The Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music is a public music school at the University of Texas at Austin, founded in 1914. Located in the heart of Austin, the school serves approximately 350 undergraduate and 300 graduate students with a faculty of nearly 100. The Butler School offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees across performance, composition, jazz studies, music education, conducting, musicology, and ethnomusicology. It was renamed in 2008 following a $55 million donation from Sarah and Ernest Butler, one of the largest private gifts to a music school in the United States (second only to Yale School of Music).
The Butler School's faculty includes the Miró Quartet, the Grammy-nominated string quartet in residence since 2003. Here they perform "Over the Rainbow" in a music video filmed at iconic locations across Austin, from their 2024 album Home on the PENTATONE label:
Programs and Degrees
The Butler School of Music offers coursework and training across the following areas:
- Classical Performance: Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts in all orchestral instruments, piano, and voice. Faculty perform internationally with ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
- Jazz Studies: Undergraduate and graduate programs in jazz performance and composition.
- Composition: Undergraduate and graduate degrees in contemporary classical and experimental composition. Former faculty includes Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts.
- Music Education: K-12 teaching certification and pedagogy training at undergraduate and graduate levels.
- Conducting: Master's and doctoral programs in choral, orchestral, and wind conducting.
- Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Graduate programs focused on music scholarship and research.
- Music Technology and Industry: Courses in digital recording, music publishing, and music business. Faculty includes Asleep at the Wheel's Ray Benson and platinum record producer Gary Powell, known for composing for Disney films including The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.
The school also serves over 2,500 non-music majors each year through its course offerings.
Admissions and Tuition
Admission requires an application to UT Austin plus a separate Butler School of Music application and audition. The school accepts applications for fall enrollment only.
Tuition for the 2026-27 academic year (estimated, full-time undergraduate):
- Texas resident (on or off campus): $10,858 to $13,576 per year in tuition
- Non-resident (on or off campus): $42,554 to $51,106 per year in tuition
- Total cost of attendance (resident, on campus): $32,508 to $35,386 including housing, food, transportation, books, and personal expenses
- Total cost of attendance (non-resident, on campus): $64,204 to $72,916
UT Austin offers the Longhorn Fixed Tuition program, which locks in a tuition rate for four consecutive academic years at approximately 8 percent above the traditional rate. This protects against future tuition increases.
The Butler School offers scholarship support based on audition performance and academic merit. Graduate students can apply for teaching assistantships and fellowships.
Real-World Example
A violinist accepted into the BM program for fall 2026 as a Texas resident pays approximately $12,000 in tuition per year. With housing and food at approximately $15,500, plus transportation, books, and personal expenses adding another $6,200, the total cost of attendance comes to approximately $33,700 per year. Over four years, the student pays approximately $48,000 in tuition and $134,800 in total costs. The student studies with faculty who have performed with the London Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, performs in the University of Texas Symphony Orchestra, and has access to the school's recording facilities and music industry courses. A non-resident student in the same program pays approximately $47,000 in tuition per year ($188,000 over four years), making the resident tuition advantage significant.
Notable alumni include members of the Miró Quartet (faculty-in-residence), performers with major orchestras, and music educators across Texas and beyond.
Notable Alumni
Butler School graduates have built careers across opera, orchestral performance, chamber music, and contemporary genres:
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Barbara Smith Conrad (B.M. 1959): Mezzo-soprano who performed with the Metropolitan Opera from 1982 to 1989, the Vienna State Opera, and the New York Philharmonic. Conrad was one of the first African American undergraduate students admitted to UT Austin in 1956. Her life story is documented in the PBS film When I Rise (2011), produced by the Briscoe Center for American History. She was named a Distinguished Alumna by the Texas Ex-Students' Association in 1985.
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Billy Ray Hunter: Principal trumpet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for 16 years before joining the Butler School faculty in 2020. An Austin native and Butler School graduate, Hunter received the Outstanding Young Texas Exes award in 2010 and the E. William Doty Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2015. He has appeared as guest principal trumpet with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Malaysian Philharmonic, and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony.
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Diana Burgess (B.M. 2015): Cellist and founding member of the Austin orchestral indie band Mother Falcon. Burgess signed a recording contract with Universal Music Classics and has collaborated with artists including Ben Sollee, Kaki King, and Amanda Palmer. Here is Mother Falcon's NPR Tiny Desk Concert from 2013, which has over 2.9 million views:
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Nicholas Rodriguez: Musical theater performer and Butler School alumnus who completed both bachelor's and master's degrees at UT Austin. He has performed in Broadway and national touring productions and returned to Austin with his Sondheim-inspired show Sincerely, Sondheim at the Zach Theatre.
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Ulrich Ellison: Austrian-born guitarist who studied jazz guitar at the Butler School on a Fulbright scholarship. He won three International Downbeat Awards in the Blues/Rock/Pop soloist category and has performed with soul singer Nakia and Grammy-nominated singer Abra Moore.
Audition Requirements
Admission to the Butler School requires both a successful UT Austin application and a separate Butler School audition. The school accepts applications for fall enrollment only. Audition requirements vary by instrument and program but typically include:
- Two to three prepared pieces from different stylistic periods (for classical performance)
- Major and minor scales
- Sight-reading
- An interview with faculty
Jazz applicants should prepare a blues selection, a standard, and a rhythm changes tune. Composition applicants submit a portfolio of scores. Graduate applicants may need to submit a prescreening recording or video.
Why It Matters for Independent Artists
The Butler School of Music is a strong choice if you want conservatory-level training at a public-university price, especially as a Texas resident. The $12,000 annual tuition for residents is substantially lower than private conservatories charging $55,000 to $75,000 per year.
Austin's music scene is one of the most active in the United States. The city hosts South by Southwest (SXSW), Austin City Limits, and a year-round live music ecosystem. As a Butler School student, you are immersed in a city where music industry professionals work daily, creating opportunities for gigging, internships, and networking that are hard to replicate elsewhere.
The music industry courses are worth exploring even if your primary focus is performance. Faculty with real-world industry experience (including a platinum Disney record producer and a Grammy-winning bandleader) provide practical knowledge about publishing, recording, and touring that complements performance training.
If you are a Texas resident, the Longhorn Fixed Tuition program lets you lock in your tuition rate for four years. This protects you from annual increases and makes budgeting predictable.
Visit the official Butler School of Music website for full audition requirements and program details.
Related Resources
- Music Schools Directory - Compare Butler School with other music schools
- Streaming Royalty Calculator - Project streaming revenue while studying
- 21 Ways Musicians Can Earn Income - Income strategies for performing musicians
- Complete Guide to Making Money as a Musician in 2026 - Career planning for music school graduates
- University of North Texas College of Music - Another major Texas music school with strong jazz programs
- Rice University Shepherd School of Music - A Texas private university comparison point
- Indiana University Jacobs School of Music - A large public university music program for comparison
- Florida State University College of Music - Another public university music school
