Music at UW-Eau Claire

Studying Music at UWEC

Transform your passion for music into professional excellence in our rigorous program accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. Our noteworthy range of degree programs, supportive faculty, and plentiful performance opportunities will give you the experience needed to tackle your future endeavors and launch you into a career you'll love!

Academic & Performance Facilities

Known for its vibrant music scene, both UW-Eau Claire and the city of Eau Claire offer many unique spaces to showcase and polish your skills. 

Performances

Students can gain practical ensemble experiences in opera, choir, wind ensemble, orchestra, and jazz groups, while gaining experience in chamber music and musical theatre. Take advantage of performance options such as participating in solo recitals, competing in concerto competitions, partaking in guest artist master classes, and collaborating with faculty on research and performance projects. These array of performances will push your creative boundaries, facilitate collaboration with experts in your field, and connect you with students who share your creative passion.

From student recitals, ensemble concerts, theatre productions, to guest artist masterclasses and performances, there are over 200 Music and Theatre Arts events to attend and enjoy each year!

We offer many experiences to help our students develop as educators. Opportunities include organizing festivals for middle school and high school students, serving in leadership positions in the marching band, participating in immersion programs and engaging in student organizations focused on music education. Music education students also receive frequent exposure to public school classroom settings through various practica, and the program culminates with a semester of student teaching. Faculty from across the department — from bands, choirs and orchestra — contribute to the music education curriculum.

Learn about our Teaching – All Music, Instrumental Emphasis, Degree
Learn about our Teaching – All Music, Choral Emphasis, Degree

Individual Attention & Mentorship

Highly trained faculty who are active performers and scholars provide students with weekly individual lessons and a studio class in which students perform for one another and offer critiques to their peers. Applied studios are purposefully small to allow for meaningful relationships and a more personalized education.

Our applied wind, brass, percussion, composition, piano, string, and voice studios are competitive and require an audition to gain personal access to one-on-one training in your musical focus.

Chamber Ensembles

Chamber music is an essential aspect of music making in the music program at UWEC. Performing with a smaller group of musicians in a chamber group provides students with the opportunity to further develop their musicianship skills and to form close bonds with their peers. Chamber music groups exist across the music program and are formed in various ways. Some of these ensembles are extensions of a studio, some are formed by faculty, and some are classes in which any student can enroll. It is best to inquire to the Music and Theatre Arts Department with any questions you have.

• BASSically Brass
• Brass ensembles (trios, quartets, quintets)
• Contemporary ensemble
• Percussion ensemble
• Piano ensemble
• Saxophone quartets
• Studio ensembles (clarinet, flute, trombone and more)
• String ensembles (duets, trios, quartets)
• Voice ensembles
• Woodwind ensembles (trios, quartets, quintets)

Contemporary Ensemble

A rarity for the undergraduate music scene, students at UWEC have the unique opportunity to participate in the Contemporary Music Ensemble, which introduces students to a wide range of contemporary music from the 1920s to the present. Beyond compositions written in conventional notation, students are regularly introduced to other modern approaches, including graphic scores, electroacoustic genres and improvisation. This ensemble is also another excellent way to perform alongside your professors and gain pre-professional experience prior to graduation.

Eileen Phillips Cohen String Quartet

All four members of the Eileen Phillips Cohen String Quartet receive full in-state tuition for the academic year, and there is the potential for the scholarship to cover a full four-year degree. The Quartet is coached regularly by UWEC string faculty, is featured at major departmental and university events, and provides regular recitals. Check this page for details on auditions for the Cohen Scholarship.

Blugolds can visit the *Music and Theatre Arts Department SharePoint site which serves as a resource both for students who are declared as a Music or Theatre major, and for those across campus who are interested in participating in the performing arts on campus.*UWEC login credentials required!