The University of Illinois School of Music is a public music school founded in 1895 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It offers Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Musical Arts, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees across performance, jazz, composition, musicology, music education, and music technology. The school has been an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music since 1933 and is part of the College of Fine and Applied Arts at UIUC, ranked 36th among national universities by US News for 2026.
Programs and Degrees
The School of Music offers undergraduate and graduate degrees across multiple disciplines:
Undergraduate degrees:
- BMUS in Voice Performance: Classical vocal training with opera and recital focus
- BMA in Lyric Theatre: Combines vocal performance with theatre and stagecraft
- BMUS in Jazz Performance: Jazz performance and improvisation for instrumentalists and vocalists
- BMUS in Instrument Performance: Classical training in piano, strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion
- BMUS in Composition: Composition techniques, orchestration, and electronic music
- BMUS in Music Education: Teacher preparation for K-12 music classrooms
- BMUS in Music Technology: Recording, electronic music, and audio production
- BMA in Musicology: Academic study of music history and literature
Graduate degrees:
- MM and DMA in Performance and Literature: Advanced performance training with academic research
- MM and DMA in Jazz Performance: Advanced jazz performance and pedagogy
- Artist Diploma: Post-master's performance certificate
- MM in Composition, Musicology, and Music Education
- PhD in Musicology and Music Education
The school also offers a music minor and ensemble participation for non-music majors, plus the Illinois Summer Youth Music (ISYM) program for pre-college students.
Admissions and Tuition
Undergraduate applicants apply through the university's standard application process and must also complete an audition. The school offers audition dates throughout the academic year. Music as a second-choice major is available for students interested in dual degrees.
For the 2025 to 2026 academic year, undergraduate tuition rates are:
- Illinois residents: $12,992 per year (guaranteed rate for four years)
- Non-residents: $33,344 per year
- International (LAS): $35,872 per year
- International (other): $34,338 per year
These are base tuition rates. Additional fees, housing, and meals bring the total cost of attendance to approximately $35,840 per year for Illinois residents. The university guarantees tuition rates for four consecutive years from initial enrollment.
The School of Music offers music talent scholarships and need-based financial aid. Students should complete the FAFSA to be considered for federal and state aid, plus the university's scholarship application for music-specific awards.
History and Significance
The School of Music was established in March 1895, making it one of the oldest university music programs in the United States. Pianist Charlotte Patchin was the first music instructor hired in the 1870s, before the school formally opened. By 1893, the all-male Military Band of 60 members represented the university at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
Albert Austin Harding became band director in 1902 and built the University of Illinois Band into what John Philip Sousa called "the world's greatest college band" in 1930. Sousa donated his music library to the school. The school's first building, Smith Music Hall (1916), is a registered historic landmark.
The Walden String Quartet was the first full-time quartet in residence at an American university. Violinist Paul Rolland developed his "teaching of action in string playing" method at Illinois in the 1960s, which is now used worldwide. The Pacifica Quartet continued this tradition as quartet in residence from 2003 to 2012.
The current director is Linda Moorhouse, who took the position in 2024.
Notable Faculty and Alumni
Faculty and alumni have shaped American music education and performance for over a century:
- Paul Rolland: Violinist and pedagogue who revolutionized string teaching methods worldwide
- Albert Austin Harding: Band director who built one of the premier college band programs in the US
- John Garvey: Faculty member from 1948 to 1991, founded the UI jazz program and Russian Folk Orchestra
- Bruno and Laura Zirper: Introduced sustained opera productions to the campus in the late 1940s
- Pacifica Quartet: Internationally recognized string quartet in residence (2003 to 2012)
The school has produced graduates who hold positions in major orchestras, universities, and arts organizations across the United States and internationally.
Notable Alumni
The School of Music has produced graduates who have won Grammy Awards, Emmy Awards, and major international competitions. Below are some of the most recognized alumni.
Donald Nally (DMA 1995, Choral Music)
Donald Nally won four Grammy Awards for Best Choral Performance (2018, 2019, 2023, and 2025) as conductor of The Crossing, a Philadelphia-based professional chamber choir. He has received 10 Grammy nominations in the category, surpassing Taylor Swift in consecutive yearly nominations. The Crossing has released 34 albums and commissioned nearly 110 new works. Nally holds the John W. Beattie Chair of Music at Northwestern University and has served as chorus master at Lyric Opera of Chicago and Welsh National Opera.
Steve Hackman (BM Piano Performance)
Steve Hackman conducted the orchestra and chorus for Charlie Puth's National Anthem at Super Bowl LX in February 2026. He created SYMPHONYFUSE, a series of orchestral fusions combining classical and pop music. His works include Brahms X Radiohead, The Resurrection Mixtape (Mahler X Notorious BIG X Tupac Shakur), and Taylor Swift: The Symphony Era. He has conducted these pieces with the orchestras of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas, Seattle, Pittsburgh, and the Boston Pops. He serves as conductor and curator of BSO Fusion with the Baltimore Symphony.
Noam Pikelny
Noam Pikelny is a Grammy-nominated banjo player and member of Punch Brothers. He received the 2010 Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. The International Bluegrass Music Association named him Banjo Player of the Year in 2014 and named his album "Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe" the Album of the Year. He transferred to the School of Music from computer engineering after discovering his passion for the banjo at Illinois.
