for today, and for the future
future
Discover the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, where you can expand your artistry through a dynamic curriculum that blends traditional and interdisciplinary learning experiences.
Whether you aspire to be a performer, teacher, composer, scholar, music industry leader, or lifelong music advocate, our programs, in partnership with our College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, provide an environment where you’ll develop skills, build lifelong connections, and find a second family.
We’ll support you every step of the way—through your college journey, career, and beyond.
thrive as a student
core musicianship
Gain comprehensive training through private lessons, ensembles, music theory, musicology, and keyboard skills.
muLti-musicaLity
Develop versatility and cultural awareness through a variety of music styles, including jazz, songwriting, contemporary music, and world music ensembles.
LiberaL arts education
Combine deep intellectual exploration with creative pursuits for a well-rounded, interdisciplinary education.
“i came to Lawrence specificaLLy for the professors... my success is LargeLy due to their guidance.”
- Jasper Kashou ’24
MUSIC EDUCATION AND MUSIC PERFORMANCE (SAXOPHONE) CEDARBURG, WI
In 2023, the Lawrence Symphonic Band premiered Jasper ’ s Let’s Lift the Bandstand. He also is a winner of the Conservatory’s annual concerto competition.
student
community coLLaboration
Engage in positive change through the arts with programs and ensemble tours, making a difference in the local community and beyond.
practicaL eXperience
Participate in meaningful arts internships and programs. Partner with organizations like Carnegie Hall, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the New York Jazz Academy, and the Merit School of Music.
eXceL as a musician
“i’m so gratefuL for my time at Lawrence that didn’t Just teach me how to sing but taught me how to feeL and thinK deepLy about the worLd.”
- emiLy richter ’20 music performance (vocaL) London, uK
Emily, a soprano, was a standout performer during her undergraduate years and is one of five rising opera singers named winners of the 2024 Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition.
performance reimagined
Break the norms of traditional performances and engage audiences in fresh and compelling ways.
entrepreneuriaL mindset
Combine creativity with business through enriching internships and opportunities that shape the world of music.
recording and production arts
Gain practical experience in recording and production with access to multiple studios and support for your own projects.
creative impuLse
Prepare for the evolving world of music with a creative, adaptive curriculum.
Michael Murphy ’23, Senior recital at Gibson Music Hall
prepare for a fuLfiLLing Life in the music worLd and shape the future of the industry.
performance
Performance graduates work in orchestras, opera companies, chamber groups, bands, and self-created ensembles. They are freelance musicians, military musicians, and teaching artists. Musicians from Lawrence perform around the world.
music education
Music Education graduates have a 100% job placement in schools across the country and globally.
studio teaching
Graduates and students at Lawrence often set up their own teaching studios or teach through other organizations as part of their musical life.
graduate schooL
Approximately 34% of graduates directly enter graduate school where they pursue a wide variety of interests such as performance, musicology, ethnomusicology, theory, music therapy, arts management, music education, as well as many fields outside of music.
34% graduate schooL 3% feLLowships, service, or traveLing
arts management
Lawrentians work at and often have leadership roles at various arts organizations that bring music and the arts to communities across the country, including:
S T. PAUL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
CHICAGO SYMPHONY
MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY
NEW YORK JAZZ ACADEMY
DALLAS OPERA
MIDORI & FRIENDS
composition
Composition graduates find success as classical composers, film composers, jazz and contemporary composers, and singer-songwriters.
recording, engineering, and production
Graduates find and often create jobs as recording engineers, producers, and live concert sound designers.
music education graduates have a 100% Job pLacement in schooLs across the country and around the worLd
degree options
Choose from four degrees and multiple majors to explore all Lawrence University has to offer.
Note: Students who are not music majors may still participate in ensembles, lessons and classes.
bacheLor of music (b.mus.)
Primary focus on music within a liberal arts context for students majoring in performance, music education, music theory, or composition.
bacheLor of arts in music (b.a.)
A flexible music major, allowing a broader liberal arts focus on the academic subjects that interest you most.
bacheLor of musicaL arts (b.m.a.)
Track in Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation with the flexibility to explore other areas in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
doubLe degree (b.a./b.mus.)
Immerse yourself in music and at least one other field through this five-year program.
Students rehearse a scene in the opera Cendrillon
Scan this code to learn about our amazing faculty.
areas of music study
music maJors
PERFORMANCE
EDUCATION
(choral, general, instrumental)
THEORY
COMPOSITION
JAZZ & CONTEMPORARY IMPROVISATION
(B.M.A. track)
MUSIC (B.A. major)
conservatory studios
BASSOON
CELLO
CLARINET
areas of emphasis
Can be added to a music major
JAZZ AND IMPROVISATIONAL MUSIC
COLLABORATIVE PIANO
music minors
PEDAGOGY
THEORY
MUSIC
(B.A. minor)
PERCUSSION
SAXOPHONE
TROMBONE
VIOLA
VIOLIN VOICE
aspiring to be a musician and something eLse? you
can be both.
