Welcome to the SDSU School of Music and Dance! SDSU’s commitment to the arts has been fostered since the founding of the university in 1897 when a music instructor was one of the first seven faculty. As music and or dance professionals, we are committed to providing specialized instruction, valuable performance experience, and career development for our students by creating a vibrant artistic environment based upon the unique strengths and knowledge of our accomplished faculty.

Our programs emphasize individual and collaborative development through high quality performances, professional engagement and applied practical training in music and dance. Each student’s career aspirations are advanced under the supervision of a supportive and skilled faculty within a comprehensive professional curriculum.

We work in a world where change is constant and in which a deep experience in the arts has value across many areas of endeavor. I invite you to join our community of artists, scholars and educators.

Donna Conaty
Director, School of Music and Dance

RESIDENT DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRAL STUDIES SEARCH  Full time position, information may be found by clicking HERE.

SDSU JAZZ ENSEMBLE WITH SPECIAL GUEST JOHN DAVERSA

SDSU’s top-notch Jazz Ensemble is joined by special guest John Daversa and his acclaimed red trumpet. Daversa is a respected performer, composer, arranger, producer, bandleader, educator and founder of the John Daversa Progressive Big Band, one of the leading forces of modern jazz in L.A. today.

Thurs. April 18 at 7:00 pm
Smith Recital Hall on the SDSU Campus
For tickets click here

MAJOR CHORAL/ORCHESTRA CONCERT
Grant Us Peace

This concert will feature a 200-voice choir including the SDSU Chamber Choir, San Diego Master Chorale, and Pepperdine University Chamber Singers, along with the SDSU Symphony Orchestra. Highlight of the program will be Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem (“Grant Us Peace”), a 40-minute major work for baritone and soprano soloists, choir, and orchestra using texts by Walt Whitman, John Bright, and related biblical passages.

April 20, 2013 at 7:30pm
College Avenue Baptist Church
Tickets are $20 general public and $10 students and seniors. For tickets click here

SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND DANCE ANNOUNCES NEW COMMUNITY PROGRAMS STAFF MEMBER
Carina Voly has assumed a new position as program director of the SDSU Community Music School and staff liaison for the Community Council for Music in the Schools. A cellist, Ms. Voly brings a strong teaching and outreach background to her new role in the School of Music and Dance, having served as Director of Community Engagement for the New World Symphony (Miami, FL), Director/Founder of the Prelude Music Academy (Madison, WI), and additional affiliations with the San Diego Youth Orchestra and Conservatory, Rocky Ridge Music Center, and teaching workshops in Argentina and Chile. Most recently she co-founded the new String Academy under the auspices of the SDSU Community Music School and serves as co-director of that program along with string division coordinator Travis Maril.

SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
The School of Music and Dance annually provides over $200,000 in scholarship awards to music and dance majors. We are very thankful for the generosity of donors and supporters who have made such awards possible. All incoming students who wish to be considered for scholarship awards are strongly encouraged to provide letters of recommendation and an outline of musical or dance experience as this information will be useful for the faculty scholarship committee. Scholarship awards for incoming students are made based upon the following:

FISCH/AXELROD ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR ORCHESTRAL STRING AND WOODWIND STUDENTS

The Fisch/Axelrod Scholarships are awards granted to exceptional orchestral string or woodwind students. These renewable scholarships provide $8,000 annually to graduate recipients and $6,000 annually to undergraduate recipients. Students must be music majors, perform in the San Diego State University Orchestra each semester and meet additional criteria for receiving these leadership scholarships. For students who wish to be considered for a Fisch/Axelrod scholarship, a letter of reference from a professional musician knowledgeable about his/her potential for artistic success must be submitted on the Audition Portal. In addition, a list of references must also be provided.