Instrumental Performance, Orchestras & Ensembles

An exciting and diverse range of instrumental music is welcome at Stanford. In over 150 concerts a year, students, faculty, and guest artists perform music from around the world. 

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Keyboards | Strings | Winds, Brass, Percussion | Chamber Music | Ensembles

The instruments and styles taught include Western classical, jazz, steelpan, taiko, and Chinese traditional, among others. Participation in all instrumental ensembles, lessons, and activities is available by audition to students in any major. Some ensembles are open to community members as well.

Lectures and Seminars

Instrumental Performance, Lectures & Seminars

Music 2A: The Symphony
Music 4SI: Interactive Introduction to North American Taiko
Music 6F: Art is My Occupation: Professional Development in Music
Music 18A: Jazz History: Ragtime to Bebop,1900-1940
Music 18B: Jazz History: Bebop to Present,1940-Present
Music 31N: Behind the Big Drums: Exploring Taiko
Music 37N: Ki ho'alu: The New Renaissance of a Hawaiian Musical Tradition
Music 70: Stories and Music of Refugees
Music 115: Individual Undergraduate Projects in Jazz
Music 127A: Instrumentation and Orchestration
Music 127B: Advanced Orchestration
Music 155A/255A: Piano Literature
Music 155S: Strings Literature
Music 186E: Sounds of Islam
Music 187: Spiritual Sound of Central Asia: Introduction to the Music of Central Asia

Keyboard Studies

Lecturer
Lecturer
Director of Collaborative Piano, Senior Lecturer
Collaborative Pianist
Collaborative Pianist
Lecturer
Collaborative Pianist
Lecturer
University Organist, Lecturer
Visiting Artist
Billie Bennett Achilles Director of Keyboard Studies, Assistant Professor
Collaborative Pianist
University Carillonneur, Advanced Lecturer
Keyboard Lessons, Courses & Seminars

Music 12A: Introductory Piano Class Level 1
Music 12B: Introductory Piano Class Level 2
Music 12C: Introductory Piano Class Level 3
Music 72A: Intermediate Piano Class
Music 72C: Harpsichord Class
Music 72D: Jazz Piano Class
Music 155A/255A: Piano Literature
Music 172A: Piano
Music 172B: Organ
Music 172C: Harpsichord
Music 172D: Jazz Piano
Music 172E: Fortepiano
Music 172F: Carillon
Music 272A: Advanced Piano
Music 272B: Advanced Organ
Music 272C: Advanced Harpsichord
Music 272D: Advanced Jazz Piano
Music 272E: Advanced Fortepiano
Music 272F: Advanced Carillon

String Studies

St. Lawrence String Quartet, Artist-in-Residence
St. Lawrence String Quartet, Artist in Residence
Lecturer, Violin
Lecturer
Senior Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer
St. Lawrence String Quartet, Artist-in-Residence
Senior Lecturer
Lecturer
Strings Lessons, Courses & Seminars

Music 72G: Gu-Zheng Class
Music 74AA: Introductory Violin Class Level 1: Beginner
Music 74AB: Introductory Violin Class Level 2: Intermediate
Music 74AC: Introductory Violin Class Level 3: Advanced Intermediate
Music 74C: Classical Guitar Class
Music 74D: Harp Class
Music 155S: String Literature
Music 172G: Gu-Zheng
Music 174A: Violin
Music 174B: Viola
Music 174C: Violoncello
Music 174D: Contrabass
Music 174E: Viola Da Gamba
Music 174F: Classical Guitar
Music 174G: Harp
Music 174H: Baroque Violin
Music 174I: Jazz Bass
Music 174J: Jazz Guitar.
Music 272G: Advanced Gu-Zheng
Music 273: Advanced Voice
Music 274A: Advanced Violin
Music 274B: Advanced Viola
Music 274C: Advanced Violoncello
Music 274D: Advanced Contrabass
Music 274E: Advanced Viola da Gamba
Music 274F: Advanced Classical Guitar
Music 274G: Advanced Harp
Music 274H: Advanced Baroque Violin
Music 274I: Advanced Jazz Bass
Music 274J: Advanced Jazz Guitar

Winds, Brass & Percussion Studies

Lecturer
Director of Music Theory, Senior Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer, Visiting Artist
Lecturer
Harold C. Schmidt Director of Choral Studies, Professor
Lecturer
Lecturer
Flute Ensemble Director
Lecturer
Winds, Brass & Percussion Lessons & Courses

Music 31N: Behind the Big Drums: Exploring Taiko
Music 75B: Renaissance Wind Instruments Class
Music 76: Brass Instruments Class
Music 76A: Tuba Class
Music 77: Percussion Class
Music 175A: Flute
Music 175B: Oboe
Music 175C: Clarinet
Music 175D: Bassoon
Music 175E: Recorder/Early Winds
Music 175F: Saxophone
Music 175G: Baroque Flute
Music 175H: Jazz Saxophone
Music 176A: French Horn
Music 176B: Trumpet
Music 176C: Trombone
Music 176D: Tuba
Music 176E: Jazz Trumpet
Music 177: Percussion
Music 177A: Drum Set Lessons
Music 275A: Advanced Flute
Music 275B: Advanced Oboe
Music 275C: Advanced Clarinet
Music 275D: Advanced Bassoon
Music 275E: Advanced Recorder/Early Winds
Music 275F: Advanced Saxophone
Music 275G: Advanced Baroque Flute
Music 275H: Advanced Jazz Saxophone
Music 276A: Advanced French Horn
Music 276B: Advanced Trumpet
Music 276C: Advanced Trombone
Music 276D: Advanced Tuba
Music 276E: Advanced Jazz Trumpet
Music 277: Advanced Percussion
Music 277A: Advanced Drum Set

 

Chamber Music & Jazz Combos

Lecturer
Lecturer
St. Lawrence String Quartet, Artist-in-Residence
Director of Collaborative Piano, Senior Lecturer
St. Lawrence String Quartet, Artist in Residence
Lecturer, Violin
Lecturer
Senior Lecturer
Advanced Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer
St. Lawrence String Quartet, Artist-in-Residence
Senior Lecturer
Flute Ensemble Director
Chamber Music Courses

Music 170: Collaborative Piano
Music 171: Chamber Music
Music 181: Jazz Combos

Orchestras & Ensembles

Lecturer
Leland and Edith Smith Professor of Composition, Professor
Director of Music Theory, Senior Lecturer
Duca Family Professor, Director of CCRMA, Professor
Lecturer
Associate Professor
Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer
Gretchen B. Kimball Director of Orchestral Studies, Associate Professor
Harold C. Schmidt Director of Choral Studies, Professor
Lecturer
Associate Professor
Lecturer (CCRMA)
Large Ensembles

Music 128: Stanford Laptop Orchestra: Composition, Coding, and Performance
Music 151B: Stanford Red Vest Band
Music 151C: Stanford University Ragtime Ensemble
Music 153: Online Jamming and Concert Technology
Music 156: "sic": Improvisation Collective
Music 157: Cardinal Calypso
Music 160: Stanford Symphony Orchestra
Music 160A: Stanford Philharmonia
Music 160B: Stanford New Ensemble
Music 160C: Stanford Baroque Soloists
Music 160S: Stanford Summer Symphony
Music 161A: Stanford Wind Symphony
Music 161B: Stanford Jazz Orchestra
Music 161D: Stanford Brass Ensemble
Music 161E: Stanford Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra
Music 161F: Ottoman Music ensemble
Music 169: Stanford Taiko
Music 184B: Topics in Opera Stagecraft
Music 187: Spiritual Sound of Central Asia: Introduction to the Music of Central Asia

Academic Programs

Explore the Major & Concentrations

The undergraduate major in Music is based on a course of study that combines breadth of musical experiences across multiple dimensions with depth in a chosen area, allowing students to develop an array of tools as part of their aesthetic and musical formation. Theory, performance, history, cultural contextualization, technology, and science all contribute to a curricular foundation for all majors. 

 


Explore the 24-Unit Minor

The music minor allows students to explore music through a flexible program of study. The minor can focus on Composition, History, Performance, Conducting, Theory, or Music, Science & Technology (MST), or on areas not currently served by the major, such as Ethnomusicology, Jazz, or Musical Theater. The minor can also focus on musical aspects of a non-music major such as American Studies, Anthropology, Area Studies, Computer Science, CSRE, TAPS, etc.

 


Learn about the Performance Certificate

The Performance Certificate program is open by audition to undergraduates who demonstrate a high degree of accomplishment in their area of music performance, study privately with one of the Department of Music's faculty, and wish to inform their performance studies with coursework from the Department of Music's other areas of academic focus: history, theory, computer music, and composition.

 

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