Build Connections for Life
A degree in music performance provides you with the real-world experiences you need to succeed in a competitive and demanding professional environment. Your teachers are award-winning soloists and recording artists, professional music directors, members of military ensembles, composers, and arrangers. Simply put, you will connect and network with the best artist-teachers in the music industry from New York to LA, from Beijing to Sydney, and across Europe.
Immerse yourself in Pittsburgh's thriving arts culture. In addition to university concerts and events, many students perform regularly in the tri-state region with ensembles such as the GRAMMY Award-winning Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Ballet and Opera Orchestras, Pittsburgh Camerata, Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, Mendelssohn Choirs, Bach Choir of Pittsburgh, and numerous other ensembles in the region. We even have a Hire a Musician program that connects you with local employers and venues, so you can take your performance expertise beyond the classroom and into the field, allowing you to make money while sharpening your entrepreneurial skills.
Develop Your Artistry
Learn more about jazz at Duquesne
Music Facilities
In addition to classroom spaces, the Mary Pappert School of Music has a variety of performance, rehearsal, and practice facilities available for use. PNC Recital Hall and the Dr. Thomas D. Pappert Center for Performance and Innovation are two of the primary performances spaces in our building. In addition, some larger-scale events are held in other University spaces, including the Charles J. Dougherty Ballroom in the University's Power Center, the Student Union Ballroom, and the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, to name a few.
Performance Pathways
At the Mary Pappert School of Music, you have a wide variety of horizon-expanding performance degrees and programs to choose from at both undergraduate and graduate levels. We will help you find the right path for your bigger goals.
Undergraduate
You've got a love for music. Our Bachelor of Music in Performance sets the stage for you to go anywhere.
Graduate
You've laid the groundwork. Now, refine your skills with a Master of Music in Performance.
Post-Graduate
You've got the foundation. You've honed your technique. Now, dive even deeper with an Artist Diploma.
Experience Being a Performance Major
Duquesne's ensembles will provide you with the finest university-level performing experiences available, preparing you for your career as a professional musician. As a member, you will perform on campus, as well as at some of the best venues for music in the city.
Upcoming Events
Percussion Ensemble
Eliseo Rael, director
String Preview Day
Experience what it’s like to be a college musician.
Student Recital: Fabio D. Machado, cello
From the studio of Adam Liu.
Wind Ensembles
Duquesne Wind Symphony & Symphony Band
Dr. James Gourlay, Director of Bands
Works by:
Music for Distant & Fabled Lands
Music for Distant & Fabled Lands, presented by Dr. Joe Sheehan and Kinetic, is a concert weaving together music, maps, and imaginary places. Inspired by Umberto Eco’s The Book of Legendary Lands, and a love of maps, the concert premieres new jazz-influenced pieces about fabled lands such as Atlantis
Music Education Preview Day
Interested in becoming a music teacher? This event is an opportunity to experience being a Music Education Major at Duquesne University for the day!
Alumni Perspective
I will always be grateful for my education at the Mary Pappert School of Music. It was such a rich environment with world-class teachers who were connected to the current scene and present on a regular basis to share their knowledge about the music industry. It's very rare to find teachers like this who excel in both the performance and academic worlds.
Performance Department
As a student at the Mary Pappert School of Music, you study with professors internationally acclaimed in their fields.
