Keyboard Performance

Your Future In Keyboard Performance

Do you have a passion for playing the piano, organ or harpsichord? Do you enjoy the thrill of performing in recitals or concerts? Then, you should pursue a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance with a specialization in keyboard at the University of North Texas.

With the training offered at UNT, you might play as a solo guest performer with an orchestra, with a smaller group or become a church musician or recitalist. Many keyboard musicians also teach private lessons in schools or colleges.

Our alumni are concert artists and faculty members at major colleges and universities and perform throughout the world. They include:

• Wayne Foster — winner of the Dallas International Organ Competition
• Anthony Molinaro — winner of the Naumburg International Piano Competition
• Petronel Malan — three-time Grammy Award nominee
• Anastasia Markina — keyboardist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra

What we offer

The College of Music, one of the nation’s most comprehensive music schools, provides programs of study in piano performance, harpsichord, organ, piano pedagogy and collaborative piano.

Our faculty members are dedicated teachers, as well as nationally and internationally known performers. They include gold medalists from the Van Cliburn and Chopin international competitions. We also give you the opportunity to:

• Access one of the nation’s largest music libraries
• Discover your potential in classes with an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio
• Meet some of the world’s top music scholars and artists through specialized lectures and events hosted by various divisions within the college
• Take advantage of countless solo, chamber music and ensemble opportunities (Ensembles include three orchestras, four bands, nine jazz lab bands, a contemporary music ensemble, an early music ensemble, numerous choral ensembles and at least 40 chamber music groups.)

Our exceptional facilities include the Murchison Performing Arts Center, which houses the Winspear Performance Hall and the Lyric Theatre. The Music Building houses the Recital Hall and the recently renovated Voertman Concert Hall. Practice facilities include 300 individual rooms as well as ensemble rehearsal rooms.

To help you pay for your education, we offer music scholarships that are based on talent and your College of Music audition. The Carl and Margaret Eastman Scholarship can offer full tuition and room and board for qualified applicants. Other academic scholarships and need-based financial assistance programs are outlined at financialaid.unt.edu.

Our college is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21, Reston, Va. 20190-5248; telephone 703-437-0700). This distinction means we meet or exceed strict academic standards for excellence in education. Former music students include Duain Wolfe, Director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus; Jeffrey Rathbun, Assistant Principal Oboist with the Cleveland Orchestra; more than 1,600 K-12 music teachers; and numerous singers on the rosters of renowned opera houses.

What to expect

You will need to be accepted to the College of Music through an audition before declaring a major in Performance with a keyboard specialization. Auditions are held on campus during the spring semester for enrollment the following school year. If you cannot audition in person, you may submit a video or an audio recording. For more information about audition dates and admission requirements, visit music.unt.edu.

While enrolled at UNT, you will complete 19 to 28 academic hours of lessons from faculty members, depending on your instrument. You will also study music theory and music for your instrument and perform a recital during your junior and senior years. Four semesters of French or German are required if you study the organ.

Our Career Center, Internships and Cooperative Education office, and professional academic advisors are among the many valuable resources that are available to you at UNT. The Career Center and the Internships and Cooperative Education office can provide advice about future employment opportunities as well as getting hands-on experience in your major. Academic advisors will help you plan your class schedule each semester.

How to enroll at Unt

High school students

We encourage you to fulfill the graduation requirements for the Texas Recommended or Distinguished Achievement Program or the equivalent in high school.

In your junior year, take the SAT or the ACT and have your scores sent to UNT.

In the fall of your senior year, apply for admission to UNT and to audition for the College of Music by the first Monday in December. You can apply for admission to UNT at www.applytexas.org. The application for admission to the College of Music, audition requirements, audition dates and repertoire are at music.unt.edu.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses can count toward college credit at UNT. For details, visit www.unt.edu/credit.

Transfer students

If you’re attending a Texas community college, you should consult our Transfer Articulation web page, the UNT Undergraduate Catalog and an academic counselor/advisor to discuss your degree plan. Proper planning will help you receive the maximum amount of transfer credits.

Our Transfer Center will help you make a successful transition to college life at UNT by connecting you with a peer mentor and other campus resources. More than 3,500 students transfer to UNT each year. The center is in the University Union, Room 320. More information is at transition.unt.edu.