Music composition

A man wearing an "Oregon Drummer" sweatshirt writes music while wearing headphones.

Undergraduate degree: BMus in music composition
Undergraduate minor in music

About the Major

At the core of Oregon鈥檚 composition program is a thriving artistic community of forty to forty-five undergraduate, master鈥檚, and doctoral composers. Our comprehensive approach integrates compositional studies with theory, history, ethnomusicology, intermedia technology, contemporary performance practice, multimedia collaboration, and an intensive career development seminar. Our diverse yet focused curriculum prepares each student for a future as a professional composer.

Many of our students are accomplished instrumentalists, vocalists, and/or conductors, and as part of our program, they continually perform their own music and the works of their colleagues. Opportunities abound for the performance of new music through the Oregon Composers Forum, Music Today Festival, Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium, Composing for Orchestra Seminar, and Pacific Rim Gamelan, as well as any of our five student-run new music ensembles.

More Info

  • Join a thriving artistic community of 40 to 45 undergraduate, masters, and doctoral composers.
  • Many of our students are accomplished instrumentalists, vocalists, and/or conductors, and as part of our program, they continually perform their own music and the works of their colleagues.
  • Opportunities abound for the performance of new music through the Oregon Composers Forum, Music Today Festival, Composing for Orchestra Seminar, and Pacific Rim Gamelan, as well as any of our five student-run new music ensembles.