Degrees Offered
- Bachelor of Arts (BA)
- Music
- Music Business and Industry with Areas of Emphasis in:
- Applied Music
- Multi-Instrumental
- Bachelor of Music (BM)
- Music Composition
- Music Education
- Music Therapy
- Performance with Areas of Emphasis in:
- Instrumental
- Piano
- Voice
- Bachelor of Science (BS)
- Music and Health
Background Information
The School of Music has been important to WVU’s cultural and academic life since 1897. The University has been an institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music since 1947. Our active faculty of fifty-five members includes internationally acclaimed artists and scholars who are also distinguished teachers. The School is part of the College of Creative Arts and Media, the center for visual and performing arts at WVU and the state of West Virginia.
Mission
To create an innovative and inclusive musical community that prepares informed, ethical students for meaningful creative lives as performers, educators, composers, conductors, music therapists, entrepreneurs, and scholars.
Vision
The School of Music strives to cultivate a vibrant community of musicians and scholars who engage in research and creative activity in the fields of music performance and improvisation, composition, music-teacher education, theory, musicology, music therapy, technology, and industry. Our rigorous programs and distinguished faculty provide students the opportunity to develop the abilities to become consummate leaders in the musical arts.
Statement of Principles
The West Virginia University School of Music strives to create an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible environment where students, staff, faculty, and administrators can thrive creatively and personally. We seek to cultivate an environment of trust, respect, and accountability that empowers all WVU School of Music community members to contribute their talents and expertise in support of our mission and vision.
Performing Ensembles
One hallmark of the School of Music is its commitment to studying and performing music from many styles and genres. In addition to the major ensembles listed previously, numerous other performing ensembles provide a wide range of opportunities in various musical traditions, styles, and sizes. The student and community performing groups are open to all qualified WVU students by audition. More information about the School of Music ensembles can be found on the School of Music website.
Faculty
Director
- Kelly Burke - D.M.A. (University of Michigan)
Associate Director & Director of Graduate Studies
- Michael Vercelli - D.M.A. (University of Arizona)
Director of World Music Performance Center
Professors
- Cynthia Anderson - M.M. (Manhattan School of Music)
Oboe,Theory - Nina Assimakopoulos - M.M. (Munich Academy of Music)
Flute, Chamber Music - Kelly Burke - D.M.A (University of Michigan)
Clarinet - Keith Jackson - D.M.A. (Arizona State University)
Trombone - Andrew Kohn - Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh)
Double Bass, Theory - Paul Kreider - D.M.A. (University of Arizona)
Voice, Diction, Opera - Mikylah Myers - D.M.A. (University of Houston)
Violin, Chamber Music - Sandra Schwartz - Ph.D. (University of Miami)
Music Education - Darko Velichkovski - M.A. (City University of New York)
Director of Music Industry - Michael Vercelli - D.M.A. (University of Arizona)
Director of World Music Performance Center - George Willis - M.M. (Temple University)
Percussion Studies
Associate Professors
- Mark Benincosa - M.S. (West Virginia University)
Recording Technology - Erin Ellis - D.M.A. (Eastman School of Music)
Cello, Chamber Music, String Pedagogy - Jason Gossett - Ph.D. (The Pennsylvania State University)
Music Education - Andrea Houde - M.M. (Peabody Institute)
Viola, String Pedagogy, Chamber Music - Lucy Mauro - D.M.A. (Peabody Conservatory)
Piano Pedagogy, Class Piano, Piano, Chamber Music - Angela Munroe - Ph.D. (University of Colorado Boulder)
Music Education - Kym Scott - D.M.A. (University of Southern California)
Director of Choral Activities - Scott Tobias - D.M.A. (The University of Georgia)
Director of Bands
Assistant Professors
