Music
Prepare for a rewarding professional career, no matter what music path you choose.
Why Earn Your BS in Music?
You can pursue roles in the music industry, including performance, composition, radio, recording, publishing and presentation.
Why Major in Music at Adelphi?
- Receive individualized attention and be part of small classes where professors take pride in your successes.
- Learn the skills necessary to launch your career in music from a distinguished faculty of actively engaged educators, performers and composers.
- Take part in regular performances in our world-class Adelphi University Performing Arts Center and interact with acclaimed visiting performing artists.
What Can You do With a Degree in Music?
You can pursue roles in the music industry, including performance, composition, radio, recording, publishing and presentation. With a degree in music education, you can become a K–12 classroom music instructor or private teacher. Or you can be involved in community engagement through music.
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and Adelphi University Professor of Music Paul Moravec working with a student.
Skill building doesn’t stop at graduation. I was fortunate to have the Adelphi network supporting me through school and after. Summer work experience with Adelphi’s Opera Theatre director taught me about the perseverance that’s required in the business. That perseverance eventually led me to a leading part in the hit musical parody Spamilton.
Ani Djirdjirian ’16
BS in Music (Vocal Performance), is the 2019 winner of the Elliot Norton Outstanding Visiting Musical Performance, Actress, Award for her role in Spamilton.
Minor & Concentrations
Music Minor
The minor in music is designed for students who have chosen another field of study as their major, but wish to be more informed about music and become more experienced in high-level music performance.
Concentration in Composition
The Concentration in Composition provides training for young composers in preparation for graduate studies and professional activities outside academia. Students in this concentration have the opportunity to work with our renowned composition faculty as they develop their portfolios. Guest lectures and performances of student compositions by student performers and visiting professional artists supplement the academic curriculum, providing opportunities for student composers to network with their peers and professional musicians.
Concentration in Instrumental Performance
The Concentration in Instrumental Performance allows student instrumentalists the opportunity to work closely with faculty members in the department to develop a deeper understanding of repertoire and technique for their respective instruments, while gaining valuable experience performing with the department’s large and small ensembles.
Concentration in Jazz Studies
The Concentration in Jazz Studies offers musicians an opportunity to obtain the skills and knowledge to advance confidently in the genre as a performer, in additional studies in graduate school, or through work as a conductor or arranger for jazz groups.
Concentration in Music Therapy
The Music Therapy Concentration offers music majors a comprehensive introduction to music therapy as well as a clear path toward acceptance into graduate school programs in the field. Build a strong foundation in musical skills, intercultural understanding and the healing arts as preparation for future study in music therapy.
Concentration in Piano Performance
The Concentration in Piano Performance offers pianists an opportunity to obtain the skills and knowledge necessary to move forward in the field, whether in graduate school, as a piano instuctor, or in other professional activities, such as working as a repetiteur, staff accompanist, church pianist or music director.
Concentration in Vocal Performance
The Concentration in Vocal Performance provides training for young singers in preparation for graduate studies and professional performance opportunities. Students in this concentration work with our faculty to develop a varied solo repertoire that demonstrates a high level of achievement as a singer.
Exceptional Hands-On Learning
Our music students participate in cocurricular opportunities off campus to broaden their experiences and enrich our communities:
- Wrote and performed new compositions at the Walt Whitman bicentennial celebration.
- Composed and performed original music for space-themed videos at Music and Astronomy Night at the Cradle of Aviation Museum.
Program Info
Application Requirements
To apply for this program, submit the appropriate application requirements along with an audition:
Transformative Educational Opportunities
All undergraduate students have the opportunity to apply for the following programs to expand their educational landscape:
- The Honors College – fostering intellectual perspectives and critical skills
- Levermore Global Scholars – preparing students to become global thinkers and leaders
- Study Abroad – providing opportunities to experience another culture and see the world from a new perspective
Awards & Recognition
- Mon-Thu: 8:30 am – 6:00 pm Fri: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm