Conducting

Program of Study Number of Semesters Semester Hours
Private Instruction 4 8
Graduate Conducting Seminar MUS 643 4 8
Music Electives (by advisement) 4 10
Three Recitals MUS 938 (see below) 3 9
TOTAL 35

*In the first year of the graduate conducting program, the student will study with one of the major orchestral conducting faculty, but may participate in the open studio opportunity for short-term study with a specialist in specific repertoire, including choral music and musical theatre, from the school of music faculty. Beginning in the second full year of study, the student will alternate between the major orchestral conducting faculty each semester to receive the full benefit of varied interpretative and technical perspectives.

Three 70-minute recitals are required, the orchestral repertoire for which is to be decided upon between the candidate and the conducting professor. The candidate must demonstrate that he/she has studied a significant proportion of the standard orchestral repertoire, including music written after 1920. Opportunities for meeting the recital requirement will be provided by arrangement with the university orchestra, appropriate public performances or designated performances with The Catholic University of America’s opera.