quartet, St. Laurence String Quartet, Spektral String Quartet, Telegraph Quartet and yMusic. Our biennial in-house Walsum Composition Competition has featured a wide range of media including chamber choir, Pierrot ensemble, piano trio, string quartet, symphony orchestra and wind orchestra. Both the undergraduate and graduate levels of our orchestration course conclude with readings by our UMD Symphony Orchestra.
Our location in the D.C. and Baltimore metro area provides our students with easy access to a wide range of musical events, including new music, world music and free or modestly-priced concerts at Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, the National Gallery of Art and the Phillips Collection, as well as networking with members of the District New Music Coalition, organized by two alumni of our composition program. This is in addition to the plethora of concerts available here at The Clarice including our School of Music performances and visiting artists brought in through the Artist Partner Programs.
Our graduate students have access to a range of academic offerings, including in music theory, musicology and ethnomusicology. We also offer teaching assistantships that provide opportunities to work to work with music majors and non-music majors in lecture settings, aural skills labs and on music technology.
Music Theory & Composition Division Coordinator
Dora Hanninen
Professor, Music Theory
Division Coordinator, Music Theory & Composition
1110F The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Our Faculty
Thomas DeLio
Professor, Music Theory & Composition
1110C The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
William Evans
Lecturer & Director of the Music Technology Lab, Music Theory & Composition
3145 The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Robert Gibson
Professor, Music Theory & Composition
1110B The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Gretchen Horlacher
Associate Director for Academic Affairs & Undergraduate Studies, School of Music
Associate Professor, Music Theory
Music Theory & Composition
2110D The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Richard Layton
Lecturer, Music Theory
Music Theory & Composition
1110H The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Mark Wilson
Associate Professor, Music Theory & Composition
1110E The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Daniel Zimmerman
Lecturer, Music Theory
Music Theory & Composition
1110H The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park
MD,
20742
Curriculum
B.M. (Music Theory)
| Course | Duration | Credits |
| Lessons | 5 semesters | 10 |
| Large Ensembles | 5 semesters | 5 |
| Class Piano | 2 semesters | 4 |
| Music Theory | 13 courses | 41 |
| Music History | 5 courses | 15 |
| Conducting | 1 course | 2 |
| Music Electives | 1 | |
| General Education | 43 |
B.M. (Composition)
| Course | Duration | Credits |
| Composition Lessons | 8 semesters | 18 |
| Applied Lessons | 4 semesters | 8 |
| Large Ensembles | 8 semesters | 8 |
| Class Piano | 2 semesters | 4 |
| Music Theory | 9 courses | 29 |
| Music History | 4 courses | 12 |
| Conducting | 1 semester | 2 |
| General Education | 40 |
M.A. (Music Theory)
| Course | Duration | Credits |
| Seminars | 4 courses | 12 |
| Theory Electives | 1 course | 3 |
| Introduction to Musicology | 1 course | 3 |
| Music History Electives | 1 course | 3 |
| Electives | 1 course | 3 |
| Thesis Research | 2 semesters | 6 |
M.M. (Composition)
| Course | Duration | Credits |
| Lessons & Project | 4 semesters | 10 |
| Orchestration & Conducting | 1 course | 3 |
| Tonal Analysis | 1 course | 3 |
| Contemporary Analysis | 1 course | 3 |
| Theory Electives | 2 courses | 6 |
| Research Methods | 1 course | 3 |
| Electives | 1 course | 3 |
D.M.A. (Composition)
| Course | Duration | Credits |
| Lessons | 4 semesters | 8 |
| Orchestration & Conducting | 1 course | 3 |
| Contemporary Analysis | 1 course | 3 |
| Theory Electives | 2 courses | 6 |
| Electives | 1 course | 3 |
| Research Methods | 1 course | 3 |
| Pedagogy | 1 course | 3 |
| Dissertation Research | 2 semesters | 12 |
Ph.D. (Music Theory)
| Course | Duration | Credits |
| Seminars | 5 courses | 15 |
| Theory Elective | 1 course | 3 |
| Introduction to Musicology | 1 course | 3 |
| Music History Elective | 1 course | 3 |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Dissertation Research | 2 semesters | 12 |