Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions

Jazz Studies Description

The NYU Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions offers B.M., M.M. and Ph.D. degrees in Jazz Performance and Composition.

Jazz Studies at NYU offers a wide variety of musical experiences that range from study with world renowned artists, performance opportunities in and outside of Greenwich Village at venues including Birdland and the Blue Note, access through internships to NYC’s music industry including Saturday Night Live, Blue Note Records, Verve Music Group, and the Blue Note Jazz Club. Through our diverse faculty, musical styles ranging from bebop, free jazz, third-stream, fusion and world music act as starting points in pursuit of developing students' individual voices.

Both jazz performance and composition students may design a course of private study that includes two private lessons per semester focusing on their declared area of study as well as a secondary lesson selected from within the music department. Aside from a significant jazz curriculum, jazz studies students may also select from a wide variety of courses in film scoring, music technology and music business.

With over forty contrasting jazz ensembles open by audition, students have unparalleled opportunities to interact with our world-renowned artist faculty. Faculty ensemble directors frequently perform with students at weekly performances before live New York audiences enabling students to hone their skills like professional musicians. Students are encouraged to perform in percussion ensembles as percussionists in such groups as samba marching band and two world percussion ensembles. The NYU Jazz Orchestra, our premier big band is regularly featured at local venues including the Blue Note and Birdland. Recent recording projects for this ensemble include “The NYU Jazz Orchestra Plays the Music of Teo Macero,” and “The NYU Jazz Orchestra featuring SNL Saxophonist Lenny Pickett.”

Often described as the “Jazz Living Room,” our rehearsal spaces are open for use by professional groups to rehearse for gigs or prepare for recording dates. Groups including Joe Lovano’s Nonet, Kenny Werner Trio, the New Brew Band, Dave Liebman’s group, Chris Potter’s Chamber Ensemble, and the Vanguard Orchestra are examples of weekly rehearsals that our students observe.

Insofar as our large music department also includes classical performance, composition, technology, business, film scoring, dance and music theater, our students have countless opportunities to collaborate with performers, dancers, actors, and multi media applications. All of these activities generate an ideal creative atmosphere, within a highly personalized jazz program, which is filled with opportunities for training, development and networking in the world's musical capitol.

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Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions - 35 W. 4th Street, Suite 777 - New York, NY 10012 - (212) 998-5424