DMA Conducting

Degree Type

Doctorate

Formats

In-Person

Location

On-Campus

The Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Conducting at BU School of Music combines rigorous study of choral and orchestral conducting techniques and literature with related work in performance, music theory, and musicology in a vibrant and intimate setting, all within a major research university. DMA candidates will join a diverse community of scholar-performers led by a renowned faculty. In addition, the rich intellectual and artistic environment of Boston provides many further opportunities for amateur and professional collaborations.

Request more info

Curriculum requirements for the DMA in Conducting program can be found on the Academic Bulletin.

Program of Study

ORCHESTRAL CONDUCTING

Orchestral conductors study their principal area throughout their residency and concurrently, for a portion of their residency, study choral conducting. Similarly, choral conductors study orchestral conducting as part of their curriculum. As part of their formal training, orchestral conductors work in rehearsal and performance with the School of Music orchestras, and choral conductors work with the choral ensembles. Boston’s deep and thriving musical environment also offers energetic and creative students many possibilities for extra-curricular involvement both with amateur and with professional musical organizations.

There are two to six graduate conducting students in residence at a time, optimizing podium time within the ensembles. Orchestral Conducting students who come to study at Boston University typically enter the program with highly developed, experienced musical and conducting backgrounds, and they are fully on the level with the most mature and advanced of the school’s instrumentalists. They will receive both individual instruction and group instruction, where they participate actively in each other’s learning processes.

CHORAL CONDUCTING

The choral literature surveys at both the master’s and doctoral levels are significant to the Choral Conducting curriculum. With the graduate conducting seminars, these repertoire surveys offer in-depth and thorough examination of style, sources, and performance practice and application, fully complementary to the academic offerings and requirements of graduate study in choral conducting.

There are two to six graduate students in residence who provide leadership within the School of Music choral ensembles. Conducting students who come to study at Boston University typically enter the program with highly developed, experienced musical and conducting backgrounds, and they are fully on the level with the most mature and advanced of the school’s instrumentalists. They will receive both individual attention and group instruction, where they participate actively in each other’s learning processes.

BU music students performing at Symphony Hall, Boston

Opportunities

Because the School of Music Conducting enrollment is intentionally small, students enjoy close contact with their mentors, colleagues, other musicians and composers, and conducting opportunities of an informal nature present themselves with some frequency. Both Orchestral and Choral graduate conducting students also have a history of involving themselves in the large, active professional and amateur Boston musical communities beyond the School of Music, numbers of them having become assistant conductors for some of these organizations. In addition, quite a few have formed their own choral ensembles, chamber ensembles, new music ensembles and orchestras, some of which have thrived beyond the conductor’s study at BU and continue to contribute to the wealth of musical activity in Boston.

Graduate conductors work closely with the School of Music orchestral or choral ensembles. The orchestral conductors appear with the Boston University Symphony Orchestra and/or Chamber Orchestra, both leading performances and serving as active assistant conductors to the ensembles’ conductors. When appropriate to the needs of the ensembles and the skills of the graduate conductor, students also lead sectional rehearsals on the repertoire under preparation.

Learn & Apply

Likewise, the choral conductors serve on a rotating basis as assistant conductors with the Boston University Symphonic Chorus and the Boston University Singers, leading performances and sectionals as need arises, and as skills and experience permit. Conducting Fellowships are also available at Marsh Chapel for graduate students in choral conducting.

Featured Faculty

Notable Alumni and Principal Positions

David Arrivée, MM

California Polytechnic State University, Associate Professor; Cal Poly Symphony, Director

Zachary Bruno, DMA

Skyline College (CA), Associate Professor; Director of Orchestras and Bands

Tiffany Chang, DMA

New England Repertory Orchestra, Founder and Music Director; Berklee School of Music, Conducting Faculty

Michalis Economu, MM (Conducting), DMA (Composition)

Athens Municipality Symphony Orchestra, Chief Conductor; Athens Technical University Music Department, Chairman and Artistic Director; Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Past Music Director

Neal Hampton, MM

Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra, Music Director

Jin Kim, AD

Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MA), Music Director

Geneviève Leclair, DMA

Boston Ballet Orchestra, Assistant Conductor; Parkway Concert Orchestra (Boston), Music Director

