School of Music | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

student conductor in front of a group of fellow student musicians onstage during a residency in the Concert Hall

Make music the heart of your education

Grow your talent. Build a foundation. Launch your career.

Why Iowa?

We're a close-knit artistic community within a major research university that's famous for its arts programs. We offer world-class musical instruction, ongoing performance opportunities, state-of-the-art facilities, and solid preparation for your career.

Study Here

Build a foundation

Our Bachelor of Music program will help you build a musical career. Our Bachelor of Arts program will let you combine your musical education with any other Iowa major.

Build a foundation

Expand your horizons

Earn your MA, PhD, or DMA studying with internationally respected faculty artists and scholars in a welcoming, supportive community. We offer assistantships and fellowships.

Expand your horizons

close-up of Damani Phillips teaching in class

Learn from experts

Our faculty are outstanding teachers and mentors at the forefront of their musical disciplines. As performers, composers, scholars, educators, and therapists, they are active professionals respected across the nation and around the world.

Learn from experts

See yourself here

You've worked hard on your music. Now you can use all that creativity and knowledge as your launch pad. If you dream of a musical career—or simply a musical life—Music at Iowa is right for you.

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Sean Harken portrait taken in Voxman Music Building

“I think it really represents the performance culture at Iowa. It feels triumphant but also inspiring.”
-Sean Harken, on the process of composing the track "Lights Up" for a collaborative Performing Arts At Iowa video project

Read Sean's story

headhsot of Caitlyn Valencia in Voxman Music Building

“The School of Music is like home to me. There are a lot of different opportunities available for both undergraduate and graduate students. I’ve grown a lot here."
-Caitlyn Valencia

read Caitlyn's story

Write Your Story

Earn a well-rounded liberal arts education—with rigorous, personalized musical instruction at its core.

Apply

“In Iowa City, I discovered a home away from home. I was included right away in the School of Music’s vibrant atmosphere and embraced by a nurturing community that helped me flourish as a person while honing my musical skills.”

- Mady Doucette

read mady's story

9:1

Student-to-faculty ratio

student at piano looking into camera smiling

350 +

Annual public performances

Master class in flute classroom with student

450

Undergraduate and graduate students

Watch a livestream

News and announcements

Hancher and University of Iowa performing arts academic units announce 2024-2025 events

Monday, July 8, 2024

CLAS awards seven graduate assistantships in writing, editing, community engagement

Friday, June 28, 2024

Performing Arts At Iowa, School of Music present "Fierce"

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Rock star faculty: Acclaimed drummer Sam Young found his way to Iowa without missing a beat

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Abbey Dvorak is one of 4 faculty to receive Iowa Mid-Career Faculty Scholar Award

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

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Events

Faculty and Guest Artist Recital: Wolfgang David, violin and David Gompper, piano

Thursday, August 29, 2024 7:30pm

Voxman Music Building

Featuring the music of Poulenc, Debussy, and Gompper

Faculty Chamber Recital: "Tony and Friends"

Sunday, September 1, 2024 3:00pm

Voxman Music Building

Faculty Chamber Recital: "Tony and Friends" Anthony Arnone, Michael Center, Timothy Lovelace, Ann Marie Hudson Brink, Katie Wolfe, Suzanne Beia, Rebecca McFaul This concert will be livestreamed here: https://music.uiowa.edu/events/school-music-livestream. This concert is free and open to the public.

CNM Series - Composer's Concert

Sunday, September 8, 2024 7:30pm

Voxman Music Building

CNM Series - Composer's Concert This concert will be livestreamed here: https://music.uiowa.edu/events/school-music-livestream. More concert details can be viewed here on the Center for New Music website: https://cnm.uiowa.edu/ This concert is free and open to the public.

Guest Artist Recital: Wolfgang David, violin - Recital I

Tuesday, September 10, 2024 7:30pm

Voxman Music Building

BACH solo Suites and Partitas I

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