Learn and Perform in State-of-the-Art Facilities

The Mary Pappert School of Music is housed in a 4-story building on the main campus of Duquesne University. Lockers are available in the building for students to store instruments and personal belongings. For security, a system of surveillance cameras is located inside and outside of the building. As a music student, you will typically have access to the building from 6:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. seven days a week. 

The school is also in close proximity to dormitories, parking facilities, dining facilities, and the Gumberg Library/Mary Jane Schulz Music Library

All Steinway School

all steinway schoolThe Mary Pappert School of Music is counted among a select group of prestigious schools of music that are officially designated as "All Steinway Schools." You will have access to 68 Steinway pianos that are part of the school's performance halls, rehearsal rooms, and teaching and practice studios. If your applied instrument is piano, you will also have access to specially designated rooms that contain baby grand pianos; other practice rooms are supplied with studio upright pianos. A two-manual harpsichord is also available for practice and recitals.

Check Out Our Facilities

Two acoustically superb performance facilities—PNC Recital Hall and the Dr. Thomas D. Pappert Center for Performance and Innovation—are among the many places you'll have access to for rehearsals, classes, and performances. Recording studios and music technology labs throughout the building can be accessed with a swipe of your student ID card. There are also helpful resources and places to relax in the building too!

Female singer and male pianist perform in PNC Recital Hall

PNC Recital Hall

Dedicated in 2001, the PNC Recital Hall comfortably seats an audience of 250 and boasts ideal acoustics for student and faculty recitals and chamber music performances. A built-in audio/visual system enables technology students to present multimedia performance projects complete with video projection and surround sound. In addition, the room also doubles as a classroom space for larger classes and guest artist master classes.

PNC Recital Hall Lobby

The PNC Recital Hall Lobby is a multi-purpose space acoustically isolated from the recital hall and is equipped for hosting receptions with an adjacent kitchen. Two large-screen televisions and a sound system capable of simulcasting live events inside the hall are also available. In addition, the lobby is routinely used as a classroom (particularly for movement classes, such as Eurhythmics), making use of a concealed whiteboard and the aforementioned audio/visual amenities.

Dr. Thomas D. Pappert Center for Performance & Innovation

Technologically sophisticated and tremendously versatile, the Dr. Thomas D. Pappert Center for Performance allows for a multitude of seating arrangements and an audience of over 100 people. The Pappert Center is directly tied into the William M. Schrecengost Memorial Mastering Suite, where concerts, recitals, and rehearsals can be recorded and prepared for critical listening purposes. The Pappert Center also serves as a rehearsal space for our ensembles and can be adapted to serve as a classroom/lecture space for larger classes.

More About Performance

Students play instrument in a teaching studio.

Acoustically treated classrooms with high ceilings are equipped with grand pianos, audio-visual systems, and comfortable seating, creating an aesthetically pleasing environment for experiencing and studying music. Also, the majority of our classrooms are Hybrid-Flexible (HyFlex), accommodating the simultaneous teaching of in-person students and online learners using sophisticated audio/visual equipment.

Room 206 (Choir Room)

This large rehearsal space, dedicated primarily to choral rehearsals, is equipped with an audio/visual system, two Steinway model B grand pianos, and an Allen Digital Computer Organ.

Room 107, 201, 307

Primarily used as classroom spaces, these rooms host full audio/visual systems for in-class critical listening activities. In addition, Room 107 houses a Schlicker organ. Room 307 is the largest of the three and also features an integrated Smartboard, as well as a Steinway Model L grand piano.

Teaching Studios

Several of the teaching studios in our building are designed to be specific to larger, less portable instruments including piano, bass, harp, percussion, and organ, as well as a jazz studio equipped with a drumset, baby grand piano, guitar/bass amps, and a digital piano/synth workstation that is used for private instruction and small combo rehearsals.

Two guitarists work in a practice room.

As a student of the Mary Pappert School of Music, you will have access to over 60 practice rooms throughout the building, each equipped with amenities including Steinway pianos, full-length mirrors, and music stands. Large ensemble rooms and classrooms are also available by request.

Percussion students have three dedicated practice rooms (one of which is equipped with a drumset) in addition to the percussion studios. Similarly, organ students can utilize any MPSOM room equipped with an organ for practice. 

Piano Major Practice Rooms

If your applied instrument is piano, you will be granted access to a suite of practice rooms equipped with Steinway baby grand pianos. In addition, one of the piano major practice rooms includes two pianos. The piano practice rooms often double as rehearsal spaces for accompanied instrumental or vocal works. Accompanists and students in the collaborative piano program often use these spaces to prepare for student recitals.

Matty and Eddie Shiner Practice Rooms

On the lowest level of the Mary Pappert School of Music, there is a suite of acoustically-enhanced practice rooms that are larger than standard practice rooms, allowing you to conduct small group rehearsals. These rooms are equipped with Steinway upright pianos and were renovated through the generous gifts of donors who wished to preserve the memory of Matty and Eddie Shiner, renowned trumpet and trombone artists who taught thousands of Duquesne brass students over their years of service.

