Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions

Piano Studies

Summer Intensive Piano Etude Workshop and Summer High School Experience. More here.

Studies in piano performance at NYU provide aspiring students advanced performance training, combined with the finest related academic and music courses. The B.M. and M.M. programs draw accomplished, dedicated musicians interested in intensive training for careers in music performance. The Ph.D. in Piano Performance is designed for successful performing artists who wish to develop an area of specialization through music research, in preparation for university teaching and scholarly publication. The department also offers pianists supplemental training in Music Technology, Music Education, and Music Business, to best prepare them, personally and professionally, for meaningful, successful, and rewarding careers.

In addition to traditional studies in music theory and history, piano students study individually with renowned faculty in private lessons, preparing for solo recitals and competitions. They also play in chamber music ensembles, ranging from the New Music and Dance Ensemble to traditional piano trios, quartets, and quintets, symphony orchestra, and concert wind band. Special programs sponsored by the Piano Department, open to all students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, include regular Piano Salons, in which students play for one another and receive feedback on their performances; interstudio showcase concerts; the Annual Tutte Le Corde concert, featuring repertoire written since 1950; and theme events such as Bach Night, a marathon-evening devoted to the complete preludes and fugues of J.S. Bach, and “Passion and Madness,” a festival devoted to the music of Robert Schumann and his contemporaries. Students also are encouraged to participate in NYU Steinhardt’s nationally-regarded Artist Masterclass Series, featuring some of today’s most compelling and innovative pianists; recent guests include Garrick Ohlsson, Ursula Oppens, Alan Feinberg, Julian Martin, Sarah Davis Buechner, and Sara Rothenberg.

The Department of Music and Performing Arts offers a warm and collegial atmosphere. Pianists enjoy the support of the faculty and their peers. Our reputation, faculty, and location in the heart of New York City provide students with unique opportunities to develop as performers and to make the valuable contacts necessary to launch a professional career.

Piano performance study at New York University combines strong conservatory training with the diverse course offerings of a highly eclectic music department and the academic integrity of a major research university. Additionally, the Department's acclaimed programs of study in Music Business (B.M. and M.A.), Music Technology (B.M. and M.M.), Jazz (B.M., M.M., Ph.D.), Music Composition (B.M., M.M., Ph.D.), and Music Education (B.M., M.A. and Ph.D.) provide a rich and valuable array of electives for music performance majors that prepare them for today’s extraordinary and ever-changing musical universe.


Piano Studies: B.M., M.M., and Ph.D. in Music Performance

Dr. Marilyn Nonken, Director Piano Studies

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