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Program of Study

Piano

The Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance, piano, is a degree often in preparation for a university teaching position. Students will need to expand their general knowledge of music as a whole, not just piano-specific studies, and prepare for the ability to lead classes and conduct research. There are two tracks offered: dissertation and recital. The program focuses on professional preparation for students.  Seminars cover topics including job applications, CVs, promotional material, websites, and interviewing, all in support of students as they transition to the job market.  

In keeping with its long history of world class instruction, the piano department offers students the opportunity to participate in master classes, competitions, seminars, and studio classes. Our graduate students hail from the best universities and conservatories around the world. With 160 pianos and 119 state-of-the-art practice rooms, BU School of Music is your laboratory to learn repertoire, build technique, and experiment musically. Fortify ideas and test yourself through our ample performance opportunities in both formal and informal settings. In addition, theory, musicology, and chamber music are all requirements of the program.

Students work closely with internationally-recognized faculty-artists who guide pianistic development. In addition to events on and around campus, the artist-faculty is extremely active with summer festivals, including Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Szechuan International Piano Festival, and the San Juan International Piano Festival. BU students have long participated in those summer festivals, as well as others facilitated by BU faculty in Russia, Luxembourg, Belgium, Italy, and China.

We offer and recommend our highly innovative piano pedagogy courses. Upon completion of two of these courses, students have an opportunity to be selected for practical experience teaching students at BU. In addition, several BU piano students have performed and gained coached teaching experience at Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI). BUTI is associated with the Tanglewood Music Festival in the lovely Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts. The Young Artists Piano Program takes place for 6 weeks each summer.

Learn more about the Performance DMA in PIANO

Collaborative Piano

Collaborative piano offers two graduate degrees: Master of Music in Performance, piano and Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance, piano. At Boston University, collaborative pianists explore and study not only piano technique and accompaniment skill, but also foreign languages, literature, poetry, music theory, and musicology. Daily interaction with world-renowned faculty encourages growth as complete and versatile artists, and pianists graduate with diverse skills necessary for embracing the rapidly changing classical musical landscape.

In the College of Fine Arts, collaborative pianists benefit from the experience and knowledge of world-renowned teachers in the voice,  instrumental, and ensemble departments. Collaborative pianists work in instrumental and vocal teaching studios throughout the School of Music. At BU and throughout the city of Boston, they enjoy varied performance opportunities with vocalists and instrumentalists, in duo partnerships and chamber ensembles.  

With 1:1 instruction, doctoral students can choose to specialize in primarily instrumental or vocal repertoire, or can study both.

Graduate students benefit from small studio sizes which foster community, enable group projects, and offer frequent opportunity to perform. Students study vocal, instrumental, and ensemble repertoire, and interact with performance faculty in all departments. Rigorous academics combine with rich array of elective specialty courses and high-intensity collaborative partnership assignments. Departmental faculty members possess expertise in realms of art song, chamber music, opera, instrumental sonata repertoire. Elective study in organ, harpsichord, and continuo is encouraged.

Collaborative pianists perform in all University venues including College of Fine Arts Concert Hall, Tsai Performance Center, CFA’s Marshall Room, and all performance instruments are Steinway pianos.

Through Graduate Assistantships, collaborative pianists are paired with instrumentalists and vocalists in duo partnerships, and are assigned to support courses in vocal diction, song literature, oratorio, and duo sonata repertoire. 

Learn more about the Performance DMA in Collaborative PIANO

Notable Alumni