Craig Hella Johnson (MM 1985, Choral Music)
Craig Hella Johnson is the founder and leader of Conspirare, a Grammy-winning professional choral ensemble based in Austin, Texas. He received 8 Grammy nominations and won the Grammy for Best Choral Performance in 2015 for "Sacred Spirit of Russia." He credits Illinois choral professor Chet Alwes as a major influence on his career.
Sadie Cheslak (MM 2019, Voice Performance)
Sadie Cheslak won the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition in 2025, one of five winners selected from over 1,400 applicants. She received a $20,000 cash prize. A mezzo-soprano, she studied under Dr. Ollie Watts Davis at UIUC and performed roles in The Rape of Lucretia, The Pirates of Penzance, Carmen, and Dialogues of the Carmelites during her time at Illinois.
Paul Rudolph (BM 1989)
Paul Rudolph has served as vocal music director and vocal arranger for Sesame Street since 2008. He has won three Emmy Awards for his work on the program. He studied composition at Illinois with Zack Browning, Salvatore Martirano, and Scott Wyatt. He previously worked as assistant musical director on the ABC series Muppets Tonight.
James Blachly (MM 2013, Orchestra Conducting)
James Blachly founded the Experiential Orchestra and received a Grammy nomination for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album for the recording of Dame Ethel Smyth's "The Prison." He has built a career around bringing lesser-known classical works to contemporary audiences.
Sophia Byrd
Sophia Byrd, a BMA senior in Lyric Theatre, sang on the recording of "Place," which received Grammy nominations for both Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance and Best Contemporary Classical Composition. She was nominated while still an undergraduate student at Illinois.
Audition Requirements
Undergraduate applicants must complete the university application and a Music Supplement form. The Music Supplement collects instrument, program preferences, and audition scheduling details. There is no pre-screening requirement for any undergraduate degree program.
Audition dates for the 2025 to 2026 cycle:
- Saturday, November 15, 2025 (Early Action and Spring 2026 Transfer)
- Friday to Saturday, December 12 to 13, 2025 (Early Action and Early-Bird Graduate)
- Friday to Saturday, January 23 to 24, 2026 (Undergraduate and Graduate)
- Friday to Saturday, February 6 to 7, 2026 (Undergraduate and Graduate)
- Friday, April 24, 2026 (Fall 2026 Transfer)
An on-campus audition is strongly encouraged. Illinois residents are expected to audition on campus. Applicants outside Illinois or facing financial hardship may submit a video audition. Video auditions must be uploaded within five days after the application deadline.
Applicants to CS+Music, Musicology, Music Technology, and Music Composition must submit a portfolio or additional essay. BME, BMUS, and BMA applicants complete a live or recorded audition.
School Video
The University of Illinois band program has a history dating back to the 1870s. Albert Austin Harding became band director in 1902 and built the program into what John Philip Sousa called "the world's greatest college band." This video covers the early history of the band program.
Real-World Example
An Illinois resident accepted into the BMUS in Music Education for fall 2025 pays $12,992 per year in tuition (guaranteed for four years). With housing and meals at approximately $15,184, books at $1,200, and other expenses at $2,500, the total cost of attendance comes to approximately $31,876 per year. Over four years, the student pays $51,968 in tuition plus $63,736 in living costs, for a total of $115,704. If the student receives a $5,000 per year music talent scholarship, net tuition drops to $7,992 per year ($31,968 over four years). The student graduates with a teaching license, qualifies for Illinois music education positions starting at approximately $50,000 to $60,000 per year, and can pursue a master's degree at the same institution.
Compare this to an out-of-state student paying $33,344 per year in tuition ($133,376 over four years), who would need significantly more financial aid to make the program affordable.
Who Should Apply
The University of Illinois School of Music is the right choice for students who want conservatory-level training within a large research university. The school balances performance training with academic rigor, making it suitable for students interested in double majors or dual degrees.
Illinois residents get exceptional value at $12,992 per year, making this one of the most affordable top-tier music programs in the US. Out-of-state and international students should compare costs carefully, as non-resident tuition is significantly higher.
Students interested in music education, jazz performance, or string pedagogy should give Illinois strong consideration, given the school's historical leadership in these areas. Students seeking contemporary commercial music or music business programs should look elsewhere, as the curriculum is primarily classical and jazz focused.
Visit the official Illinois School of Music website for audition requirements and program details.
Similar Music Schools
- Indiana University Jacobs School of Music - Another large public university music program in the Midwest
- University of Michigan School of Music - Top-tier public university music program
- Northwestern University Bienen School of Music - Private university music program in Illinois
- University of Miami Frost School of Music - Comparative program with jazz and music technology focus
Related Resources
- Music Schools Directory - Compare Illinois with other music schools
- Music Scholarships Directory - Find scholarships for music study
- Streaming Royalty Calculator - Estimate streaming revenue while studying
- 21 Ways Musicians Can Earn Income - Income strategies for music educators and performers
- Complete Guide to Making Money as a Musician in 2026 - Career planning for music graduates