We know you have lots of dreams, and maybe you have multiple interests and passions. That’s why Lawrence University is uniquely designed to embrace both your musical and non-musical interests. Professors are passionate and committed to developing the whole person with engaging dual-degree programs and courses of study. 24% of Conservatory students graduate with two degrees.
“the individuaLized eXperiences i received at Lawrence shaped me into the scientist that i am today.”
- nicoLette pusKar ’19 chemistry and music performance [vocaL] vero beach, fL
Dual-degree graduate with majors in chemistry and music. Currently working toward her Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, Nicolette performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City in April 2024.
compLete your duaL degree
Students recently have successfully completed B.Mus with B.A. degrees in:
ART HISTORY
BIOLOGY
BIOCHEMISTRY
CHEMISTRY
ENGLISH
ECONOMICS
GENDER STUDIES
GEOLOGY
GLOBAL STUDIES
GOVERNMENT
HISTORY
MATH
PSYCHOLOGY
PHYSICS
RELIGIOUS STUDIES
RUSSIAN STUDIES
SELF-DESIGNED MAJOR
SPANISH
ma
ensembLes Jor
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
WIND ENSEMBLE
NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE
SYMPHONIC BAND
VIKING CHORALE
CANTALA [WOMEN’S CHOIR]
CONCERT CHOIR
JAZZ ENSEMBLE
JAZZ BAND
IMPROVISATION GROUP
PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE
OPERA THEATRE
BALINESE GAMELAN AND MANY MORE...
music for every student
At Lawrence, non-music majors also benefit from outstanding music training and can take private lessons. Almost every ensemble is open to any student by audition, and non-music majors are an integral part of every ensemble. Some ensembles, like the Balinese Gamelan, only require your passionate commitment to join.
you beLong
On Main Hall Green, the centerpiece of campus, you’ll find students from all backgrounds frisbeeing, picnicking, stargazing, hammocking, snowmanbuilding, Instagramming, TikToking, and, of course, music playing.
49 states 12% internationaL students 38 countries our students come from:
some of the traditions you wiLL find at Lawrence:
100+ student groups & activities
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
BAND BOOKING COMMITTEE
CAMPUS CREATIVE COLLECTIVE [C3]
CREATIVE WRITING CLUB
INTRAMURAL SPORTS
JAPANESE CULTURAL EXCHANGE CLUB
LAWRENCE INTERNATIONAL
LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY PREMED CHAPTER
LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY PSYCHOLOGY ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR MUSIC EDUCATION
OUTDOOR RECREATION CLUB
SOL STUDIOS AND MUCH MORE!
varsity sports
NCAA DIVISION III (MEN’S & WOMEN’S)
BASEBALL (M)
BASKETBALL (M&W)
CROSS COUNTRY (M&W)
FENCING (M&W)
FOOTBALL (M)
ICE HOCKEY (M&W)
LACROSSE (M&W)
SOCCER (M&W)
SOFTBALL (W)
SWIMMING & DIVING (M&W)
TENNIS (M&W)
TRACK, INDOOR & OUTDOOR (M&W)
VOLLEYBALL (W)
destination Lawrence
Nestled on the banks of the Fox River, Lawrence University is the top liberal arts college in Wisconsin. It is part of the city of Appleton, which is in one of the fastestgrowing metropolitan areas in the Midwest. The community offers the conveniences of larger cities, yet remains small enough to help students feel safe and connected.
Right away, Appleton will reveal itself as a city that supports and nurtures the arts.
Within walking distance, you will have access to Broadway plays at the Performing Arts Center. During the city’s premier event, Mile of Music, you will enjoy 200-plus original musical artists at dozens of venues along one very special stretch of College Avenue.
Adjacent to campus are coffee shops, affordable restaurants, fun stores, and a farmers market. Students also enjoy nearby cultural attractions like the Trout Museum of Art, Gibson Community Music Hall, and Houdini Plaza.
direct fLights to appLeton from:
ATLANTA, GA
CHARLOTTE, NC
CHICAGO, IL
DALLAS, TX
DENVER, CO
DETROIT, MI
FORT MYERS/PUNTA GORDA, FL
LAS VEGAS, NV
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, MN
NASHVILLE, TN
NEW YORK, NY/NEWARK, NJ
ORLANDO/SANFORD, FL
PHOENIX/MESA, AZ
TAMPA/ST. PETE, FL
pLus seasonaL
fLights to:
FORT LAUDERDALE/MIAMI, FL
PORTLAND, OR
SARASOTA/BRADENTON, FL
SAVANNAH, GA/HILTON HEAD, SC
dna .
We’re celebrating the 150th anniversary of our Conservatory of Music. For a century and a half, our Conservatory students have been pursuing excellence and using music to create a more thoughtful, meaningful, and beautiful world.
