Program overview
Students in the M.Mus. program develop their individual voices through private instruction and a rich selection of seminars. They continue to broaden their musical technique and language and are strongly encouraged to focus on autonomy and critical thinking skills. The program will prepare students to actively participate in the professional contemporary music community and to acquire the necessary research skills to excel in the academic environment.
Lectures and masterclasses with prominent guest composers as well as workshops and collaborations with guest performers complement the program. Moreover, the dynamic MASC (¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Association of Student Composers) offers many opportunities for personal initiatives and collaborative work.
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 center is housed at the Schulich School of Music.
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.
Resources & Opportunities
- Cutting-edge research and performance facilities
- Equipment resources of the Digital Composition Studios and
- 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 received funding from SSHRC (including the Storytelling Competition), FRQSC, a range of University fellowships, national and international commissioning grants, and CIRMMT student awards; they have also won prestigious composition competitions and internships with various new festivals and ensembles.
Careers
Graduates have continued their studies at the doctoral level, going on to win prestigious awards (e.g., Jules Léger Prize).  Others have successful careers in composition, film, literature, conducting and teaching.