Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts, Vocal Coaching and Accompanying

Application requirements

1. Complete an audition. See audition requirements link below for specific requirements.
2. Each applicant should also submit at their interview a repertory list of vocal and instrumental (winds and strings) accompanying s/he/they have done. Include ensemble, chamber music, choral accompanying, and any experience with opera or music theatre. The vocal repertory need not be detailed and specific by titles, but should be represented in terms of composers covered. This will aid in determining divisional and studio assignments should an assistantship be awarded.

About Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Coaching and Accompanying

Instruction in collaborative piano is in a range of repertoire: operatic and musical theatre works, recital, cabaret and chamber music performance. We place strong emphasis on the acquisition of collaborative skills and on language comprehension and diction.  Students study harmonization, transposition, and improvisation.

The Master of Music and the Doctor of Music Arts in Vocal Coaching and Accompanying were created by the legendary accompanist John Wustman.  The program has a long list of distinguished alumni, including: Susan Ash-Baker, Franklin Brasz, Brian Garman, Ward Holmquist, Luke Housner, David Moody, Mary Pinto, Craig Rutenberg, Kevin Stites, Valerie Trujillo, and Julie Gunn.

Financial Aid

The School of Music offers assistantship appointments in Lyric Theatre, which provides experience in opera and musical theatre, and in Studio Accompanying, which focuses on art song, instrumental and choral music.

All Vocal accompanying and collaborative piano majors are considered for assistantship appointments when auditioning for the degree program. Additionally, any keyboard major may audition for assistantships in Lyric Theatre or Studio Accompanying.

What is Lyric Theatre?

Lyric Theatre @ Illinois embraces a broad continuum of opera and musical theatre. It mounts three fully staged productions of musical theatre and opera each year, performed in our outstanding opera house at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, and several studio, scenes, and workshop programs.  Members of the LTI music staff develop skills as vocal coaches, rehearsal pianists, music directors, prompters, supertitle operators, language coaches, translators, arrangers, chorus masters, conductors, and composers, as their interests and abilities dictate.

A very important part of student experience is the large number of workshops mounted each year.  The School of Music has brought a wide range of influential creative teams to campus to work and teach at Lyric Theatre, including:  Richard Maltby, David Shire and John Weidman; Ellen Reid, Roxie Perkins, and James Darrah; Mohammed Fairouz and Mohammed Hanif; Cori Ellison, Beth Morrison; Gene Scheer and Bill van Horn; Jeremy Gill and Sky Macklay; Ilya Demutsky and Igor Kolnyukhov.

Students are mentored by the excellent voice and accompanying faculties in art song repertoire. They give several degree recitals, focusing on the art song repertoire which has been the hallmark of an Illinois vocal education for generations. Illinois boasts one of the best performing arts libraries in the world, superb academic resources, and the world-class Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.