A Bachelor of Arts in Music major demonstrates percussion techniques in front of a class at SMU Meadows School of the Arts.

Undergraduate programs

Music

B.A.

Minor

Overview

SMU Meadows’ Division of Music is a comprehensive, professional unit dedicated to advancing music performance, creation, scholarship and teaching, while preparing the next generation of music professionals to enrich the artistic life of our community, nation and world.

Students at SMU Meadows encounter a rich array of musical opportunities. They study privately with acclaimed faculty; delve into music history and theory; perform in ensembles across a full season of choral, orchestral, wind and chamber concerts; and travel to festivals and study-abroad programs. Signature events include a fully staged opera, a student concerto concert with the Meadows Symphony Orchestra and a gala performance at premier venues such as the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center or Winspear Opera House.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in music is intended to serve students combining a music degree with interests in one or more of the following:

  • A broad liberal arts education
  • Exploration of the interdisciplinary relationship of music coursework to coursework in other areas of the Meadows School and the University as a whole
  • An additional major, a minor or preparation for medical school or law school
  • Preparation for graduate study in music
  • Participation in the SMU Honors Program
  • A term or summer of study abroad

Top 20%

Best National Universities

U.S. News & World Report (2026)

50%

of students in the program are double majors

Over 40%

of graduates continue their education with graduate degrees

Admissions

Deadlines and details

Key dates and admissions information to help plan your application with confidence.

Transfer students

Everything transfer students need to know about admission requirements.

International students

All the essential admission requirements international students need to know.

Additional links

Ready to apply?

Get started here.

Tuition and financial aid

2 out of 3 first-year students are awarded grants and/or scholarships with an average total of $38,598.

Tuition and costs

Explore the cost breakdown of tuition for undergraduate programs.

Financial aid

Find information on scholarships and financial support available at SMU.

Curriculum and learning

Featured courses

MUAS 1020

Musician’s Wellness and Pathways

Required course focusing on life as a musician, mental, physical and emotional well-being (including injury prevention), and how to plan for the future.

MUHI 1303

Introduction to Music in History and Culture

Designed to provide a big-picture overview of music’s role in varied historical and cultural contexts.

MSA 1101

FACE: First-Year Arts Community Experience

A collaborative, cross-disciplinary exploration for students enrolled in the foundational courses in art, dance, music and theatre.

View course catalog

Outside the classroom

Student success

The Division of Music at SMU Meadows is internationally recognized for its award-winning students, acclaimed performing ensembles and distinguished faculty of performers, composers and scholars. Students engage regularly with an extensive roster of guest performers, composers and scholars.

Student stories

Meadows alum Michael Kirk Allen graduated with degrees in art history and voice performance.

Michael Kirk Allen ’03

Art history and music alum Michael Kirk Allen ’03 draws on his dual-degree background to help today’s top artists share their stories at Republic Records.

Meadows students perform Zhou Long's piece "Words of the Sun" at the Fujian Grand Theatre in Fuzhou, China.

Choirs in China

SMU Meadows choirs traveled to Fuzhou and Beijing for the Bond with Kuliang 2025 Festival, forging friendships, and sharing music across cultures.

Faculty

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.

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Christopher Adkins

Christopher Adkins

Adjunct Professor of Cello
Charles Aguillon

Charles C. Aguillon

Director of Athletic Bands
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music

Stephen Ahearn

Stephen Ahearn

Adjunct Associate Professor of Clarinet
Sarah Allen

Sarah Allen

Associate Professor and Co-Chair of Music Education
Christopher S. Anderson

Christopher S. Anderson

Associate Professor of Sacred Music
Sergei Babayan

Sergei Babayan

Joel Estes Tate Endowed Chair in Piano and Artist in Residence
Baker-George-April-2023

George Baker

Adjunct Associate Professor of Organ
BrianBentley

Brian Bentley

Adjunct Lecturer
Aaron Boyd

Aaron Boyd

Chair of Strings, Director of Chamber Music
BryantJohn-May-2023

John Bryant

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Drumset Studies
Bryan Burns, guitar

Bryan Burns

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Guitar
Sara Chigani

Sara Chigani

JW Brown Music Therapist-in-Residence
Kim Corbet

Kim Corbet

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Jazz/Rock History/Interdisciplinary Studies
Edward Cumming

Edward Cumming

Martha Raley Peak Endowed Centennial Chair
Director of the Meadows Symphony Orchestra
Sara Daneshpour

