California Institute of the Arts

The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a private art school in Valencia, California, founded in 1961 by Walt Disney through the merger of the Chouinard Art Institute and the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. Its Herb Alpert School of Music offers BFA, MFA, and DMA degrees across specializations including composition, jazz, music technology, voice arts, experimental pop, and performer-composer studies.

Here is a performance by CalArts alumna Julia Holter (MFA in Music Composition), from her 2024 album Something in the Room She Moves on Domino Records:

Programs and Degrees

CalArts structures its music curriculum around flexibility and interdisciplinary collaboration rather than rigid conservatory traditions. Students work with faculty mentors to design individualized courses of study. The Herb Alpert School of Music offers the following specializations:

• Composition and Experimental Sound Practices (BFA, MFA): Focuses on contemporary composition, electronic music, and experimental sound art. Students develop their artistic voices through mastery of theory, techniques, and creative tools.
• Jazz (BFA, MFA): Founded by Charlie Haden as an alternative to academic jazz studies. Emphasizes small ensemble performance and improvisation, training versatile performers and composers.
• Music Technology: Interaction, Intelligence and Design (MTIID) (BFA, MFA): Combines traditional musicianship with technology for creating sonic and multimedia art, including interactive systems and AI-driven sound design.
• Performer-Composer (BFA, MFA, DMA): For musicians who integrate composition with performance practice. Students give recitals centered on original music and build professional portfolios.
• Instrumental Arts (MFA): Two-year program for advanced instrumentalists across brass, keyboard, guitar, harp, percussion, piano, strings, and winds. Emphasizes creativity and collaboration over traditional conservatory methods.
• VoiceArts (BFA, MFA): Designed for artists whose primary expression is the voice, developing both artistic voice and vocal technique.
• Experimental Pop (BFA, MFA): Explores popular music through an experimental lens, blending songwriting, production, and performance.

The DMA program in Performer-Composer studies is one of the few doctoral degrees offered at CalArts, designed for highly developed practitioners integrating composing and performing practices.

Tuition and Admissions

For the 2026-27 academic year, CalArts tuition is $62,954 for full-time undergraduate (BFA and certificate) and graduate (MFA, advanced certificate, and DMA) programs. Annual tuition increases typically range from 4% to 5%. The total cost of attendance for an undergraduate living on campus is approximately $90,455, including housing, food, books, transportation, and personal expenses.

CalArts practices need-blind admissions for U.S. applicants. The school offers substantial financial aid, with over 80% of students receiving some form of assistance. Admission requires a portfolio or audition, artist statement, video introduction, and letters of recommendation. Application deadlines typically fall in early December for the following fall semester.

International applicants follow the same requirements plus English proficiency testing (TOEFL or IELTS).

Notable Alumni and Faculty

CalArts has produced influential musicians across experimental, jazz, and contemporary genres. Founding faculty included composer Mel Powell (dean of the School of Music), Morton Subotnick (pioneer of electronic music), and Ravi Shankar (sitar virtuoso). The jazz program was established by Charlie Haden, whose legacy continues to shape the school's improvisational philosophy.

Notable alumni include composers and performers who have shaped contemporary music, film scoring, and experimental sound practices. The school's proximity to Los Angeles provides students with access to the entertainment industry, recording studios, and a large community of working musicians.

Specific Alumni

• Greg Kurstin (BFA 92) - Nine-time Grammy-winning record producer and songwriter. Kurstin co-wrote and produced Adele's "Hello," which has over 3.27 billion YouTube views and spent 10 weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. He has also produced for Sia, Foo Fighters, Beck, Paul McCartney, Kelly Clarkson, and Pink. Billboard named him the top Hot 100 producer of 2022. He won Grammy Producer of the Year (non-classical) in 2017 and 2018. Here is the official video for "Hello," which he co-wrote and produced, from Adele's official channel:

• Raven Chacon (MFA 04) - Navajo composer and sound artist. Chacon won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Music for "Voiceless Mass," becoming the first Native American composer to receive the award. He was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2023, receiving an $800,000 unrestricted grant. His work spans chamber music, installation art, and experimental noise. Here is "The Journey of the Horizontal People" (2016), performed by the Kronos Quartet as part of their Fifty for the Future commissioning project:

• John Luther Adams (BFA 73) - Composer who won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his orchestral work "Become Ocean." His music is deeply connected to the natural world, particularly the environment of Alaska where he lived for nearly 40 years.

• Ellen Reid (MFA 11) - Composer who won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Music for her opera "p r i z m." Her work spans opera, chamber music, and sound installation.

• James Brandon Lewis (MFA 10) - Saxophonist and composer. His album "Jesup Wagon" (2021) was named jazz album of the year in the DownBeat Critics Poll. He leads several touring ensembles and co-founded the American Book Award-winning ensemble Heroes Are Gang Leaders.

Audition and Portfolio Requirements

Admission to the Herb Alpert School of Music requires a portfolio or audition recording, an artist statement, a video introduction, and letters of recommendation. The portfolio should demonstrate the applicant's current work and artistic direction. For performance applicants, the audition recording should include 2 to 3 pieces showing technical proficiency and artistic range. Composition applicants submit scores and recordings of original works. Music technology applicants submit examples of interactive systems, software, or electronic compositions.

Application deadlines typically fall in early December for the following fall semester. CalArts practices need-blind admissions for U.S. applicants, and over 80% of students receive some form of financial assistance. International applicants must also submit TOEFL or IELTS scores for English proficiency.

Why It Matters for Aspiring Musicians

CalArts is not a traditional conservatory. It suits musicians who want to push boundaries, blend disciplines, and develop an individual artistic voice rather than follow a standardized curriculum. If you are interested in experimental composition, electronic music, jazz improvisation, or interdisciplinary performance, CalArts offers an environment where those paths are encouraged rather than tolerated.

Prospective students should consider the cost carefully. With tuition exceeding $60,000 per year, financial aid packages and scholarship opportunities should be researched thoroughly before applying. The school's financial aid office provides detailed information about grants, loans, and work-study programs.

Visit the official CalArts website for current admission requirements, portfolio guidelines, and application deadlines. You can also explore our guide on how to learn music theory without formal training if you want to build foundational skills before applying to a program like CalArts.

Related Resources

• How to Learn Music Theory Without Formal Training
• How to Network in the Music Industry Online and Offline
• Best Coursera Courses and Certificates for Musicians in 2026
• Music Schools Directory
• Streaming Royalty Calculator
• USC Thornton School of Music - Another major music school in the Los Angeles area
• Colburn School - A conservatory-level school in downtown Los Angeles
• Berklee College of Music - A contemporary music school with experimental and production programs
• San Francisco Conservatory of Music - Another California-based music conservatory