The music department at Randolph College offers a wealth of learning opportunities for students of all levels and backgrounds. From the student seeking to learn to play an instrument for the first time to the student planning to major in music and continue in the professional world, our department helps all students achieve their goals while enriching their artistic and cultural awareness. Music majors earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music or a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Music Performance. The music major may be  combined with teaching licensure for certification to teach music in the public schools (K-12). Students also have the option of a music minor. Click on "Curriculum" in the navigation bar at left to learn more about courses and degrees offered.

Harpist Kelsey Irvin '06 with "The Antoinette"

A lever harp designed and built by H. Bryan & Co.

Photograph by Howard Bryan

The music faculty are committed to excellence and the highest levels of artistry and scholarship in the field. Click on "Faculty & Staff" to read biographies and learn about each professor's field of expertise.

Our facilities are housed in Presser Hall, which was renovated in the spring of 2004. Click on "History" in the navigation bar at left to learn more about the music building.

Students have a wide range of ensemble opportunities available to them. These range from small chamber groups to larger vocal and instrumental ensembles. Instrumentalists may enroll in chamber music at Randolph College, or in Chamber Orchestra or Symphonic Wind Ensemble within the Tri-College Consortium; on-campus, vocalists sing in Chorale, the college's premier performing ensemble, and Touch of Harmony, a small vocal ensemble performing primarily jazz and popular arrangements.

The Chorale typically prepares four major concerts per year: a brief Fall Concert or festival program, a Christmas Vespers service, a tour program (usually taken during Spring Break), and a Spring Concert. The ensemble collaborates with professional and student instrumentalists and soloists (at least one performance each year involves a small orchestra), and soloists within the choir are regularly featured. In recent years, Chorale has toured to Washington DC, Atlanta, eastern Pennsylvania, and Jamaica. The choir has performed in Washington National Cathedral, National Presbyterian Church, University of West Indies Chapel, and had the privilege of singing (unofficially) in Carnegie Hall. In April 2004 Chorale initiated its New Music Program, in which the ensemble performs world premieres of choral works written especially for the group. To date, three new works have been commissioned and performed under this program.

Click here to learn more about Chorale.

The Guest Artist Program brings professional musicians from around the nation to the college to perform and teach in our department. To find out more about the program, click on "Guest Artist Program" in the navigation bar at left.

Students gain valuable professional experience from internships at schools, churches, and organizations at the local and national level. The most notable example of an in-depth summer internship experience is The Donald P. Baiocchi-Lyric Opera Internship. Made possible by Amanda Fox ’67 and Matthew Fox, it offers Randolph College students the opportunity to participate in an internship at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Click here for more information.

Please see "Department Policies" for a complete listing of departmental policies and procedures, including the Concert Attendance Policy and the Semester Concert List.