Sara Daneshpour

Assistant Professor
Jack Delaney

Jack Delaney

Director of Bands and Professor of Music
Chair of Instrumental Ensembles
Andres Diaz

Andres Diaz

Professor of Cello
Dupuy-Virginia-October-2023

Virginia Dupuy

Professor, Voice
Stefan-Engels-April-2024

Stefan Engels

Leah Young Fullinwider Centennial Chair in Music Performance and Professor of Organ
Donald Fabian

Donald Fabian

Adjunct Associate Professor of Saxophone
Mark Feezell

Mark Feezell

Senior Lecturer in Music Theory and Composition,
Co-Chair of Music Theory and Composition
Kevin Finamore - Adjunct Professor of Trumpet

Kevin Finamore

Adjunct Professor of Trumpet
Clifton Forbis

Clifton Forbis

Professor and Chair of Voice
Kevin Gunter

Kevin Gunter

Associate Director, Division of Music
Senior Lecturer II, Coordinator of Class Piano
Harder-Lane-2022

Lane Harder

Senior Lecturer in Music Theory and Composition
Co-Chair of Music Theory and Composition
Carole Harris

Carole Harris

Assistant to the Director, Coordinator for Business Operations and Planning
Daniel Hawkins

Daniel Hawkins

Adjunct Professor of Horn
HearnBarry

Barry Hearn

Adjunct Associate Professor of Trombone

Laura Hearn

Assistant Director, Division of Music
Willa Henigman, Oboe

Willa Henigman

Adjunct Associate Professor of Oboe
Christopher Hepburn

Christopher Hepburn

Adjunct Lecturer of Musicology
DavidHeyde

David Heyde

Adjunct Associate Professor of Horn
Sam Holland

Sam Holland

Algur H. Meadows Dean and Professor of Music
Chad Hoopes with Violin

Chad Hoopes

Professor of Practice in Violin
Haley Hoops

Haley Hoops

Adjunct Associate Professor of Horn
Derrick Horne

Derrick Horne

Professor of Practice in Music
Director of the Meadows Jazz Orchestra
Ronald Houston

Ronald Houston

Adjunct Associate Professor of Viola and Violin
Hyae-Jin Hwang

Hyae-jin Hwang

Lecturer in Piano Pedagogy
Lynne Jackson

Lynne Jackson

Adjunct Lecturer in Wind Pedagogy
BrianJonesOct2020

Brian Jones

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Percussion
Jonathan Jones

Jonathan Jones

Director of Meadows World Music Ensemble
Tom Keck

Thomas Keck

Director, Division of Music and Professor of Music
Camille King

Camille King

Adjunct Associate Professor of Voice
Kara Kirkendoll Adjunct Flute Professor

Kara Kirkendoll Welch

Adjunct Associate Professor, Flute
Diane Kitzman

Diane Kitzman

Adjunct Associate Professor, Violin
April Kondrat

April Kondrat

Adjunct Lecturer
Peter Kupfer

Peter Kupfer

Associate Professor of Musicology
Drew Lang

Drew Lang

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Percussion
Pierre LaPointe

Pierre Lapointe

Adjunct Associate Professor of Viola
Jon Lee

Jon Lee

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Music Education
Carol Leone in red shirt

Carol Leone

Professor of Piano, chair of Piano Studies
Emily Levin

Emily Levin

Adjunct Associate Professor of Harp
Janice Lindstrom

Janice Lindstrom

Chair and Senior Lecturer II, Music Therapy
Michael Lively

Michael Lively

Senior Lecturer in Music Theory
Catharine Lysinger

Catharine Lysinger

Professor of Practice, Piano Performance and Pedagogy, Piano Preparatory Department

Alessandro-Mazzamuto

Alessandro Mazzamuto

Adjunct Associate Professor of Piano
Darren McHenry

Darren McHenry

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Bass Trombone
Andreas Mitisek

Andreas Mitisek

Associate Professor of Practice
Director of Opera Theatre 
Jamal Mohamed

Jamal Mohamed

Adjunct Lecturer, Director of Hand Drumming Ensemble
Barbara Hill Moore

Barbara Hill Moore

Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Professor of Voice
Susie Moten

Susie Moten

Adjunct
Melissa Murray

Melissa Murchison Murray

Senior Lecturer in Music Theory
Naoko Nakamura

Naoko Nakamura

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Harp
GeorgeNicksonPercussion

