Performance Degree Options for Master of Music Graduates

Hannah Cohen (MM ’21) elected to pursue her Artist Diploma in Violin Performance (String Studies) so she could develop technical mastery through intense one-on-one coaching, with a single year's commitment.

“With the AD, I felt like I had the opportunity to get even more knowledge out of the teachers I was studying with in my master’s,” says Cohen, who is now a sought-after violinist in New York City, working as a freelance performer as well as playing for world-class performing organizations such as the American Ballet Theatre. “If I had tried to go straight from my master’s to working as a professional performer, my technique wouldn’t have been on the same level. Plus, it’s all performance work instead of more theory-based courses, so I was able to work through some kinks in my technique and ultimately transition more easily from the academic world to the professional one.”

When not performing on the New York concert scene, Cohen is engaged with her community, teaching students at City Strings and Piano.

Designed for experienced pianists seeking careers in academia as well as the concert stage, this advanced certificate program gives students the chance to participate in private lessons with NYU Steinhardt's artist faculty and take elective courses in performance practice and music education. Students also take “The Art of the Piano: Pedagogy and Practice,” a two-semester course that explores the evolution of the concert repertoire in relation to teaching traditions. 

Students participate in opportunities for solo and collaborative performance, including presenting solo recitals, participating in ensembles, and appearing with one of the Department's many orchestras.

“The PhD is heavily focused on research,” says Beroukhim. “Students take a range of academic courses exploring their areas of research as well as a host of research methodologies, which can be taken at Steinhardt or at other NYU schools.”

Students also take private lessons and a Departmental seminar in chamber music. They enjoy performance opportunities as soloists and ensemble players around the University, as well as access to NYU's world-class performance venues, practice facilities, and recording studios. Successful performer-scholars will write and defend a dissertation in addition to performing two degree recitals.

Steinhardt's highly selective PhD in Music Performance provides generous support, including tuition remission and a living stipend, for full-time study. Students may also choose to pursue the part-time track, which can be taken at each student’s own pace. Due to visa regulations, students must be US citizens to pursue part-time study.

Students can choose from the following focus areas:

• Brass Studies 
• Jazz Studies 
• Percussion Studies 
• Piano Studies 
• Strings Studies 
• Vocal Performance 
• Woodwind Studies 

"After graduation, Steinhardt PhD students are highly competitive on the job market," says Marilyn Nonken, professor of music and music education and chair of the Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions. "They are extraordinarily qualified as performers and scholars, fluent in the practices of academia as well as the concert hall."

Violinist, educator, and recording artist Patti Kilroy (PhD ’19) continued her studies in the doctoral program at Steinhardt after completing her undergraduate and graduate degrees in performance. She wrote her dissertation on developing terminology and frameworks to describe new performance practices in music with live processing electronics.

“I loved working with my performance instructor, Naoko Tanaka, but I also really enjoyed the level of advisement and writing training I received from Marilyn Nonken for my dissertation,” says Kilroy, who is now an assistant professor of music at California State University, Los Angeles. “NYU really shines in that way with a large number of faculty from different disciplines. Also, the PhD in Music Performance at Steinhardt is a rare degree, which helped me stand out when I was applying for tenure-track positions.”

“One of the biggest differences between the DMA and the PhD is that DMA candidates are required to pursue a sub-specialization related to music performance, such as music technology, performing arts administration, or music business,” says Beroukhim. 

This multi-faceted approach gives DMA graduates holistic preparation for today's careers in the arts, in which performers take leadership roles at presenting organizations and performance venues, design cultural policies and curatorial strategies for arts organizations, and serve valuable roles, nationally and internationally, as educators, entrepreneurs, and cultural ambassadors.

In addition to sub-specialization courses, students will complete a final capstone project in lieu of a written dissertation, bringing together theory and practice and underscored by vibrant research.

DMA students are dedicated to refining their craft, taking two full years of private lessons and presenting three public, adjudicated recitals to demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and virtuosity they have developed, as well as to showcase varied repertoire.

Students can choose to pursue the DMA full time or part time – an ideal option for those who will pursue professional careers and performance opportunities while completing their studies. The following focus areas are available:

• Brass Studies 
• Jazz Studies 
• Percussion Studies 
• Piano Studies 
• Strings Studies 
• Vocal Performance 
• Woodwind Studies