COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master’s in Music Performance at the University of North Texas is designed to provide students with intensive professional training in a highly competitive and artistically rich environment, preparing them for careers as performers, educators, and ensemble musicians at national and international levels. The Division of Instrumental Studies includes a large and distinguished faculty body, with 34 full-time resident faculty members and 20 adjunct faculty drawn from major professional ensembles such as the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and Dallas Opera, ensuring that students learn directly from active, world-class performers. Faculty members are widely recognized both nationally and internationally and have performed with leading orchestras and opera companies including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Minnesota Opera Orchestra, Dallas Opera Orchestra, and others, bringing a deep level of professional expertise into their teaching and mentorship. The College of Music is one of the most comprehensive in the United States and provides students with opportunities to engage with visiting scholars, guest artists, and specialized lectures that broaden their artistic and academic perspectives. Its location in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex offers exceptional access to professional performance opportunities with organizations such as the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Bach Society, Texas Camerata, and regional symphony orchestras in Irving, Plano, and Richardson, giving students valuable real-world performance experience. Students also benefit from state-of-the-art facilities, including the Murchison Performing Arts Center, which houses the Winspear Performance Hall and the Lyric Theater, both designed with advanced acoustics and supported by large rehearsal spaces that enhance performance preparation. The curriculum includes comprehensive coursework in Western Music History spanning multiple eras, from medieval to contemporary periods, as well as Introduction to Research in Music, ensuring that students develop both historical understanding and scholarly research skills alongside their performance training. Overall, the program fosters artistic excellence, professional readiness, and deep musical understanding, enabling graduates to succeed in a wide range of performance careers and academic roles.