Music
The Department of Music provides a creative environment for the study and performance of music with a global perspective, and encourages students to develop skills, expand knowledge, and contribute actively to society as artists and citizens.
We offer a diverse curriculum that engages students in historical and cultural study, as well as analysis, creation, and performance of music.
Our emphasis on global perspective and experiential learning provides opportunities for each student to explore and develop their own musical passions, and to collaborate with peers and faculty in many ways, including through interdisciplinary work, ensemble participation, and independent projects.
Open Position: Assistant Professor of Music
The Department of Music invites applicants for a full-time tenure-track position in music theory beginning fall 2026. The successful candidate will demonstrate expertise in music theory and a commitment to undergraduate liberal arts pedagogy. We seek an experienced and innovative instructor with ability to teach courses that integrate theory with history, ethnomusicology, analysis, creative work, and performance across our curriculum.
Read more about this position.
Performance Opportunities
African Music and Dance
Chamber Music
College Choir
Community Chorus
College Orchestra
Collegium
Jazz
Musical Theater
All Music Department courses, ensembles, lessons, and other activities are equally available to nonmajors and majors alike. The curriculum for music majors offers a balance between thoroughness and flexibility, offering each student a chance to develop areas of strength in the context of a broad liberal arts education.
A wide range of lessons are available—including piano, voice, and most orchestral instruments.
Our Facilities
The MAC
The 100,000-square-foot Kevin P. Mahaney ’84 Center for the Arts, known as the MAC, is a hub of arts activity on campus. It’s also home to the Music Department and includes practice rooms, lockers, an electronic music studio, and a 372-seat concert hall.
Explore the MACUpcoming Events
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Carillon Concert Series
The Carillon Concert Series features beautiful concerts from Middlebury Chapel’s bell tower. The melodic sounds of the carillon bells will ring out across the campus. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket! Free and open to the public.
Performer: Charles Semowich, Carillonneur Emeritus, Riverside Church, NYC
For more information about the performers and programs, please click here.
Middlebury Chapel
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Recital by Matthew Quayle & Friends
Composer-pianist Matthew Quayle (Visiting Assistant Professor of Music) presents an eclectic recital of original music, joined by cellist Jameson Platte and clarinetist Kate Forman Quayle. This energetic and expressive program features premieres of several works: Sonata No. 6, Episodes for bass clarinet and piano, and Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (revised, in an arrangement for cello and piano). Other pieces include Sonata No. 5 and Quayle’s virtuosic take on the pas de deux from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.
Mahaney Arts Center, Olin C. Robison Concert Hall
Open to the Public
Free
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Tuvergen Musicians
This lecture-demonstration journeys from the traditional soundscapes of the Mongolian steppe to the creative and dynamic innovations of the global present. Through a combination of musical sound and spoken lecture, listeners will be transported into the complex and interconnected sound worlds of Mongolia, Tuva, and Inner Mongolia. This event will feature Inner Mongolian musicians and co-founders of the Chicago-based duo Hun Hazy, Tamir Hargana and Naizal Hargana, along with researched commentary by Skidmore ethnomusicologist, Charlotte D’Evelyn.
Mahaney Arts Center, Olin C. Robison Concert Hall
Open to the Public
Free