Music Vocal Performance

Choral, opera, and song performance are the opportunities which form the foundation of the vocal program at Hartt. By balancing these, Hartt prepares students for the next step in their singing journeys, which could include graduate study, private teaching, or a performance career. All students study privately with a member of Hartt's eminent voice faculty, enhancing their technique and knowledge of the repertoire.

During the first two years of study, a strong foundation in movement and acting helps create well-rounded singing actors. Third- and fourth-year students enjoy coaching privately with the esteemed Vocal Coaching faculty, creating well-polished performances through intensive work on language, style, and musicality. This nurturing, yet thorough, ecosystem sets the Voice BM apart by providing the most comprehensive training for the next generation of world-class singing actors.

The Master of Music in Vocal Performance provides the mature student with advanced vocal training and academic study in preparation for careers as professional twenty-first century musicians. The core of this training includes intensive private vocal study, private coaching, language, lyric diction, invigorating academic classes, the graduate vocal seminars, and numerous solo opportunities in recital, choral, and operatic performances.

Hartt’s graduate-level diploma programs provide emerging professional artists with advanced-level study to further their career goals in the vocal performing arts. The core of this training includes intensive vocal study and private coaching, movement and acting, and numerous solo performance opportunities. With fewer academic requirements than other advanced degrees, the remainder of the curriculum is designed to allow for participation in areas that speak to the artist’s professional interests.

The Doctor of Musical Arts degree program is designed to develop the complete musician, emphasizing both the highest level of musicianship and practical scholarly insight. Each curriculum is intended to prepare the respective candidate for a career at the most advanced level of performance, teaching, or composition.

Graduate students may pursue the advanced study of choral conducting on the master's or doctoral level. These two programs offer rigorous training that includes private conducting lessons, languages and diction, voice study, musicianship, score reading and preparation, performance practice, and an array of academic studies to prepare choral directors for conducting and teaching careers in community, school, and university settings. Students work closely with Hartt choral ensembles and both degree programs have required choral performances as part of the curriculum.

Applicants must prepare three (3) selections of vocal literature, two of which are art songs, and one which may be a third art song or a selection from the oratorio, opera, or classical music theatre* repertoires. All selections will be performed by memory, and should include at least two (2) languages, one of which must be English. 

*Classical music theatre includes all works that may be performed acoustically, and which require classical vocal training.

Applicants must prepare three (3) art songs and two (2) selections from the oratorio, opera, or classical music theatre* repertoires, for a total of five (5) selections. All selections will be performed by memory and must encompass four (4) languages - one of which is English - and three (3) varying stylistic periods.

*Classical music theatre includes all works that may be performed acoustically, and which require classical vocal training. 

All applicants must prepare a full-length recital (approximately 45 minutes of music), representing at least three (3) stylistic periods in at least four (4) languages, one of which must be English.

• The audition should include an opera aria and an oratorio aria.
• Translations and program notes should be uploaded to your online application portfolio.  The committee will select from the submitted materials.