- Pianist with the New World Symphony in Miami
- Musical theater actor-singer in New York City
- Vocal soloist with the Baltimore Consort
- Composer of film music based in Paris, France
- Classical guitar recitalist
- Opera singer with the Zurich Opera
- Jazz musician in local and regional venues
Our students are consistently accepted by the
top graduate programs and conservatories in
the country. Among them:
- University of North Carolina-Greensboro
- Florida State University
- New England Conservatory
- Carnegie Mellon University
- New York University
- Southern Methodist University
- Peabody Conservatory of Music
- San Francisco Conservatory
- Boston Conservatory
- University of Georgia
- Music Teachers National Association (state, division and national
levels)
- South Carolina and Mid-Atlantic Regional competitions of the
National Association of Teachers of Singing
- Arthur Fraser Piano Competition in Columbia, S.C.
- Guitar Foundation of America International Competition
- Schadt String Competitions
Our majors have also had the opportunity to perform with leading symphony
orchestras and ensembles in South Carolina and other states.
Internships give you a chance to complement your academic program
with “real-world” knowledge and experience. They add value to your
résumé and enhance graduate school applications. You can tailor
your internship to match your career interests. For example, a music
major recently interned with the marketing department of Folkways
Recordings, the Smithsonian Institution record label.
Study abroad. Each summer, faculty members lead study-abroad
courses. The music department regularly offers a summer course in
Scotland: Music in Performance in Scotland and at the Edinburgh
Festival.
Performances in individual recitals and with departmental ensembles. You’ll find many opportunities to perform with fellow students, faculty,
and other musicians in the Thursday Noon Student Recital Series,
concerts in the Charleston community, concert tours in the U.S. and
abroad, and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival concert series, to name just a
few.
Choral Ensembles
- Concert Choir – a select, mixed choral ensemble of 48 voices that
has performed throughout the Southeast and Europe to critical
acclaim. It has been featured in the Piccolo Spoleto Festival
of Churches and has performed masterworks with symphony
orchestras.
- The Madrigal Singers – an 18-voice chamber choir that has
toured throughout the Southeast and Europe and specializes in
music of the Medieval and Renaissance eras.
- University Chorus – open to any student on campus who wants to
sing during his or her college career. The choir has a repertoire that
ranges from the Renaissance to the present day.
- Gospel Choir – 150 voices comprise this group, which has toured
in the U.S. and Europe, and won the National Collegiate Gospel
Choir Southeast Award.
- Opera workshop – open to music majors and non-majors, the
workshop develops singing/acting potential and introduces
various styles of opera.
- Pro Musica – an Early Music ensemble consisting of music
majors and faculty. Each summer, the Pro Musica takes part in a
concert tour of France. The group is also a resident ensemble at
the Piccolo Spoleto Festival.
- Pep Band – performs for audiences of more than 3,000 people
during home basketball games. The band is open to majors and
non-majors.
- Jazz Combos – unlike other institutions where the emphasis is
on larger ensembles, the five College of Charleston jazz combos,
each with its own instructor, provide players of all skill levels
with a more individual and personal learning experience.
- Chamber Orchestra – a small orchestra consisting primarily of
music majors.
- Chamber Music Ensembles – a variety of combinations for
performing standard chamber literature including string
quartets, piano trios and duo sonatas.
- Wind Ensemble – open to majors and non-majors who have
at least three years’ experience playing a standard band
instrument.
- Flute Ensemble – made up of both students (music and
non-music majors) and faculty, the ensemble is open to flute
students of all levels.
Through the International Piano Series, International Guitar Series, Jazz
Series, Monday Night Concert Series and the Charleston Music Fest,
students havethe opportunity to hear and work with some of today’s
finest performers.
Recent guest artists have included Abbey Simon, Earl Wild, D’Anna
Fortunato, John Wustman and Roland and Almita Vamos.
College of Charleston students and alumni united to record the CD, Live! At the College of Charleston: Piano Music, Volume I, music of
Chopin, Prokofiev, Kabalevsky, de Falla and others.
- The department is housed in the Albert Simons Center for the Arts,
which is being improved by the construction of anew wing that will
feature all-new music facilities.
- Two excellent performance venues: the 254-seat Recital Hall in the
Simons Center and the 784-seat Sottile Theatre.
- Electronic facilities available for student use include a music
listening library and a recording studio.
- Teaching takes place in small classes, and individual sessions
are taught by faculty members who are accomplished professional
musicians, including an artist-in-residence and a composer-inresidence.
- We offer an artist certificate in performance, atwo-year, advanced
program of study for graduates who want to continue their studies
and prepare for professional and performance careers.
“The music department provides an intimate
environment where inspiration and
possibility blend ideally. I’ve had the chance
to perform as a soloist with the Charleston
Symphony Orchestra, the Charleston Metropolitan
Civic Orchestra, and the College
of Charleston Chamber Orchestra. I’ve also
performed four times in Piccolo Spoleto and
at other presitigious music festivals in Vermont,
Canada and Spain. I can think of very
few places where a student artist can find
such effective nurturing and encouragement
toward professionalism.”
Javier Orman ’06
|
Community Planning