Visual & Performing Arts

Program Description

University of the Pacific

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With its talented students, dedicated faculty members, distinguished guest artists, and diverse range of performances, the Conservatory of Music at the University of the Pacific has been recognized as one of the top music schools for more than 128 years. The Conservatory is a charter member of the National Association of Schools of Music (1928) and was the first accredited professional school of music in the western United States. The mission of the Conservatory is to provide superior educational opportunities, to be a significant musical resource for the University and the community, and to have a significant impact on the future of music.

Bachelor’s degrees in jazz studies, music, music composition, music education, music history, music management, music performance, and music therapy and master’s degrees in music education and music therapy are offered.

Conservatory students are musically talented, intellectually gifted, and inquisitive. In addition to studies within their majors, students take courses throughout the University as part of their general education program. The close relationship among all the academic units of the University ensures a broad range of educational opportunities.

Campus and Surroundings

Stockton (population 290,000), situated between San Francisco and the Sierra Nevada, is California’s largest inland port. The area provides unlimited cultural and recreational opportunities within a short drive, including entertainment in San Francisco; skiing, camping, and backpacking in the Sierra Nevada; and waterskiing and boating in the California Delta area.

Program Facilities

 The activities of the Conservatory of Music are centered around four buildings. The beautiful 950-seat Faye Spanos Concert Hall opened in 1927 and underwent extensive renovation in 1988. The building houses several faculty studios, practice rooms, and the Conservatory administration offices. The intimate 120-seat Recital Hall has a wonderful acoustical environment, perfect for recitals, master classes, workshops, and other presentations. The Rehearsal Center houses the Instrumental Rehearsal Hall, Choral Rehearsal Hall, two faculty offices, and the band and orchestra music libraries. Buck Hall is the center of most of the classroom teaching in the Conservatory. It houses four large classrooms, a conference and seminar room, a ProTools-based composition studio, and many faculty offices and teaching studios. In the summer of 2006, the Conservatory designed and installed a state-of-the-art music technology laboratory in Buck Hall for both classroom instruction and Conservatory student use. The lab is based on nineteen Apple computers running current versions of Logic Pro 7, a digital audio workstation; Sibelius for music notation; Final Cut Studio 2 (Final Cut Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, Color, Compessor, and DVD Studio Pro) for audio and video editing; Photoshop for image editing; Dreamweaver for Web design; and other supporting software. There is also a 5.1 surround-sound system for the composition and analysis of music for film.

A fifth building, Owen Hall, is located west of the Conservatory, near the center of the campus. Owen Hall houses the keyboard laboratory, several faculty studios, and approximately twenty individual practice rooms. It also contains rehearsal facilities for the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet. A ProTools recording studio for recording technique classes, planned to be added in 2008, will also allow faculty members and students to make professional-quality recordings.

Faculty, Resident Artists, and Alumni

Conservatory faculty members are well qualified to teach, perform, and mentor students throughout their collegiate experiences and into their professional careers. They are dedicated and committed to providing high-quality educational and performance experiences for students and the community.

Student Performance Opportunities

Musical performance is the core element of being a music major at the University of the Pacific. The Conservatory of Music has a proud tradition of excellence in its student music presentations and in the success of its graduates who enter the world of performance. The musical life of the campus is rich and varied, with more than 120 performances each year by Conservatory students, faculty members, and visiting artists from throughout the country and beyond. Solo performance opportunities abound in the Conservatory. There are also many opportunities for students to perform in a wide variety of ensembles.

Special Programs

Dave Brubeck, the legendary icon of jazz and American music, graduated from the Conservatory of Music at the College of the Pacific in 1942. Brubeck gave his entire archival collection of his life’s work to the University of the Pacific in 2000. In turn, the University created the Brubeck Institute to honor its distinguished alumnus. Students in the jazz studies program participate in and benefit from all clinics, workshops, and other on-campus experiences provided to the Brubeck Institute’s Fellowship Program. They also have access to the Brubeck Archive and participate in the annual Brubeck Festival. Exceptional jazz studies majors are encouraged to audition for the Fellowship Program.

Application Procedures

Deadline--freshmen and transfers: February 15. Required: essay, high school transcript, college transcript(s) for transfer students, letter of recommendation, interview, audition, SAT or ACT test scores. Recommended: minimum 3.0 high school GPA. Auditions held 4 times on campus; recorded music is permissible as a substitute for live auditions if a campus visit is impossible and videotaped performances are permissible as a substitute for live auditions if a campus visit is impossible.

Undergraduate Contact

Mrs. Katherine Harper, Coordinator of Student Services, Conservatory of Music, University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, California 95211; 209-946-2418, fax: 209-946-2770.

Graduate Contact

Robin Lattin, Recruitment Administrator, Office of Research and Graduate Studies, University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, California 95211; 209-946-2261, fax: 209-946-2858.