Music History

The Music History department aims for Juilliard music students to understand what music has meant to composers, performers, and listeners throughout recorded history. The curriculum is designed to foster the music student’s knowledge of his or her art and its cultural significance overall; it also promotes the development of students’ communication skills, critical thinking, and the application of knowledge to real-world circumstances. Recognizing that Juilliard students aspire to be professional performers and composers, classroom instruction advocates historically informed performance practice, not only for music written before 1800, but for every type of music, including non-Western and popular music. Master classes and other special events, such as visits from guest artists and scholars, provide excellent opportunities for students to connect their classroom learning to a wider arena.

Music history for undergraduates begins in the spring term of the first year, with the first semester of a three-semester survey that presents concepts and issues that are essential for an understanding of historical thinking and the history of Western music from ancient times to the present. This survey continues through the fall and spring semesters of the second year. During the third and fourth years, students take a total of three music history elective courses, with topics ranging widely to include music from the entire spectrum of music history, vocal and instrumental repertoires, and current issues in the art of music and the study of music history.