Music

Founded in 1896, the Department of Music is one of the oldest and most distinguished in the country. From undergraduate programs at Columbia, Barnard, and the School of Engineering to graduate programs in musicology and composition, the Department supports scholarly and scientific inquiry into music, and equally the creative activity of music composition, at the highest levels of rigor and innovation.

The number of undergraduate music majors has grown sevenfold over the past decade. Music Humanities, a core course, attracts nearly 700 students every semester. Although the Department is not a conservatory, each year the Music Performance Program enables hundreds of students to develop as musicians by providing opportunities for instruction and performance. At the professional level, the Miller Theatre is the leading presenter of new music in New York City, offering contemporary and early music, jazz, and opera.