- Thomas Erik Angerhofer - D.M.A. (University of Colorado Boulder)
Voice - Katelyn Best - Ph.D. (Florida State University)
Ethnomusicology/Musicology - Hakeem Bilal - M.M. (Carnegie Mellon University)
Trombone - Alan Hankers - Ph.D. (Stony Brook University)
Composition - Albert Houde - D.M.A.- ABD (West Virginia University)
Horn - Mary Grace Johnson - D.M.A.- ABD (Rice University)
Violin and Chamber Music - Emily Lambert - Ph.D.- ABD (University of Miami)
Music Therapy - Alton Merrell - Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh)
Jazz/Gospel/Commercial Piano - Jake Sandridge - Ph.D. (Rice University)
Composition and Music Theory - Robert Sears - D.M.A. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Trumpet, Jazz, Chamber Music - Jeffrey Siegfried - D.M.A. (University of Michigan)
Saxophone, Chamber Music - Andy Sledge - D.M.A.- ABD (Yale School of Music)
Bassoon and Music Theory - Joshua Swiger - M.A. (West Virginia University)
Music Industry - Laura Knoop Very - M.M. (Yale University)
Voice - Jennifer Walker - Ph.D. (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill)
Musicology - Rotem Weinberg - D.M.A. (University of Michigan)
Director of Orchestral Activities (Visiting) - Cheldon Williams - D.M.A. (University of Texas at Austin)
Associate Director of Bands
Professors Emeriti
- Peter Amstutz
- John Beall
- James W. Benner
- Thomas S. Brown
- Philip J. Faini
- Mary Ferer
- William Haller
- John Hendricks III
- Leo Horacek, Jr.
- Barton Hudson
- Christine B. Kefferstan
- Hope Koehler
- Gerald Lefkoff
- James E. Miltenberger
- Janet Robbins
- William Skidmore
- Travis Stimeling
- Connie Arau Sturm
- David Taddie
- Robert Thieme
- Virginia Thompson
- Gilbert Trythall
- Molly Weaver
- John Weigand
- Don G. Wilcox
- Christopher Wilkinson
- John Winkler
Lecturers
- Chanler Bailey
Steel Drum Ensemble - Brittany Blair
Harp - Hannah Ivey Bush - M.M. (University of Georgia)
Music Therapy - Timothy DeWitt - D.M.A. (Eastman School of Music)
Music Education - Jonathan Epley
Guitar - Rebecca Kreider - M.M. (Indiana University)
General Education courses - Sun Jung Lee - D.M.A. (West Virginia University)
Accompanying, Piano, Chamber Music - Carson McTeer - B.A. (Rice University)
Tuba, Euphonium, Chamber Music - Adam Osmianski - M.M. (West Virginia University)
General Education courses - Paul Thompson
Jazz Bass, Commercial Music - Brian Wolfe - B.M. (West Virginia University)
Drum Set, Percussion, Jazz, Commercial Music - Renee Wyatt - M.M. (West Virginia University)
Music Education
Associate Professors Emeriti
- David Bess
- Joyce A. Catalfano
- Rose M. Crain
- John E. Crotty
- June D. Swartwout
Admissions - How to Apply
1. Apply to West Virginia University (How to Apply)
2. Audition for the School of Music (Apply Now)
Acceptance into an undergraduate music degree program requires admission to WVU as an undergraduate student and a successful audition and/or interview. The audition and/or interview is a preliminary assessment of a student's potential for success in their intended major.
- BA Music - audition required
- BA Music Business and Industry: Applied Music Emphasis - audition required
- BA Music Business and Industry: Multi-instrumental Emphasis - interview required (no audition)
- BM Composition - audition and portfolio review required
- BM Music Education - audition and interview required
- BM Music Therapy - audition and interview required
- BM Performance - audition required
- BS Music and Health - audition required
Students who cannot attend one of our regularly scheduled audition days should contact the School of Music at:
(304) 293-4532 or Music@mail.wvu.edu.
General Requirements for School of Music Bachelor Degrees
- Completion of Degree Requirements
- First-Year Seminar, Music Convocation, and Recital Attendance Policies
- Major Ensemble Requirement
- Satisfactory Academic Progress
- Satisfactory Performance Progress and Juries
- Additional Performance Proficiencies
- Capstone Requirements
- Course Substitution, Curricular Waivers, or Credit by Examination
Completion of Degree Requirements
- Students are responsible for being aware of and correctly fulfilling all graduation requirements.
