BM in Music Theory (Shepherd School of Music)
Rice University — Houston, TX
About this program
Rice University is a highly selective private research university in Houston, Texas, consistently ranked among the top universities in the United States. The Shepherd School of Music — named for Houston banker Benjamin A. Shepherd through an endowment by Sallie Shepherd Perkins — is one of the nation's most prestigious university-based music conservatories. It is housed in the 1991 Alice Pratt Brown Hall (architect Ricardo Bofill) and the 2022 Brockman Music and Performing Arts Center, which added a state-of-the-art opera and performance theater building. Combined, the facilities include the 1,000-seat Stude Concert Hall, the 250-seat Duncan Recital Hall, the Edythe Bates Old Grand Organ, an opera studio, 65 practice rooms, and 54 teaching studios. The Shepherd School admits approximately 15% of undergraduate applicants — among the most selective music programs in the country. The conservatory approach is built around small cohorts: the total undergraduate student body is limited to approximately 275 uniquely gifted young musicians. The school gives every music major access to world-class teachers — all accomplished professional artists — in a small, individualized setting uncommon at a research university of Rice's stature. All incoming students to the Shepherd School must audition for admission.
Audition & application overview
- Requires a live or recorded audition
- Requires a dance audition
- Requires an essay
In Person
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