Program Overview

Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance, Voice

The Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance, Voice is a rigorous three-year course of study culminating in three doctoral performances in lieu of a dissertation, two of which must be song recitals.

Curriculum

Completion of the program normally requires six terms of full-time study beyond the masters degree. Students are expected to attain candidacy effective at the beginning of the sixth term. The minimum requirements include performance, foreign language, music theory, and musicology courses.

• Performance
• Foreign language
• Music theory
• Musicology

Final Project

The final project consists of three doctoral performances in lieu of a dissertation, two of which must be song recitals.

Funding

Nearly all DMA students receive full-tuition fellowships. Most also receive health benefits and a stipend attached to a Graduate Student Assistantship, which can vary in proportion to the appointment fraction and the duties associated with it. In addition to the funding packages offered by the SMTD, Rackham students are also eligible to apply for a wide range of fellowships to fund research, travel, and performance.

Residency Requirement

At least one academic year of full-time residency is required.

Faculty

The faculty members for the Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance, Voice program include:

• Timothy Cheek, Professor of Music, Diction, Vocal Coach
• Stephanie Havey, Assistant Professor of Music, Stage Director
• Freda Herseth, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Music, Applied Voice, Vocal Pedagogy
• Valdis Jansons, Assistant Professor of Music, Applied Voice
• Caitlin Lynch, Norma L. Heyde Faculty Development Professor of Voice & Opera; Assistant Professor of Music, Applied Voice
• Rose Mannino, Lecturer, Applied Voice
• Sahar Nouri, Visiting Associate Professor, Opera Coach/Conductor
• Stanford Olsen, Professor of Music, Applied Voice, Oratorio
• Ana María Otamendi, Associate Professor of Collaborative Piano, Collaborative Piano
• Chía Patińo, Assistant Professor of Music, Stage Director
• Kirk Severtson, Professor of Music, Opera Coach/Conductor
• Matthew Thompson, Clinical Assistant Professor of Music, Vocal Coach
• Louise Toppin, Professor of Music, Applied Voice
• Daniel Washington, Professor of Music, Applied Voice
• Stephen West, Chair of Voice & Opera and Professor of Music, Applied Voice

Performance Opportunities

From large ensembles in celebrated concert halls to chamber groups in intimate recital spaces, performance opportunities across all disciplines abound, with nearly 900 student performances each academic year. Whether your focus is on early, classical, or contemporary music, whether your passion is for jazz, electronic, or world music, there is an ensembleor in many cases, multiple ensemblesto suit your interests, including specific opportunities for percussion, piano, and organ & carillon. For students in theatre & drama, musical theatre, dance, and opera, opportunities abound in both professionally produced and student-run presentations.

• Choir
  • Students can explore opportunities across a wide array of SMTD and U-M choirs that perform a range of choral works in world-class venues in Ann Arbor and beyond.
• Opera
  • Both undergraduate and graduate students have opportunities to perform in fully produced operas and opera workshops as part of this renowned program.
• Early Music Ensembles
  • Students interested in historically oriented performance have opportunities to explore music from across the centuries, performed on authentic period instruments and high-quality replicas.
• Solo & Studio Recitals
  • Across all disciplines, students perform and study with their peers in studio classes and perform for the public in solo student recitals and studio recitals.