Performance excellence. Innovative creation. Integrative research.
Welcome to UCI Music - where artists, scholars, and innovators come together to explore, create, and perform.
Message from the Chair of the Department of Music
Welcome! We are a dynamic, friendly hub for music at UC Irvine. All UCI students can audition for our ensemble courses including Choirs, Symphony, Wind Ensemble, Jazz, and Opera. For undergrads, we offer the B.A. and B.Mus. degree, both featuring close interaction with our outstanding faculty, and we also offer a Minor in Music and diverse GEs. Our grad programs include a Ph.D. in Integrated Composition, Improvisation and Technology (ICIT) and M.F.A.s in music performance. We present public concerts throughout the year, and cultivate numerous partnerships and collaborations both on and off campus. Please join us!
Upcoming Events
Musical Humor and the Marx Brothers with musicologist Beth Levy
Please join us in the third floor CAC Colloquium room May 7 at 4 p.m. for the first of our 2026 musicology...
UCI Opera with UCI Symphony Orchestra: Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief
UCI Opera presents a concert-style performance of Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief, a witty one...
UCI Jazz Combos - spring 2026
The Department of Music invites you to an exciting evening of music and improvisation as UC Irvine’s...
ICIT Showcase Concert - spring 2026
Original works by Ph.D. students in Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology (ICIT) showcase...
Spotlight in the Department of Music
UC Irvine Cellist Sarah Koo Freeman Receives Unit 18 Faculty Professional Development Award
Playing in Real Time
Concerto Competition Winners Face Upcoming Performance With Grit And Creativity
UCI Arts Alumna Lauren Han ’16 Performs at the 98th Academy Awards
How Real-World Learning at UC Prepares Students for Evolving Careers
Leaders in Performance, Creation, and Scholarship
The department is led by nationally and internationally recognized faculty artists and scholars who are highly active in their professional fields, while also being deeply committed to teaching, mentoring and engaging with the campus and regional community.
Current and Prospective Students
The Department of Music at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts is a dynamic center of musical activity, offering degrees in performance, creation and scholarship that feature close engagement with faculty, and serving the broader campus through wide-ranging classes and ensembles. Our curriculum is built around three core areas: Performance, Integrated Composition Improvisation and Technology (ICIT), and History and Theory of Music.
Student Resources
Prospective Students
Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students
In the News
UC Irvine Cellist Sarah Koo Freeman Receives Unit 18 Faculty Professional Development Award
Playing in Real Time
Concerto Competition Winners Face Upcoming Performance With Grit And Creativity
Unfortunately, you will not be invited to a second round audition. Refer to your Applicant Portal for the University decision by the decision date.
No, we do not provide feedback.
This depends on your instrument/voice; please find this information on the Undergraduate Auditions page.
For in-person auditions, doors open at 9am, and auditions begin at 10am. Please arrive early enough to walk from the parking structure to the Music & Media building, check in at the Music Office, and warm up for 10 minutes. We recommend arriving at least 30 minutes before your audition.
Find information about visitor parking, including rates, here. We recommend parking in the Mesa Parking Structure.
Yes, numerous UCI students from across campus take music classes and ensembles. Most of our ensemble classes are open via audition to all UCI students, including Wind Ensemble, Symphony, Choral Ensembles, Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Combos. Please see About Ensemble for information on auditions and enrollment. We also offer serve the campus through offering many large GE classes, and some smaller, upper-division undergraduate courses are also open to non-music majors.
Entrance to our B.Mus. degree requires auditions. Entrance to our B.A. degree does not require auditions or an application process.
Undergraduate Admissions.
The Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.) degree is offered in piano, vocal arts, and strings and provides pre-professional training in Western classical music performance, including four years of individual lessons. The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree provides students with a broad foundation in music studies, and students also complete one of two emphases: 1) History and Theory (HTM); or 2) Integrated Composition, Improvisation and Technology (ICIT).
Undergraduate Programs.
All students who wish to be a music major should indicate that on the UC Application. Those wishing to enter the B.Mus. degree must also submit a Music Audition Application via the Music Department website and follow the instructions for the audition process.
Undergraduate Auditions.
For admission to the B.Mus. degree, you must complete the online Music Audition Application by the posted deadline and pass the prescreening round to audition in-person in January.
Undergraduate Auditions.
Audition requirements vary by instrument and program and can be found on our website. Be prepared to perform selected repertoire and demonstrate sight-reading or other skills.
Undergraduate Auditions.
The B.A. degree does not require an audition or experience with classical music, and it is designed to support a wide variety of interests and future career goals. The department welcomes students from diverse musical backgrounds into the B.A. degree and into many of our classes.
Yes, beginning in fall 2025 we offer a Minor in Music.
Undergraduate Programs.
Practice room access is limited to music majors and non-majors who are currently enrolled in a department ensemble class. Keys and access cards are issued through the Music Office upon request.
Practice Room Guidelines.
Music majors may make a recurring reservation for one AITR building practice room for one hour per day during Week 1 of each quarter. Sign-up sheets are posted near the Music Office.
Welcome Week takes place during the three days before fall classes begin and includes important placement exams for theory and musicianship, ensemble auditions, and orientation sessions.
Welcome Week Schedule
Students will receive information on placement exams during the summer. Reviewing basic music theory and ear training is strongly recommended.
New Music Major Information
Degree recitals (for junior and senior music majors) must be coordinated carefully with your studio teacher, your Collaborative Musician (accompanist) and the Production Manager. A recital request form, timeline, and other requirements are provided by the department and explained during Welcome Week.
Recital Info
Complete a key request form in the Music Office. Once approved, keys are issued by the Dean’s Office.
Lockers are available to music majors on a first-come, first-served basis. Email the department to request or join the waitlist.
Music Department Orientation Guide (PDF)
Music majors may reserve rooms by submitting an email reservation request to <music@uci.edu> at least two business days in advance. Include your name, purpose, date, time, and preferred room.
Lost keys carry a $100 replacement fee and may also result in restricted access to facilities.
Room Reservations & Key Policy
The Music Department main office is on the 3rd floor of the Music & Media Building (MM), in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at UC Irvine. Classes and rehearsals take place in the MM building as well as other spaces including the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC), the Arts Instructional Technology Resource (AITR) building, Winifred Smith Hall (WSH), and the Mesa Office Building (MOB).
Visitors may park in the Mesa Parking Structure (MPS) or Student Center Parking Structure (SCPS). Paid visitor permits are required and can be purchased at kiosks or via the ParkMobile app.
Parking Information
Many diverse student and faculty concerts take place throughout the year, some free admission and some ticketed. Visit the Claire Trevor School of the Arts events calendar to view upcoming concerts, recitals, and performances hosted by the Music Department.
UCI Arts Events Calendar
For general inquiries, email music@uci.edu or call the Music Department Office at (949) 824-6615 during business hours.
Contact the Department
