Music Performance
An Artist Diploma in Performance or Chamber Music provides you with the real-world skills you need for success in a competitive and demanding professional environment. Simply put, you will learn from artist-teachers who are networked into the music industry from New York to LA, from Beijing to Sydney, and across Europe. Work alongside solo artists, recording artists, contractors, entrepreneurs, members of military ensembles, composers and arrangers, and many more.
- Our GRAMMY Award-winning faculty are networked into the international music industry and know exactly what it takes to be successful in careers from the concert hall to the recording studio, sound stage, or outdoor music festival.
- In addition to curricular concerts and events, students have opportunities to perform professionally in multiple ensembles including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Opera and Ballet Orchestras, and Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, to name a few.
- Our students benefit from master classes presented by internationally-recognized music experts and guest artists.
- The Institute of Entertainment, Music, and Media Arts (IEMMA) allows you to engage in real-world activities and connect with industry-leading professionals while on campus.
- Through coursework and internships, you will learn to manage the business and promotional aspects of professional music-making.
- Our graduates succeed. They can be found performing virtually every style of music locally, nationally, and around the world.
Solo Performance Track
If you want to hone your personal performance and dive deep into your instrumental repertoire, an Artist Diploma in Performance allows you to cultivate your stage presence and better connect with your audience. You will also build entrepreneurial skills and learn how to market yourself as a solo artist in the music industry.
Chamber Music Track
If you are looking for a more collaborative experience, an Artist Diploma in Chamber Music will provide an array of opportunities for you to develop your small group playing and help you build performance skills that will allow you to perform with any combination of instruments or voice parts in a variety of venues and performance settings.
Audition Overview
Admission to the Mary Pappert School of Music also includes a formal audition. Learn more about the audition process & guidelines.
Program Information
Available tracks: Solo Performance and Chamber Music. Varied curricula for each applied area—brass, guitar, keyboards, percussion, strings, voice, woodwinds. See catalog for specific details.
Program Type
Major
Degree
Certificate
School
Academic Department
Performance (Music)
Duration
2-year
Required Credit Hours
30
Alumni Perspective
Attending Duquesne for an Artist Diploma was one of the best career decisions I ever made. The access to top-notch faculty and close proximity to the world class Pittsburgh Symphony made it the perfect situation to vault my musical career forward!
Chair of Performance
Hone Your Performing Skills
Regardless of degree path, each student benefits from one-on-one instruction with our world-class faculty.
Duquesne's ensembles will provide you with the finest university-level performing experiences available, preparing you for your career as a professional musician. As a member, you will perform on campus, as well as at some of the best venues for music in the city. Our students have performed at Heinz Hall, Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, the August Wilson Center, the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, and many more.
Find Out More About Studying Jazz at Duquesne
Students and faculty of the Mary Pappert School of Music participate in over 200 annual
concerts and recitals, held both on- and off-campus in a variety of venues.
PNC Recital Hall and the Dr. Thomas D. Pappert Center for Performance and Innovation
are two of the primary performances spaces in our building. In addition, some larger-scale
events are held in other University spaces, including the Charles J. Dougherty Ballroom
in the University's Power Center, the Student Union Ballroom, and the Chapel of the
Holy Spirit, to name a few. Dedicated in 2001, the PNC Recital Hall provides an intimate performance space for
faculty and student recitals, as well as small chamber group performances, and comfortably
seats an audience of 250. The stage is large enough to accommodate a small orchestra,
and the live acoustics make it ideal for chamber music and solo performance. The hall
is equipped with two Model D nine-foot Steinway concert grand pianos that are among
the finest in the Pittsburgh region, as well as a 2-manual harpsichord by Anderson
H. Dupree. A built-in audio/visual system enables technology students to present multimedia
performance projects complete with video projection and surround sound. Audience Perspective Stage Perspective PNC Recital Hall performances can be recorded in both audio and video from a dedicated
recording room backstage via a remote-controlled high definition PTZ camera, as well
as a pair of DPA Compact 4011 cardioid microphones and a spaced pair of DPA SMK4061
omnidirectional microphones suspended above the stage. The recital hall stage can
also be tied into the adjacent Recording Complex for more involved multi-track recording
sessions. Acoustics can be varied by retracting or deploying the heavy draperies surrounding
the stage, and the stage is fully equipped with several movable acoustic shell panels. Each year, many students and faculty utilize the PNC Recital Hall for recitals and
concerts. In addition, the room also doubles as a classroom/lecture space for larger
classes and guest artist master classes. A portable SMART board for high-definition,
interactive presentations is available for use in both the PNC Recital Hall and the
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 (movement classes, such as
Eurhythmics), making use of a concealed whiteboard and the aforementioned audio/visual
amenities. The Dr. Thomas D. Pappert Center for Performance and Innovation provides our students
and faculty with a technologically sophisticated and acoustically superb space. Designed
and built for the optimal sound experience, the Pappert Center incorporates visionary
thinking in acoustic engineering and is equipped with the latest audio/visual and
recording technologies. This resource inspires our students and faculty to achieve
the highest levels of creativity and artistry in their musical ventures. Presentations and performances can be captured digitally in both high definition video
and audio. These captures can be used for packaging media and streaming broadcasts
for internet, television, and radio. In addition to its versatility as a performance
and recording venue, the Pappert Center also serves as a rehearsal space for several
of our large ensembles, including the Duquesne Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony,
and Symphony Band, and can also be adapted to serve as a classroom/lecture space for
classes and clinics with larger numbers of students. Instead of a raised stage that limits open space, roughly one-third of the Pappert
Center's floor is finished in a hardwood "stage." Theatrical lighting, a variety of
seating arrangements, and a high-tech audio/visual system, including a 16-foot video
projection screen and surround sound audio, complete the transformation from a rehearsal
space to a performance venue that can seat over 100 people. Inside the Pappert Center, you will have the ability to utilize one of our four Model
D Steinway grand pianos, as well as easy access to the instrumental music library.
Percussion studios and storage are also directly adjacent, making for easy setup/teardown. The Pappert Center is directly tied into the William M. Schrecengost Memorial Mastering
Suite where concerts, recitals, and rehearsals can be captured, recorded, and prepared for
critical listening purposes, enhancing the experience of those studying state-of-the-art
techniques in digital audio, video production, and broadcast media. Many of our ensembles regularly perform off-campus in some of Pittsburgh's most notable
halls, auditoriums, and churches, including: Other notable venues outside of Pittsburgh in which our ensembles have had the opportunity
to perform have included both Carnegie Music Hall and Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Lincoln
Center in New York City, as well as many other prestigious venues around the country.
The Voices of Spirit travel regularly, recently performing in various venues in Canada. As a student of the Mary Pappert School of Music, you will have access to over 60
practice/rehearsal spaces throughout the building. These spaces are equipped with
amenities including Steinway pianos, full-length mirrors, and music stands. Large
ensemble rooms and classrooms are also available by request. 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. 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.Performance Facilities
Explore PNC Recital Hall
See the PNC Recital Hall in Concert
PNC Recital Hall Lobby
Explore PNC Recital Hall Lobby
Explore the Pappert Center
Standard Practice Room
Piano Major Practice Rooms
Matty and Eddie Shiner Practice Rooms
Learning Outcomes