Music
Music doctoral students at the CUNY Graduate Center benefit from the mentorship of renowned faculty in a small, diverse program in the heart of New York City.
Request InformationDegree Offered
Ph.D. or D.M.A. in Music: Composition
Full-time
Ph.D. in Music: Ethnomusicology
Full-time
Ph.D. in Music: Musicology
Full-time
D.M.A. in Music: Performance
Full-time
Ph.D. in Music: Theory and Analysis
Full-time
Admissions Deadlines
December 1 for D.M.A. in Performance
December 15 for D.M.A. in Composition & all Ph.D. concentrations
(fall enrollment only/no spring enrollment)
Our premier music doctoral programs allow students to pursue their passions while honing their expertise. Students study with faculty who are leading scholars, composers, and performers. Giving students individualized support is a top priority, and we are proud of our excellent placement record.
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Our Program
The Ph.D.–D.M.A. Program in Music of the CUNY Graduate Center is designed to train students in many fields and subfields of musical scholarship. Hear from our faculty and students.
Admissions and Aid
The Best of CUNY Music
Students study with faculty who are based primarily at The Graduate Center as well as top music faculty from schools throughout the CUNY system, which includes colleges with distinguished music programs such as Baruch College, Brooklyn College, City College, Hunter College, Lehman College, John Jay College, College of Staten Island, and Queens College.
Meet our Faculty
Inspiration Abounds
Our students and faculty compose, publish, produce and perform at the highest levels. Our community is, therefore, a nexus of scholarly and creative accomplishment, which is recognized and celebrated nationally and internationally.
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Take Advantage of NYC
Students draw inspiration from New York City’s extraordinarily rich musical and cultural life. A center for classical music, opera, and music theater, New York is known as the jazz capital of the world and the biggest center for Latin popular music. It is host to a dazzling array of diverse ethnic and immigrant communities whose musical activities present unique research and performance opportunities. Students also have access to special research facilities and archives at institutions like Lincoln Center and The New York Public Library.
Learn about Living and Learning in NYCCommitted to Elevating Diverse Voices
We are proud to be part of CUNY’s success at creating opportunities for diverse students. We value students and faculty who bring new and underrepresented perspectives and experiences to their study and work. Our faculty are known for exploring new avenues of scholarship and addressing long-held biases and enjoy mentoring students who challenge the status quo. We are devoted to creating an inclusive community in which students of all cultures and backgrounds feel welcomed and supported.
— Music Program Leadership
Upcoming Events
Latest News
Feb 1, 2023
Celebrating Our Scholars During Black History Month
From a book on Black-owned bookstores to the first CUNY Kennedy Center honoree, Graduate Center scholars are writing and changing Black history.
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- Faculty News
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- Alumni News
Dec 7, 2022
Here are the Grad Center Stories YOU Were Most Interested in This Year
These are the stories that our community read the most in 2022.
- GC Stories
- Faculty News
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Nov 14, 2022
Teaching and Learning Center Fellows Find Fulfilling Careers
The TLC provides a space for Graduate Center students to grow as educators and to prepare for the academic job market.
- GC Stories
- Student News
- Alumni News
Nov 10, 2022
Channeling Emily Dickinson Through Music and Movement
A Music Ph.D. candidate composes a ballet with a resonant theme: the suppression of women artists.
- GC Stories
- Student News
Announcements
More Like ThisAlumni Win Society for Music Theory Awards
Congratulations to Graduate Center Music program alumni Noriko Manabe (Ph.D. Music, ‘09) and Philip Stoecker (Ph.D. Music ’03), who were honored with awards at the recent Annual Meeting of the Society for Music Theory.
Manabe, an associate professor at Temple University's Boyer College of Music and Dance, received the Outstanding Publication Award for her article “We gon' be alright? The ambiguities of Kendrick Lamar's protest anthem” Music Theory Online, 25(1).
Stoecker, chair of the Department of Music at Hofstra University, received the Outstanding Multi-Author Collection Award for co-editing (with Edward Venn) the book Thomas Adès Studies. Among other essays, this award-winning collection featured the article “Sonic Allegory in Adès’s The Exterminating Angel" by CUNY Professor Yayoi Uno Everett.
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Performance Highlights
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