With a basis in rigorous professional training in musical performance, theory and teaching, coupled with a versatile liberal arts curriculum, Music students experience a deep, well-rounded education at every level of study, preparing them for a diverse range of careers across the spectrum of music and beyond. Beyond the classroom, our students enjoy a wide range of opportunities to experience and perform in concerts and musical ensembles across a wide range of genres and cultures, from classical to chamber music to modern jazz.

Our mission is to develop artists who are critical thinkers, deeply versed in the theory and performance of music, and engaged in the critical and social contexts of music in society. Whether future performers, scholars, or educators, we welcome students who strive for excellence, embrace inclusiveness, and contribute to the diversity of our mission and our art form.

Our Mission

We approach music as an essential part of human culture and therefore aspire to engage with the diversity of musical meanings and practices globally and locally; our student and faculty scholarship enrich understandings of music as sound, text, and activity. We engage with local, regional, national and international communities through teaching, performance, publications, lectures, conferences, symposia, festivals, and other educational and cultural programs.

Our History

Studies in music have been offered at UNCG since its opening in 1892. Courses for music majors who were looking to teach or perform were offered in solfeggio, ear training, and history of music. Beginning in 1912, the school started offering more musical theory class options which included: counterpoint analysis, melody writing, and elementary form. Today, the university offers areas of study in music education, performance, musicology, ethnomusicology, composition, and music theory.

Explore the history of the UNCG School of Music with our interactive timeline of some of the school’s key events.

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Special thanks to the University Libraries, Digital Collections, University Archives, Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections, Sean Mulligan, Erin Lawrimore, and Cassie Hanson for their assistance in compiling information for this timeline.