Composition & Theory
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For many years, the Department of Music at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas has been Nevada's principal venue for the composition and performance of new music. NEXTET, UNLV's contemporary music ensemble under the direction of Virko Baley, has performed hundreds of contemporary works, including dozens of world premieres. The department has featured renowned guests composers including Roger Reynolds, Libby Larsen, Bernard Rands, among others.
The composition program at UNLV trains students who wish to pursue professional
and/or academic careers in music composition. Student composers benefit
from a variety of opportunities to hear their works performed. NEXTET
frequently presents concerts of student compositions. The UNLV Symphony
Orchestra has performed student compositions in the past and is available
for reading sessions. The composition program at UNLV hosts a student
chapter of the Society of Composers, Inc.
The Music Department offers degrees for Bachelor of Music in Composition
and Master of Music in Theory/Composition. Graduates have been consistently
successful in the pursuit of subsequent graduate studies.
The College of Fine Arts sponsors educational trips for composition
students to attend new music performances. These performances have included
venues such as the San Francisco Opera, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and
Orange County Performance Center.
The composition program at UNLV is committed to providing the students with the most comprehensive experience in the field of music composition. Faculty encourages creative work for different media, and provides hand-in-hand experience in the professional field of new music.
The first annual UNLV composers festival and conference--a three-day event--will take place in March of 2007. Guest composers and students meet in Las Vegas for concerts of new music, lectures, and master classes.
Admission Information
UNDERGRADUATE - The Music Department offers the degree of Bachelor of Music in Composition with a choice of three different concentrations: piano, other instruments, and vocal.
Students take private lessons in both composition and their instrument/voice. They are expected to perform a recital in their junior year and also present a recital of their original compositions in their senior year.
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GRADUATE - The Music Department offers the degree of Master of Music in Theory/Composition.
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Graduate Assistantships
Assistantships in the Music Department come with a stipend of up to $10,000 per year and a fee waiver for tuition. Graduate assistants are given teaching assignments, depending on the skills and interests of the student.
The deadline to apply for a Graduate Assistantship is March 1.
For more information please contact:
Music Theory/Composition Faculty:
Virko Baley, Distinguished Professor of Composition
Jorge Grossmann, Assistant Professor of Theory/Composition
Adjunct Faculty: