Overview
Stony Brook’s Performance Program is among the most distinguished in the entire country. They perform hundreds of recitals and concerts per year, have recorded on over 900 recordings, give master classes, and sit on juries of important music competitions. Our faculty perform regularly with such orchestras as Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Metropolitan Opera and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; with venerated ensembles such as the the New York Woodwind Ensemble, Lincoln Center Chamber Players, and the American Brass Quintet; as guest artists with such ensembles as the Cleveland Quartet, Juilliard Quartet, Tokyo Quartet, Carducci and Fitzwilliams String Quartets; and as soloists with the world’s greatest opera companies and orchestras, including the London Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Boston Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and the Warsaw Philharmonic.
Our faculty perform not only in ensembles squarely in the classical mainstream but with those on the “margins” as well, as members of early music ensemble Aulos and contemporary ensemble Duo Contexto. Venues in which faculty perform include the most storied halls in the United States and abroad. Eager to participate in the ongoing development of the art, our faculty have commissioned dozens of works from a wide range of composers all along the musical spectrum. Faculty provide expert mentorship for students, and, with their vast network of resources, are instrumental in assisting students in their successful transition to the professional musical world.
Degrees Offered
First-year MM students typically take one or two semesters of intensive ear-training in Mus 505-506. MM students must also take one history and one theory course for the degree; beyond that, the focus of the program is on performance. Participation in the orchestra is required of all orchestral musicians.
Doctoral students must have a masters degree, either from Stony Brook or another institution. Under special circumstances, masters' students at Stony Brook may begin work on their doctoral degree before they have completed all Masters requirements.
In the first year of study, DMA students create their own curriculum by drawing up a doctoral contract with a committee consisting of their major teacher and their academic advisor. The contract lists courses to be taken, projected topics for their doctoral essays and lecture-recital, and a sketch of the contents of the first four required recitals (there is a final doctoral recital in addition to these four recitals). The D.M.A. also has a foreign language requirement, and many students study a language in their first year.
In subsequent years, students complete the requirements of their contracts. They can advance to candidacy (typically after two years in the program) after they have given 3 recitals, a lecture-recital, passed the language requirement, and made a substantial beginning on their doctoral essays. The final stage of the degree is a final doctoral recital; the students are also examined on the contents of the recital by a special committee.
Performance Faculty
Visit our Faculty and Staff directory to see our performance faculty.
Audition Guidelines
Check the Audition Information page for information on each studio listed, with the following information for each: Audition Date, Audition Repertoire, and the format of the audition (in person, recording, etc.).
Application Process
- Read through the Admissions Information page.
- The application deadline for Fall 2027 admissions for the MM or DMA program will be December 15, 2026.
- Complete the application found here: https://graduateadmissions.stonybrook.edu/apply/
REQUIRED MATERIALS FOR APPLICATION
1) Applications – submitted through the Graduate School application system (Slate) (link on this page, above).
2) Application Fee – paid via the application.
3) Statement of Purpose - uploaded to the application. Please indicate what you hope to accomplish from your graduate studies in Stony Brook's Music Department, what your career goals are, and what music or musicians have influenced your path as a musician. Please note: All written work submitted to support your application must be your own. In particular, the use of generative AI to generate entire sentences and paragraphs is not permitted and may be disqualifying.
4) Resume/CV - uploaded to the application.
5) Three (3) Letters of Recommendation – recommenders submit through the application system. At least one letter should be from an instructor who is familiar with your academic work.
6) Transcripts – official transcripts from institutions where a degree was received. For coursework relevant to the proposed course of study taken outside of a degree, unofficial transcripts will suffice. Details on the submission process can be found here (see Transcripts: Requirements and Submission).
7) One Academic Paper – Upload one original paper in music research, analysis or criticism that demonstrates your ability to carry out scholarly work in music. The paper, typically generated in prior course work, should be at least ten pages in length and demonstrate knowledge of proper bibliographic citation practices (your paper must contain a bibliography). Papers must have been originally written in English. Please note: All written work submitted to support your application must be your own. In particular, the use of generative AI to generate entire sentences and paragraphs is not permitted and may be disqualifying.
8) TOEFL Scores (if applicable): Please see "TOEFL-IELTS Requirements" on our Admissions Information page for details.
9) Pre-Screening Recordings – ALL Flute, Viola, Violin, and Voice applicants MUST submit a pre-screen recording as part of your application in order to be considered for a live audition (both MM and DMA). The recordings must be uploaded to your application in order for the application to be submitted by the December 15, 2026 deadline.
10) GRE Scores - GRE scores are not required for applicants to the MM program.
1) Application – submitted through the Graduate School application system (Slate) (link on this page, above).
2) Application Fee – paid via the application.
3) Statement of Purpose - uploaded to the application. Please indicate what you hope to accomplish from your graduate studies in Stony Brook's
Music Department, what your career goals are, and what music or musicians have influenced
your path as a musician. Please note: All written work submitted to support your application must be your own. In particular,
the use of generative AI to generate entire sentences and paragraphs is not permitted
and may be disqualifying.
4) Resume/CV - uploaded to the application.
5) Three (3) Letters of Recommendation – recommenders submit through the application system. At least one letter should be from an instructor who is familiar with your academic work.
6) Transcripts – official transcripts from institutions where a degree was received. For coursework relevant to the proposed course of study taken outside of a degree, unofficial transcripts will suffice. Details on the submission process can be found here (see Transcripts: Requirements and Submission).
7) Two (2) Academic Papers – Upload two original papers in music research, analysis or criticism that demonstrate your ability to carry out scholarly work in music. The papers, typically generated in prior course work, should each be at least ten pages in length and demonstrate knowledge of proper bibliographic citation practices (each paper must contain a bibliography). Papers must have been originally written in English. Please note: All written work submitted to support your application must be your own. In particular, the use of generative AI to generate entire sentences and paragraphs is not permitted and may be disqualifying.
8) TOEFL Scores (if applicable): Please see "TOEFL-IELTS Requirements" on our Admissions Information page for details.
9) Pre-Screening Recordings – ALL Flute, Viola, Violin, and Voice applicants MUST submit a pre-screen recording as part of your application in order to be considered for a live audition (both MM and DMA). The recordings must be uploaded to your application in order for the application to be submitted by the December 15, 2026 deadline.
10) GRE Scores - GRE scores are not required for applicants to the DMA program.