- Students should review the curriculum requirements before and after every registration period so that errors or omissions will be detected and corrected immediately.
- Transfer students must establish transfer credit from other institutions as early as possible in their WVU study—preferably during the first semester of residence.
- The degree of Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts, or Bachelor of Science is conferred if students comply with the university's general regulations concerning degrees, satisfy School of Music requirements (including expected proficiency levels), and complete an appropriate curriculum with a minimum overall grade point average of 2.0 (C) or as outlined in the program.
- Music Education majors must attain a 2.75 grade point average for graduation and certification.
First-Year Seminar, Music Convocation, and Concert/Recital/Presentation Attendance Policies
- Entering first-time, first-year students are required to register for First-Year Seminar MUSC 191.
- Full-time undergraduate music majors beyond the first semester are expected to register for Music Convocation MUSC 189.
- Concert, Recital, and/or Presentation Attendance is a required component of First-Year Seminar, Music Convocation, and in many applied studios. Students must and the specified number events each semester until they complete their specific course requirements. This requirement may be adjusted for transfer students.
Major Ensemble Requirement
- If students are scholarship recipients, regardless of major, they may be called upon to render special service (as participants in particular organizations or ensembles, as piano accompanists, etc.) as designated by the School Director.
- Some studios and degree programs have additional ensemble requirements; students should consult with their advisor and applied instructor for further details.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
- Each degree program has a series of academic milestones that must be met for students to complete their graduation requirements in a reasonable amount of time.
- Students who fail to meet one or more milestones will receive a written warning at the end of the relevant semester outlining expectations for future success.
- If it is determined that a student is not making satisfactory academic progress, they may be suspended or removed from the music program.
- Further information regarding academic progress policies can be obtained from their advisor, the school director's office, or the Undergraduate Music Student Handbook.
Satisfactory Performance Progress and Juries
- Music majors and minors must take applied lessons on their principal performance medium each semester until they complete their credit-hour requirement and obtain the proficiency required for their program.
- Progress in music performance is assessed each semester through private lessons and an end-of-semester jury. Jury examinations are performed at the end of each semester, documenting progress toward each student's proficiency requirement.
- If the performance faculty determines that a student is not making satisfactory progress in reaching the proficiency standards of their degree program, the student (copied to their academic advisor) will receive a written warning outlining expectations for future success.
- Students not performing satisfactorily over multiple semesters may be suspended or removed from the music program.
- Jury requirements and proficiency standards for each performance area are documented in the Undergraduate Student Handbook.
Additional Performance Proficiencies
Music Education Majors must demonstrate proficiency in additional instruments and voice as part of their pedagogy and methods courses. Some degree programs may require a higher level of piano proficiency beyond the required courses.
Capstone Requirements
Senior-level capstone courses are required for all degree programs in the School of Music. Students should check with their academic advisor for major-specific capstone courses.
Course Substitutions, Curricular Waivers, or Credit by Examination
Requests for course substitutions, curricular waivers, or credit by examination must be made in writing to the Director of the School of Music. If the Director endorses the request, it will be forwarded to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in the College of Creative Arts and Media for final approval.
Music Scholarships
Faculty make School of Music Scholarship recommendations based on the audition. These talent-based music awards are separate from and in addition to any merit-based or need-based scholarships that the university may offer. Students must complete the School of Music application (including the audition) before March 1 for maximum scholarship consideration. Dates of and details about auditions are available at on the School of Music website.
Students who accept a talent-based music scholarship are expected to:
- Remain a music major in their current or another music program in the School of Music.
- Be a full-time student (registered for at least twelve credits).
- Maintain a 3.0 grade point average in School of Music courses and a 2.75 cumulative grade point average.
- Maintain academic progress to a degree per written policies.
If students are scholarship recipients, regardless of major, they may be called upon to render special service (as participants in particular organizations or ensembles, as piano accompanists, etc.) as designated by the School Director.