Orchestra performing screen scoring film

Music and Performing Arts Professions

One Creative Collective

The Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions (MPAP) brings together a dynamic network of eighteen interconnected programs in Performance, Music Composition and Technology, Music Business, Arts Administration, Education and the Creative Arts Therapies. Within our innovative courses of study, you'll be encouraged to explore across disciplines, while working with renowned artists, scholars, and industry professionals in your own field. You'll collaborate with talented peers and faculty—including recipients of Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards—taking full advantage of unprecedented interdisciplinary opportunities. And you'll graduate as a versatile, uniquely skilled professional, ready to lead and succeed in the evolving world of music and the performing arts.

Two Vocal performance students singing on stage

Performance

Collaborate with distinguished faculty and talented peers in NYU Steinhardt’s dynamic community of instrumental and vocal performers. Expand your artistry through a wide range of performance opportunities—from NYU’s orchestras and ensembles to grass roots student gigs and interdisciplinary collaborations with our Screen Scoring and Concert Composition programs.

PhD student presenting at a PAA forum

Music Business and Arts Administration

Connect with cultural leaders at top venues across New York City, and at major organizations like Arista, Warner Music Group, Spotify, and the New York Philharmonic. Build a dynamic professional network through alumni events, guest lectures, cross-program collaborations, and hands-on internships. Graduate fully equipped to lead and succeed in today’s fast-evolving arts and entertainment industries.

Professor coaching two students acting on stage

Arts Education and Therapy

Pursue a meaningful career grounded in culturally responsive, evidence-based practices through rigorous coursework and immersive internships. Take advantage of partnerships with leading institutions such as the World Health Organization, the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy, the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, the Verbatim Performance Lab, and Steinhardt’s vibrant music and dance programs.

Professor working with students in an audio lab

Music Composition and Technology

Refine your artistic voice through rigorous training and hands-on exploration. Collaborate on projects and performances with peers and faculty whose work bridges industry, research, and academia. Create and record in world-class facilities like the new Sony Audio Lab, the James Dolan Recording Studio, Paulson Center Studios and MARL Lab.

News and Events

Jackson A. Waters Wins National Cabrillo Festival Prize

Jackson A. Waters (MM ’25), has been named the 2025 recipient of the Emerging Black Composer Project (EBCP) Cabrillo Festival Prize by the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music.

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NYU LA Hosts Second Annual “NYU at the Grammys” Event

Notable industry professionals, alumni, and more came together to celebrate Grammy Week 2026 on NYU Los Angeles’ campus.

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Mike Tierney and Alan Silverman: GRAMMY Award Winners

Mike Tierney and Alan Silverman, both adjunct faculty members in NYU Steinhardt’s Music Technology program, recently shared a landmark achievement as collaborators, mentors, and educators: they won GRAMMY Awards for Cerrone: Don’t Look Down.

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Alan Turry on Readying the Next Generation of Music Therapists

Alan Turry, Director of NYU Steinhardt’s Program in Music Therapy, highlights unique opportunities—from hands-on training at the Nordoff-Robbins Center to diverse clinical placements across hospitals, schools, and community settings—that prepare students for meaningful, real-world impact. Turry also shares how a focus on improvisation and interdisciplinary collaboration helps students grow artistically and professionally, empowering them to use music as a transformative force in the lives of others.

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How K-Pop and TikTok Have Globalized the Grammys

This year’s music industry honors reflect the growth of international music and markets that Sam Howard-Spink has been studying for three decades.

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Faculty and Alumni Attend Second World Dance Education Alliance Event in Beijing

Activities included master classes, original student choreography, and a final performance with 500 dancers from around the world.

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Nisha Sajnani leads national arts and health efforts in Armenia, Georgia, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore

Nisha Sajnani led the first national training in arts and health in collaboration with the EU Commission and World Health Organization in Armenia and Georgia and with Art Jameel in Saudi Arabia

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Isabelle Kern

Spotlight on Isabelle 

Isabelle Kern grew up in Germany and began playing piano at age three. As an NYU undergrad, Isabelle double-majored in music and psychology, deepening her interest in the connection between mind, body, and music. Pursuing a master’s in Music Therapy felt like a natural next step, she explained. 

Fall 2025 Cohort at a Glance

Students (1,652)

  • Undergraduate Students 50%
  • Graduate Students 50%

Undergraduate Areas of Study

  • Performance 34%
  • Music Business and Arts Administration 27%
  • Arts Education and Therapy 5%
  • Music Composition and Technology 34%

Graduate Areas of Study

  • Performance 24%
  • Music Business and Arts Administration 22%
  • Arts Education and Therapy 21%
  • Music Composition and Technology 33%