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Music and Performing Arts Professions

The Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions (MPAP) offers a supportive environment in which to explore interdisciplinary endeavors in Performance and Composition, Music Business and Arts Administration, Music Technology, Creative Arts Therapies, and Arts in Education. Together, students and faculty engage in professional, scholarly, and artistic practices that capture international attention and serve as models for progress.

Academic Programs

Performance

Pursue your passions and build your skills while studying with our renowned artist faculty in a supportive and challenging environment offering innovative coursework and unparalleled performance opportunities.

Music Business and Arts Administration

Build on your background in the creative arts by studying with top industry leaders who offer dedicated mentorship. Develop into an arts innovator who is ready to lead -- graduate with future-focused skills and strong career opportunities.

Arts Education and Therapy

Combine your love of music, drama, and dance with a career that is life-changing in the lives of students and clients. Create transformative educational opportunities and make a difference through opportunities that are culturally responsible, creative, and effective.

Music Composition and Technology

Be on the forefront of today’s creative technologies and learn from leading recording industry professionals.  Master your knowledge across a variety of media and collaborate with your peers on projects that build your skills and portfolio.

Spring 2025 Cohort at a Glance

Students (1,551)

  • Undergraduate Students 50%
  • Graduate Students 50%
Image of a Black woman with box braids looking at the camera and smiling while holding a guitar, wearing an orange dress

"My main area of interest is cultural humility in music therapy practice. I am continually curious about the cultural identity of both therapist and therapy participant within the therapeutic process, particularly because of how music can be so culturally salient. - Jasmine E., Music Education with Specialization in Music Therapy (PhD`27)

Domestic & International

  • Domestic 71%
  • International 29%
Student in Vocal Performance headshot

"The Vocal Performance faculty have helped me realize who I am as an artist and have opened doors to career paths I never would have dreamed possible." - Abby T., Musical Theatre Vocal Performance (MM`25)

"I’m interested in music software development and exploring new possibilities in computer music and installation arts. My focus is on creating innovative sound experiences." - Rahn C., Music Technology Dual Degree Program (BM, MM `26)
PhD screen scoring student Stefan Thomas

"My research focuses on the contributions of African American film composers and how the growth of streaming platforms has shaped and amplified their success in the industry." - Stefan T., Screen Scoring (PhD student)

Race & Ethnicity

  • Asian 12%
  • Black 5%
  • Hispanic 12%
  • International 29%
  • Two or More Races 5%
  • White 34%
  • N/A 3%
Student posing in front of piano holding french horn

"Brass is a community. We support, encourage, and challenge each other to be our best. I am so grateful to collaborate with such incredible colleagues. We'll maintain these connections throughout our careers." - Ella C., Instrumental Performance (BA ’25)

Undergraduate Areas of Study

  • Performance 34%
  • Music Business and Arts Administration 27%
  • Arts Education and Therapy 5%
  • Music Composition and Technology 34%
String student Anna Pavlou

"I've learned individuality is so important. You don't want everyone to play the same way because then it would be like AI and that's not what music and art is about." - Anna P, String Studies (MM`25)

Graduate Areas of Study

  • Performance 24%
  • Music Business and Arts Administration 22%
  • Arts Education and Therapy 21%
  • Music Composition and Technology 33%
Educational Theatre student in graduation gown on NY street

“I've worked in directing, lighting design, and stagecraft. Educational Theatre has challenged me to adapt what I know from working and learning into lessons I can take and use to train students. - Mason E. (BS '24/MA '25)

News and Events

NYU Steinhardt Celebrates Alan Menken

An evening of music and storytelling at the NYU Skirball Center honored the legendary composer and distinguished alum.

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MARL Faculty Receive Prestigious Renée Fleming Neuroarts Award 

Pablo Ripollés, Director of the Music and Auditory Research Laboratory (MARL), and Anna Palumbo, a music therapist, have been awarded the prestigious Renée Fleming Neuroarts Investigator Award.

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NYU Wayne Shorter Ensemble Performs at WBGO

The NYU Wayne Shorter Ensemble have performed more than 150 compositions by the iconic NYU alumnus Wayne Shorter, (1956). The Ensemble performed at Yamaha Artist Services in NYC as part of WBGO's 2025 Jazz Appreciation Month.

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Behind the Scenes with NYU Steinhardt’s Ambitious “Die Fledermaus” Set in Gilded Age New York

More than 70 students and a team of faculty advisors have worked for months on the comic opera production opening April 11.

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Leyland Simmons (MA ’17) Aims to Make History at Harlem School of the Arts

The Dance Education alum has been artistic director at HSA since March 2024.

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Cool Course: Global Electronic Music

Students learn the cross-cultural history of an evolving form of pop music and create their own mesmerizing beats.

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NYU and Sony’s Personal Entertainment Business Launch the Sony Audio Institute

The Institute will foster innovation at the intersection of technology and music. Larry S. Miller will be the inaugural executive director.

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Steinhardt Alumna Jennifer Smolos Steele to Become Dean of Shenandoah Conservatory

Dr. Jennifer Smolos Steele, an NYU Steinhardt Music and Performing Arts Professions alumna, has been selected as the new dean of Shenandoah Conservatory, where she will lead more than 650 students and 100 faculty, focusing on innovation, financial growth, and career-readiness while preserving the conservatory’s rich legacy.

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Department of

Music and Performing Arts Professions

35 W. 4th Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012
212-998-5424
mpap@nyu.edu