SMU Meadows School of the Arts’ Division of Music provides a professional and comprehensive education devoted to the advancement of music performance and the preparation of the next generation of music professionals. As an undergraduate in the music performance program, you will gain instruction from internationally recognized faculty in a wide variety of musical pursuits.
Best National Universities
U.S. News & World Report (2026)
faculty members are in the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
music ensembles in which students perform
Prepares undergraduates for performance careers and private studio teaching through a balanced curriculum of solo/chamber repertoire and orchestral excerpts, along with performance in chamber and large ensembles.
Prepares guitarists to enter the world of professional music with the highest skill levels as soloists, teachers and ensemble musicians. Emphasizes repertoire development, pedagogy and history of the instrument.
An inspirational environment for organists from around the world for over 60 years. Prepares students for a professional career in performance, pedagogy and church music.
Prepares undergraduates for performance careers and private studio teaching through a balanced curriculum of solo/chamber repertoire and orchestral excerpts, along with performance in chamber and large ensembles.
Prepares skilled pianists for professional opportunities or graduate study, while encouraging them to grow as artists, educators and advocates who contribute meaningfully to the cultural life of their communities.
Prepares undergraduate musicians for performance careers or graduate studies with a focus in violin, viola, cello, double bass or harp.
Prepares versatile singers by combining technical skill with expressive artistry, supported by a broad understanding of solo and ensemble traditions including choral music, opera, art song, musical theatre, jazz and commercial.
Key dates and admissions information to help plan your application with confidence.
Everything transfer students need to know about admission requirements.
All the essential admission requirements international students need to know.
2 out of 3 first-year students are awarded grants and/or scholarships with an average total of $38,598.
Explore the cost breakdown of tuition for undergraduate programs.
Find information on scholarships and financial support available at SMU.
MUAS 1020
The required course serves as an introduction to music in Meadows, life as a musician, mental, physical and emotional well-being (including injury prevention), and how to plan for a consistently changing future.
MUHI 1303
Provides a big-picture overview of music’s role in varied historical and cultural contexts; to acquaint students with the central paradigms, methods and problems of music scholarship; and to provide a critical orientation of some of the major philosophical questions that play a role in subsequent music history coursework at SMU.
MSA 1101
A collaborative, cross-disciplinary exploration for students in art, dance, music and theatre. Students meet collectively to build community, explore a common currency among the arts, take risks, discover alternative models of practice, understand the concept of artists as entrepreneurs and define personal goals for success.
Get practical experience to develop industry skills and build a professional network.
Meadows offers a wide variety of on-campus cultural experiences for both fine arts majors and lovers of the arts.
Explore interests, develop leadership skills and connect with like-minded peers.
Apply your classroom knowledge to real-world issues while making a positive impact.
The Division of Music at SMU is internationally recognized for its award-winning students, renowned performing ensembles and distinguished faculty of performers, composers and scholars – including cellist Andrés Díaz, classical guitarist Robert Guthrie and members of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Students interact with an extensive slate of guest performers, conductors, composers and scholars.
From Dallas to an international stage, first-year Division of Music student Matthew Scott ’29 earns a place among the world’s most promising young artists.
After advancing through a competitive regional round, Meadows student Daria Oleinik ’26b showcases her artistry on one of the nation’s most prestigious student music stages.
The distinguished music faculty at SMU Meadows are internationally recognized performers, scholars and educators dedicated to mentoring the next generation of artists. They support a comprehensive portfolio of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in performance, composition, music education, music therapy, musicology and music theory. Bringing real-world experience and artistry into the classroom, they foster a vibrant, collaborative environment in which students thrive as musicians, scholars and individuals.
This is a carousel with rotating cards. Use the previous and next buttons to navigate, and Enter to activate cards.
The Meadows School of the Arts boasts a multitude of environments for performing arts and learning.
Concert performances take place in Caruth Auditorium, O’Donnell Hall and Perkins Chapel, with opera productions in the Bob Hope Theatre.
An inspiring collection of more than 110,000 books and scores, 31,000 audio and video recordings, and 100,000 items in special collections are housed in the Jake and Nancy Hamon Arts Library.
Music students benefit from 50 individual practice rooms and a laboratory for class instruction in piano, theory and improvisation. The school also features 30 Steinway grand pianos, three harpsichords and eight pipe organs.
Other facilities include an electronic music studio for research, creation, production and instruction of electro-acoustic music and an on-campus music therapy clinic that offers student therapists opportunities for faculty-supervised, clinical practicum experiences.
A 490-seat concert hall with an acoustical construction that can be “tuned” for any type of musical presentation. Caruth Auditorium is also the home of the splendid C.B. Fisk Opus 101, a 51-stop, 3,681-pipe organ used for recitals and symphonic and choral concerts.
The versatile, 168-seat O’Donnell Hall is used as a classroom, lecture hall, recital hall and screening room. The hall features a Steinway classic grand piano, newly renovated A/V system with Dolby 5.0 surround sound, a 7,000-lumen DLP video projector, wall-mounted touchscreen controls and more.
Request more info about the Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in music performance
A Bachelor of Music (B.M.) is a professional degree that immerses you in focused, intensive study of your craft, whether in performance, composition or music education. It develops both technical mastery and artistic voice, preparing you to pursue a life in music with skill, confidence and purpose.
SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts offers instruction and music performance degrees in the following instruments:
The B.A. is rooted in the liberal arts tradition, offering a broad, flexible curriculum that focuses on the study, analysis and interpretation of music within a wider academic context, while allowing substantial coursework in other disciplines. In contrast, the B.M. is a more specialized and intensive professional degree, with the majority of coursework devoted to music, particularly in areas such as performance, composition or music education, and requires a significant commitment to lessons, ensembles and recitals. In essence, the B.A. emphasizes breadth and intellectual engagement with music, while the B.M. emphasizes depth and professional training.
A Bachelor of Music in performance is a strong and worthwhile path if you are committed to a career as a professional musician. It offers intensive training, frequent performance experience and close mentorship with accomplished faculty, all of which help you develop the skills and artistic voice needed to succeed. Just as importantly, it places you in a community of peers and professionals, creating valuable connections that can support your career long after graduation.
A Bachelor of Music in music performance from SMU prepares graduates for diverse roles in the arts, primarily as professional musicians in orchestras and bands, or as soloists. Beyond performing, graduates can pursue careers in music education and private studio teaching, music production and sound engineering, arts management and music promotion, and as music librarians.
The B.M. in music performance at SMU develops students’ technical mastery and artistic expression and prepares them for successful careers in music. Through individualized studio instruction, ensemble participation and a comprehensive curriculum, students develop advanced performance techniques and professional discipline. Graduates leave the program prepared to perform at the highest level or pursue graduate study in their instrument of choice.
Yes, students intending to major in music must perform an audition on their principal instrument (including voice) as outlined in the Required Undergraduate Audition Repertoire – as well as participate in an interview with members of the music education faculty.
Additional information on undergraduate admissions and auditions is outlined here.
You’ll typically receive one hour of one-on-one instruction every week with your primary instrument or voice instructor, amounting to about 14 lessons per semester. In addition, you have private study, studio classes with your instructor and other students with the same instrument, ensembles and recital preparation.
Certainly! Students pursuing a B.M. in music performance can definitely double major; however, this requires careful planning because the performance degree is so demanding, between credit hours and amount of practice and rehearsal time. Adding a minor is usually much easier than double majoring for the same reasons. If you are interested in performance and teaching, SMU also offers a dual degree in music performance and music education that is a structured, efficient way to combine both of these.