Eric Lindholm, MM

Pomona College Orchestra, Conductor; Pomona College, Professor

Daniel Meyer, MM

Asheville (NC) Symphony, Music Director; Erie (PA) Philharmonic, Music Director; Pittsburgh Symphony, Former Resident Conductor; Pittsburgh Youth Symphony, Former Music Director

Francisco Noya, MM

Berklee College of Music, Assistant Professor; Conducting Faculty; Rhode Island Philharmonic, Resident Conductor

Samuel Pascoe, DMA

Coro pro Musica (Mexico City), Music Director; Academia de Mexico Orchestra, Conductor; National Autonomous University of Mexico Chamber Orchestra, Conductor

Kostis Protopapas, MM

Tulsa Opera, Artistic Director

Lan Shui, MM, AD

Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Music Director; Copenhagen Symphony Orchestra, Chief Conductor; Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Former Associate Conductor; Baltimore Symphony, Former Conducting Affiliate

Lidiya Yankovskaya

Chicago Opera Theater Music Director

Jenny Bent, BM, MM

Sonoma State University (Rohnert Park, CA), Director of Choral Activities

Martín Benvenuto, DMA

Peninsula Women’s Chorus (Bay Area, CA), Artistic Director; WomenSing (Bay Area, CA)

Jason Bishop, MM

Drew University, Director of Choral and Vocal Studies, Assistant Professor
The Greater South Jersey Chorus, Artistic Director

Sean Burton, MM

Brian Cliff University (Sioux City), Director of Choral Activities, Associate Professor; Siouxland Choral Artists, Founding Artistic Director and Conductor; National Collegiate Choral Organization, Chief Editor of Publications

Andrew Clark, DMA

Harvard University, Director of Choral Activities

Drew Collins, MM

Connecticut State University, Director of Choral Activities; Central Connecticut State University (New Britain), Director of Choral Activities

Eric Esparza, DMA

DePaul University, Director of Choral Activities

Miguel Felipe, MM, DMA

University of Arizona, Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Music; Lutheran Church of Honolulu, Director of Music and Liturgy

Katherine FitzGibbon, DMA

Lewis and Clark College (Portland, OR), Director of Choral Activities, Assistant Professor; Resonance Ensemble (Portland, OR), Artistic Director

Matthew Garrett, MM

Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland), Director of Choirs, Assistant Professor

Jamie Hillman, DMA

Gordon College (MA), Assistant Professor of Music

Scott Allen Jarrett, MM, DMA

Music at Marsh Chapel (Boston University), Director of Music; Back Bay Chorale (Boston), Music Director; Charlotte (NC) Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Conductor, Director of Choruses

Stephen Kingsbury, MM

Southwest Minnesota State University (Marshall), Director of Choral Activities, Assistant Professor; Kol Arev (Boston), Music Director; Hebrew College School of Music, Faculty; New England Conservatory, Former Director of Choruses

Michael McGaghie, MM, DMA

Macalester College (St. Paul), Director of Choral Activities, Assistant Professor

Ryan Murphy, DMA

Mormon Tabernacle Choir (Salt Lake City), Associate Music Director

Joshua Nannestad, DMA

Southeastern Oklahoma University, Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education

Christine Noel, MM, DMA

Providence (RI) Singers, Artistic Director; Rhode Island Children’s Chorus (Providence), Founder and Artistic Director

Anthony Trecek-King, DMA

Associate Professor of Choral Music, Director of Choral Activities at Hartt School, University of Hartford; Boston Children’s Chorus, Artistic Director

Timothy Westerhaus, MM, DMA

Gonzaga University (Spokane), Director of Choral Activities

Beth Willer, MM, DMA

Lorelei Ensemble (Boston), Founder and Artistic Director; Radcliffe Choral Society, Harvard University, Resident Conductor

Katie Woolf, MM

Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts, Director of Choral and Vocal Music

Nathan Zullinger, MM, DMA

Haverford College, Assistant Professor and Director of the Choral and Vocal Program; North Carolina School of the Arts, Faculty; University of Rhode Island, Faculty

Next Steps for Applicants

The best way to determine if BU is right for you is to explore our admission requirements, financial tools, and resources to determine if the program is the right match.

Reach out to Graduate Admissions at visitSOM@bu.edu with any questions along the way or to request information. We are happy to discuss your educational interests and career goals.