Program overview
The D.Mus. program is designed for composers who have already reached a high level of proficiency and artistry in their fields and who may wish to teach at the university level.
Students have the opportunity to refine their artistic voice through private instruction with one of the largest, highly-skilled and diversified composition faculty in the world. In this program, students seek to create extended original works of art that push the boundaries of the discipline. The program engages composers in an in-depth reflection on the technical tools and aesthetical concepts developed while offering the possibility of formalizing ideas in a wide array of seminars. Students are encouraged to take part in colloquiums and other professional and academic activities in preparation for extensive general and comprehensive exams.
Depending on their research interests, students have access to the Digital Composition Studio (DCS), a crucial hub for interdisciplinary, collaborative projects involving faculty and students from the Performance Department and the Composition, Music Technology and Sound Recording Areas. Collaborations are also possible with CIRMMT, a multi-disciplinary research group that seeks to develop innovative approaches to the scientific study of music media and technology, to promote the application of newer technologies in science and the creative arts, and to provide an advanced research-training environment. The centre is housed at the Schulich School of Music.
Lectures and masterclasses with prominent guest composers as well as workshops and collaborations with guest performers complement the program. Moreover, the dynamic MASC (McGill Association of Student Composers) offers many opportunities for personal initiatives and collaborative work.
The Schulich School also has a very strong Performance Department (of over 600 students) with a wide spectrum of ensembles. Regular collaborations with the school’s musicians ensure that many pieces composed at Schulich receive performances.
The quality of our graduate programs has achieved international recognition; each year we receive excellent applications with increasingly high numbers from students from all over the world. In recent years applicants from Canada, the USA, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, France, Belgium, UK, Sweden, Norway, Turkey, Israel, Iran, Japan, South Korea, and China, among others, have chosen the Schulich School of Music to continue their artistic journey.
Faculty
The Composition Faculty comprises accomplished composers, all of whom have distinguished themselves through high-profile commissions, performances, recordings, and awards at the Canadian and international levels. The faculty members’ diverse and complementary interests ensure composers will find a suitable mentor.
For a complete list of Music Composition Area faculty members, visit the area's webpage.
Resources & Opportunities
Students benefit from:
- Cutting-edge research and performance facilities
- Equipment resources of the Digital Composition StudiosÌý²¹²Ô»å
- International new music festivals, lecture and performance series, and conferences co-sponsored by the Schulich School of Music
- A visiting artist series
- High-quality performances, readings, and recordings of their works by some of the school’s most esteemed ensembles and advanced performers
- Commissioning opportunities through an established composer-in-residence program and through student-initiated, performer-composer and interdisciplinary collaborations.
Awards
Students in this program have won the Jules Léger Governor General's Prize for new chamber music, have received funding from granting agencies and internships at the International Music Workshop and Festival, among other awards.
Careers
Graduates of this program have won prestigious awards (e.g., Jules Leger Prize, SOCAN competition) and gone on to have successful careers in university teaching,(freelance)composition, film, literature and conducting.
