Composition at CUA
Frequently-Asked Questions
Q: How do I apply to CUA?
A: You may apply online for both the undergraduate and graduate programs at the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music.
You can begin the process by clicking here (undergraduate) or here (graduate) and following the prompts from there.
Q: Is an audition required?
A: YES for all students, if you wish to be considered for a music scholarship (more about these in a moment). All undergraduate applicants are required to pass an audition in a principal instrument or voice. MM and DMA Composition applicants are not required to audition, although an audition is strongly encouraged (see the financial considerations below). ALL Composition applicants, whether or not they audition, are required to submit a representative portfolio of compositions for review by the Composition faculty. For more information on assembling an effective portfolio, please click here.
Q: How do I schedule an audition?
A: Please email Ms. Dena Kolb in the School of Music office, or call him at (202) 319-5414 to schedule an audition.
Q: What are my possibilities for financial aid?
A: All applicants are eligible for music scholarships by auditioning on an orchestral instrument. Through the university at large, graduate students are eligible to be recommended for academic scholarships (ranging from half to full tuition) based solely upon one criterion: GRE scores. Click here to learn more about CUA financial aid.
So, if you are a graduate applicant, in order to put yourself in the best possible position for financial aid from both the School of Music and the university, you should plan to take the GRE, even though the test is not technically required by CUA.
Also, if you are a vocalist or instrumentalist, you should plan to audition - again, even though instrumental/vocal auditions are not currently required of DMA or MM Composition applicants. Performance scholarships are given in return for some service given to the School of Music: for example, playing in the orchestra or, if you are a pianist, accompanying or chamber music duties.
To receive audition information and the 2005-06 audition dates, please email
Ms. Dena Kolb or phone her at (202) 319-5414.
Q: I am a graduate applicant interested in teaching assistantships. What possibilities exist at CUA?
A: Teaching is often available to our graduate students as sections and courses are available: graduate students are paid a stipend for teaching duties. However, this is generally done on a case-by-case basis, and assistantships as such are not presently part of the School of Music's financial aid structure. As a rule, many of our graduate students do obtain significant teaching experience during their time in the School of Music. Auditions for graduate student teachers in theory are held each semester by the Theory-Composition division. Also, students who are interested in teaching theory should plan to enroll in MUS 713, Pedagogy of Theory, offered every second year.
Q: I am interested primarily in electronic composition. Is CUA a good fit for me?
A: Yes. The Composition program at the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music has, in recent years, focused on acoustic composition and the composition of theatrical/stage music. However, a new electronic studio was established in the School of Music in summer 2008, and we are gradually expanding our software and hardware with an eye toward developing a fully-fledged electronic music program.
Dr. Stephen Gorbos has been placed in charge of expanding the resources of the electronic studio. The most recent division recital, in April 2009, featured electronic music composed in the studio by student composers, who worked with Dr. Gorbos to create their pieces.
We also have a CAI lab in the School of Music building (with Finale notation software), and our student composers are increasingly developing an interest in working with visual media. In spring 2009,
Dr. Andrew Simpson taught a course on "Composing for Silent Film," in which student composers created new scores to be performed with film. As a composer of music for silent film, as well as a film pianist and organist, Dr. Simpson is interested in continuing to explore connections between music and film.
While our electronic capacities are newly established, they are growing, and we envision incorporating coursework in electronic composition in the new 2-3 years.
Q: What performance possibilities exist at CUA?
A: CUA student composers enjoy the benefit of many performance possibilities. Each fall, the School of Music commissions a student composer (usually a graduate student; every fifth year the commission goes to a faculty member) to compose a choral-orchestral fanfare to open its annual televised Christmas Concert in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, located on the CUA campus. Additionally, the CUA Contemporary Music Ensemble, formed on an ad hoc basis, performs 2-4 concerts per year. Each semester, the CUA Symphony Orchestra and Chorus give readings of student works, which are recorded. Additionally, a student-run organization, the Cardinal Composer's Society, gives two concerts per year of works by CUA students and faculty, and the Composition Division presents at least one recital each semester in the School of Music's Ward Recital Hall, an intimate 120-seat chamber music venue.
Over the past four years, the School of Music has engaged in intriguing group commissions, involving new music by students, alumni, and faculty, as part of its annual President's Festival of the Arts.
The commissions are:
2005 "Songs of the Forgotten War" (19 one-minute scores for chamber ensemble and voices, inspired by each of the 19 soldier statues at Washington's Korean War Memorial)
2006 "New Old American Songs" (10 three-minute scores for chorus and chamber orchestra, based on American folk songs, in homage to Copland's "Old American Songs")
Additionally, CUA composers benefit from the Washington, DC area's network of new music organizations: such ensembles as the 21st Century Consort, Contemporary Music Forum, and Washington Music Viva have performed works by CUA students and alumni, and many CUA composers are active in the Washington DC metro area as performers, arts administrators, and conductors.
Q: What kind of music is being written and performed at CUA? Is there a particular "style" which is favored by the division, or an expectation of writing in a given way?
A: To answer the second question first, the short answer is "No." The most important thing at CUA is to make sure that whatever style in which students choose to compose, their works have as much structural and formal coherence and expressive range as possible. Although undergraduate students are often encouraged to widen their stylistic boundaries as they learn new and (to many) unfamiliar repertoire, the emphasis lies principally upon technique and expression, regardless of the style of the music.
To answer the first question, our composers write in a great variety of styles, and cover a broad spectrum of musical interest and practice. To hear some examples of music being produced by CUA students, faculty, and alumni, please visit our
New Music from CUA page to hear streaming audio examples of CUA composers' music. This catalogue of CUA composers' music is being continually updated, and as many inclusions as possible are encouraged.
Q: Who are some CUA alumni, and where are they now?
A: CUA has produced many fine composers who enjoy successful careers as composers and musicians.
Here is a partial list of notable CUA alumni composers: for more alumni and information, please click
here.
Q: What graduate programs do recent BM graduates attend?
A: Recent BM graduates are currently in, or have recently graduated from, graduate composition programs at the Peabody Conservatory, Boston University, and New York University.
Q: What are students currently enrolled in the Composition program at CUA doing?
A: Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, and are involved in a wide range of activities. Please click
here to view selected student profiles.
