Music Performance
If you’re an experienced performer who wants to pursue a career onstage or as a university professor, consider a music performance degree. Our program will help you develop your musical skills, yet it’s also versatile enough to equip you to excel as a studio teacher, church musician or in other related careers.
Preparing You For Success
Once you pass a performance audition, you’ll become immersed in department activities. You choose a focus — piano, piano accompanying, an orchestra/band instrument or voice — and take lessons each semester. You’ll also perform (and travel!) with one of 15 ensembles. In addition, classes introduce you to theory, ear training, sight singing and music history. These experiences give you skills you can use in almost any music setting.
By the time you graduate, your experiences may include:
- Study abroad in Italy, Spain or Denmark
- Opportunities to work or perform with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, Peoria Municipal Band, Central Illinois Jazz Society and other organizations
- The opportunity to perform as soloist with the Bradley Symphony Orchestra as a winner of our annual Concerto-Aria Competition
Making Your Mark
Music performance degrees provide excellent preparation for graduate school that will lead to careers as orchestral, choral, or jazz ensemble performers; soloists and chamber musicians; or as university professors.
Major Requirements
Music performance majors must complete the requirements for one of the following concentrations.
Piano Concentration
Required Courses - 28 hrs.
- APL 189/389: Applied Music Piano (max. 4 hrs./sem.) - 20 hrs.
- MUS 003: Half Junior Recital - 0 hrs.
- MUS 327: Accompanying
or MUS 328: Accompanying (4 semesters) - 4 hrs. - MUS 331: Piano Pedagogy - 2 hrs.
- MUS 433: Piano Literature - 2 hrs.
Total Hours Required for Major: 72
Piano Accompanying Concentration
Required Courses - 47 hrs.
- APL 189/389: Applied Music Piano (max. 4 hrs./sem.) - 16 hrs.
- Applied Music/accompanying techniques - 16 hrs.
- MUS 125: Foreign Language Diction - 2 hrs.
- MUS 421: Advanced Choral Conducting - 1 hr.
- MUS 422: Advanced Instrumental Conducting - 1 hr.
- MUS 480: Vocal Literature - 2 hrs.
- MUS 491: Independent Study (Instrumental Music Literature) - 2 hrs.
- Foreign language (French and German) - 7 hrs.
Additional Requirements
- Accompany two half recitals in junior year with a singer and an instrumentalist (solo recital may substitute for either one).
- Accompany two full recitals in senior year with a singer and an instrumentalist.
Total Hours Required for Major: 91
Voice Concentration
Required Courses - 44 hrs.
- APL 197/397: Applied Music Voice (max. 4 hrs./sem.) - 20 hrs.
- MUS 003: Junior Recital - 0 hrs.
- MUS 125: Foreign Language Diction - 2 hrs.
- MUS 375: Opera Workshop - 2 hrs.
- MUS 470: Vocal Pedagogy - 2 hrs.
- MUS 480: Vocal Literature - 2 hrs.
- Foreign language (French and German) - 16 hrs.
Total Hours Required for Major: 88
Orchestral/Band Instruments Concentration
Required Courses - 22 hrs.
- Applied Music (max. 4 hrs./sem.) - 20 hrs.
- MUS 003: Junior Recital - 0 hrs.
- MUS 491: Independent Study (Instrumental Music Literature and Pedagogy) - 2 hrs.
Total Hours Required for Major: 66
Course Sequence
Sample program plan information is provided for sample purposes only. Students should consult with their academic advisor about their individual plan for course registration and completion of program requirements.
Music Courses (45 hours)
- MUS 001 Recital Lab (each semester) — 0
- MUS 002 Senior Recital — 0
- MUS ensemble (each semester) — 8
- MUS 161 Music Theory I — 2
- MUS 162 Music Theory II — 2
- MUS 163 Elementary Ear-Training and Sight-singing — 1
- MUS 164 Elementary Ear-Training and Sight-singing — 1
- MUS 165 Keyboard Skills-Class Piano — 2
- MUS 166 Keyboard Skills-Class Piano — 2
- MUS 235 Music in Its Historical Perspective I — 3
- MUS 236 Music in Its Historical Perspective II — 3
- MUS 261 Music Theory III — 2
- MUS 262 Music Theory IV — 2
- MUS 263 Ear-Training and Sight-singing — 1
- MUS 264 Ear-Training and Sight-singing — 1
- MUS 265 Adv. Keyboard Skills-Class Piano — 2
- MUS 266 Adv. Keyboard Skills-Class Piano — 2
- MUS 305 Counterpoint, MUS 319 Comp, or MUS 405 Atonal Music — 2-3
- MED 321 Conducting I — 2
- MUS 335 Music in Its Historical Perspective III — 3
- MUS 336 Music in Its Historical Perspective IV — 3
Piano Concentration (28 hours)
- APL 189/389 Applied Music Piano — 20
- Half Junior Recital — 0
- MUS 327/328 Accompanying — 4
- MUS 331 Piano Pedagogy — 2
- MUS 433 Piano Literature — 2
Piano Accompanying Concentration (47 hours)
- APL 189/389 Applied Music Piano — 16
- Applied Music/accompanying techniques — 16
- MUS 125 Foreign Language Diction — 2
- MUS 421 Advanced Choral Conducting — 1
- MUS 422 Advanced Instrumental Conducting — 1
- MUS 480 Vocal Literature — 2
- MUS 491 Independent Study (Instrumental Music Literature) — 2
- Foreign language (French and German) — 7
Organ Concentration (20 hours)
- APL 187/387 Applied Music Organ — 20
- MUS 003 Junior Recital — 0
Voice Concentration (44 hours)
- APL 197/397 Applied Music Voice — 20 hrs.
- MUS 003 Junior Recital — 0
- MUS 125 Foreign Language Diction — 2
- MUS 375 Opera Workshop — 2
- MUS 470 Vocal Pedagogy — 2
- MUS 480 Vocal Literature — 2
- Foreign language (French and German) — 16
Orchestral/Band Instruments Concentration (22 hours)
- Applied Music — 20
- MUS 003 Junior Recital — 0
- MUS 491 Independent Study
- Instrumental Music Literature and Pedagogy — 2