Music Performance

Prepare for professional pursuits in the world of music. The B.M. in music performance at Gordon College is a rare opportunity for students to receive acute musical training from highly accomplished faculty within the context of a Christian liberal arts curriculum. You’ll improve your musicianship on your major instrument and gain hands-on performance experience through adjudicated solo recitals and master class participation. Exposure to diverse styles and principles will help you cultivate your own professional purpose as a musician.

Why study music performance at Gordon?

Be part of a strong, supportive community dedicated to academic and musical excellence, and to living at the intersection of faith and the arts. You’ll study under acclaimed faculty—with additional masterclasses by nationally renowned musicians—while performing in our state-of-the-art Phillips Recital Hall, designed by the architect behind the Boston Symphony Orchestra's Seiji Ozawa Hall. Plus, Gordon’s location offers the best of both worlds—a quiet environment conducive to focused study as well as quick access to incredible concerts on campus and in the nearby music and arts hub of Boston.

What careers can I pursue with a music performance major?

Under the wing of expert faculty who are accomplished professional musicians and mentors, your top-level training will prepare you for graduate school and careers in music, including:

• Professional performance with an orchestra or chamber ensemble
• Private studio teaching
• Church or commercial music
• Teaching at the collegiate level
• Community program, youth, and adult ensemble leadership
• Music therapy
• Arts management

Learn more about jobs and internships ➔

Experiential learning in music performance

Studying music makes you a celebrated part of the fabric that weaves the culture of the performing arts at Gordon. Music students consistently go the extra mile outside the classroom:

• Join a performing ensemble, which includes multiple choirs, instrumental ensembles, chamber groups, student composition showcases and more.
• Benefit from professional concerts, recitals and masterclasses with internationally acclaimed musicians through our professional artist series.
• Collaborate on entrepreneurial projects to explore how the creative process can generate new approaches to important civic issues.
• Serve in leadership roles in the Music Student Council or the Massachusetts Music Educators Association annual state-wide conference.
• Compete in a Concerto Competition to become a featured soloist with the Gordon Symphony Orchestra.

Departmental Honors

Dive into a focused area of music outside of your major curriculum through Departmental Honors. Working under the guidance of an accomplished faculty advisor, you’ll engage with new material as you pursue your own original ideas for a thesis in the form of a research paper, composition or lecture recital.

*Auditions are required to qualify for any music scholarship, and students must be accepted through the Gordon College Admissions process before auditioning. Music scholarships are included in a student’s financial aid package if the student enrolls at Gordon, and awards are renewable for all four years if requirements are met.