Student works in music technology studio.

Recording Complex

This fully-equipped, industry-leading recording studio is comprised of four acoustically isolated rooms: a tracking room, vocal isolation room, piano isolation room, and control room. Located on the same floor as the PNC Recital Hall, the two rooms can be connected to provide larger-scale recording capabilities to the primary performance hall in the school.

Schrecengost Memorial Mastering Suite

The William M. Schrecengost Memorial Mastering Suite is a floated and acoustically isolated room that provides a critical listening environment for you to mix and master your recording projects.

Music Technology Center & Keyboard Lab

Both the Music Technology Center and the Keyboard Lab are equipped with 16 workstations and one teacher station. The computers in the Music Technology Center enable you to work on any of the software utilized in your coursework. The workstations in the Keyboard Lab each feature a full-size digital piano with weighted keys as well as computers equipped with Finale and Microsoft Office Suite. The Keyboard lab is used for group piano lessons, music technology classes, and as a general computer/keyboard lab.

More About Music Tech

Mary Pappert School of Music Main Office

The main office of the MPSOM serves as a central hub for students, faculty, and staff. From general copy/print services to mail, locker rental, office supplies, and general guidance, the office staff are here to help you.

Mary Jane Schultz Music Center

The Mary Jane Schultz Music Center, a gift of former Duquesne student William Schultz and his wife Mary Jane, provides you with an ever-expanding resource of music and music-related research materials. Located on the fifth floor of Duquesne University's Gumberg Library, this collection of music resources comprises an extensive collection of musical scores and DVD/CDs, online research databases, and a wealth of archival materials, such as our unique collection of the papers and personal belongings of the composer Paul Hindemith.

Music Education Instrument Storage Room

The Music Education Instrument Storage Room, along with a variety of cabinets throughout the building, features an extensive collection of percussion, woodwind, string, brass, general music, and Modern Band instruments for use in methods and techniques courses. The collection also includes acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, a full Orff instrumentarium, sheet music, methods books, movement materials, early childhood manipulatives, and sound equipment. The collection is updated regularly to reflect the most up-to-date innovations in PreK-12 music classrooms.

Instrumental Ensemble Library

The Instrumental Ensemble library serves Duquesne's large ensembles by procuring and distributing music for rehearsals and concerts. The library houses an impressive collection of wind band and orchestral works in addition to a growing collection of large chamber works. 

There are many places in our building for you to relax and meet other students. Upon entering any of the three main entrances to our building, you're met with warm, welcoming, living room-style areas complete with couches, chairs, and tables for you to use in downtime between rehearsals and classes or on a practice break.

In addition, the second floor of the music building features a student lounge, equipped with plenty of tables, desk space, power outlets to recharge your devices, and vending machines to grab a quick snack.

Visit Us

The Mary Pappert School of Music hosts several days each year where students interested in studying at Duquesne can visit and get answers to their questions, meet with staff and faculty, talk with various campus organizations and service providers, and most importantly, find out what a day in the life of a Duquesne student is like. Each year, there are several audition days, "preview" days, information sessions, and even a day specifically for those students who have already auditioned and been accepted to our school. 

To see a list of all these events, visit the Music Admissions page.

Individual visits are also available. If you would like to schedule a visit, please email musicadmissionsFREEDUQUESNE.  

Ticketing Information

Admission to most Mary Pappert School of Music concerts is a suggested donation of $10 (at the door). Standing exceptions to this are Music on the Bluff concerts ($20 reserved seating) and any concert noted as "Free Admission."

Admission to all events is subject to availability. Ticket prices and events are subject to change without notice.

Venues

There are several venues on Duquesne University's campus that are used for Mary Pappert School of Music Events. These venues include:

  • PNC Recital Hall (1st floor of the Mary Pappert School of Music)
  • Dr. Thomas D. Pappert Center for Performance and Innovation (3rd floor of the Mary Pappert School of Music)
  • Charles J. Dougherty Ballroom (5th floor of the Power Center)
  • Student Union Ballroom (4th floor of the Student Union)

In addition, many concerts and recitals are held in performance venues around the city of Pittsburgh. Frequently used venues include Heinz Hall, Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland, the Twentieth Century Club, Trinity Cathedral, the August Wilson Center, and many more. Check each event listed on our calendar for the venue's street address.

For our most up-to-date event listings, please view the Calendar of Events

Parking for visitors attending events at the Mary Pappert School of Music is available in the Forbes Avenue Parking Garage. Concert patrons may also park in the Locust Street Parking Garage by crossing over on the seventh floor of the Forbes Avenue Parking Garage (only lease holders may enter at the Locust Garage entrance). 

In the event that PPG Paints Arena or the A.J. Palumbo Center has an event on the same day as a School of Music event, a higher event rate may be enforced. When this occurs, the School of Music will provide patrons an Affiliated Rate Ticket, which will reduce the parking rate to standard evening/weekend rate. 

Check out the University Parking website for more information.