George Nickson

Chair of Percussion Department, Professor of Practice, Director and Conductor of SYZYGY,…
Kristina Nielsen

Kristina Nielsen

Chair, Department of Musicology
Associate Professor of Musicology
Chris Oliver

Chris Oliver

Adjunct Associate Professor of Trombone
Brian Perry with Double Bass

Brian Perry

Adjunct Associate Professor, Double Bass
Andrey Ponochevny

Andrey Ponochevny

Adjunct Artist in Residence
Diane Powell

Diane Powell

Adjunct Professor
Gregory Raden

Gregory Raden

Adjunct Associate Professor of Clarinet

James Richman

James Richman

Adjunct Lecturer, Harpsichord
Jarrod Robertson, Tuba

Jarrod Robertson

Adjunct Assistant Professor
James Romeo

James Romeo

Adjunct Associate Professor of Flute
Adam Salas

Adam Salas

Adjunct Associate Professor
Paul Schmidt

Benjamin Scheer

Adjunct Lecturer in Music Composition and Theory

Paul Schmidt

Paul Schmidt

Adjunct Lecturer in Wind Pedagogy
Julie Scott

Julie Scott, Ph.D.

Professor of Practice in Music Education; Co-Chair, Music Education; Director, SMU Music…
Julie Scott

Alexander Sitkovetsky

Artist-in-Residence, Violin
Ed Smith

Ed Smith

Adjunct Lecturer, Vibraphone
jason-smith-voice

Jason Smith

Senior Lecturer and Vocal Coach
Ted Soluri

Ted Soluri

Adjunct Associate Professor of Bassoon
Stuart Stephenson, Trumpet

Stuart Stephenson

Adjunct Associate Professor of Trumpet
Marcell Steuernagel

Marcell Silva Steuernagel

Associate Professor of Church Music and Director of the Master of Sacred Music Program
Christina Stock

Christina Stock

Adjunct Professor
Story-Rosalyn-November-2023

Rosalyn Story

Adjunct Lecturer of Musicology
Leon Turner

Leon P. Turner

Assistant Professor of Practice
Laureen Whitelaw

Laureen L. Whitelaw

Adjunct Lecturer of Musicology
Winchell-Margaret-August-2024

Margaret Winchell

Director of Choral Activities
Assistant Professor of Music
WuQianSept2022

Wu Qian

Adjunct Associate Professor in Piano Chamber Music
xie-dongni-october-2025

Dongni Xie

Collaborative Piano Coordinator
xi-wang

Xi Wang

Professor of Music Composition and Theory

Facilities

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.

Caruth Auditorium is a concert hall for music education and performance students at SMU Meadows School of the Arts.

Caruth Auditorium

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.

O’Donnell Hall is a multi-purpose music education and performance facility in the Meadows School of the Arts at SMU.

O’Donnell Hall

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.

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Frequently asked questions

A Bachelor of Arts in music at SMU is a flexible, liberal arts-focused degree that emphasizes the study, analysis and interpretation of music within a broader academic context. Students engage deeply with music history, theory and critical writing, developing the ability to think and communicate about music with clarity and insight. Less performance-centered than a Bachelor of Music, the B.A. allows students to combine musical study with other disciplines, making it ideal for those interested in scholarship, interdisciplinary work or multiple majors.

Yes. Our students with bachelor’s degrees in music are compensated from approximately $55,000-$62,000 annually. Upon graduation, students are qualified to enter a wide variety of fields, including education, private study, nonprofit music and community music making.

The B.A. in music 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. 

Students seeking teaching certification to teach in public schools should major in music education. Those who wish to teach music privately through individual lessons are not required to pursue a music education degree, though taking additional pedagogy courses as electives would be beneficial.

Students interested in pursuing the B.A. in music must audition on their primary instrument. Students interested in the B.A. in music, culture and society program do not have a performance audition. 

A B.A. in music can lead to careers in arts administration, education, journalism and media, where graduates apply their skills in analysis, writing and communication. Many also work in nonprofit organizations, marketing or creative industries connected to the arts. The degree’s flexibility supports paths in business, law or other fields beyond music. It also provides strong preparation for graduate study in music or related disciplines. 

Yes, the B.A. in music is highly customizable for students with interdisciplinary interests. Its flexible, liberal arts structure allows you to combine music study with other academic fields, pursue double majors or minors and tailor your coursework to your goals. This makes it an excellent option for connecting music with areas such as the humanities, social sciences, business or media. 

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