Music at UCI
The curricular philosophy of the Department of Music is based on the ideals of the conservatory within the academy. We are concerned with the performance and creation of music within the context of the highest standards of historical aesthetic, and theoretical inquiry. This philosophy is reflected in both the undergraduate and graduate curricula, and in the makeup of the faculty and student cohort as well. At the same time, we take seriously the value of education in music for the broader student body, and toward that end we offer a range of courses for non-majors that explore music in the humanistic domain. Our performing ensembles are open to all qualified students, regardless of whether they are music majors or not.
Our faculty includes composers, musicologists and music theorists, conductors, and performers. We view this versatility and flexibility as a particular strength of the faculty and a direct reflection of the multi-faceted nature of our curricular concept as well. All members of the faculty are highly active in their fields, as publishing scholars, concert and recording artists, and well-known composers. Many of the instrumental instructors are drawn from the ranks of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony, and other orchestras in Southern California.
Facilities
The Department is located within the Claire Trevor School of the Arts campus. The Music & Media Building (MM) contains the Department Office and most faculty and staff offices, teaching studios, and classrooms, as well as rehearsal spaces, several practice rooms, a percussion studio, a keyboard laboratory, and various other specialized spaces. Additional practice rooms are located in the Mesa Arts Building.
The Arts Instruction and Technology Resource Center (AITR) contains a large choral and orchestral rehearsal studio. Located on the second floor of AITR, the Arts Media Center (AMC) comprises the central music reference and technology resource in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts. This modern facility iis equipped with CD, phonograph, VHS, DVD, DAT, laserdisc, six-station Mac lab, a Dance/AV Room and quiet study and listening areas. The AMC houses an extensive collection of classical, jazz, and world music audio and video recordings, including more than 3,500 CDs and 7,000 LPs, as well as musical scores, video recordings, laserdiscs, and CD-ROMs. The facilities include a scanner, laser printer, and four music workstations with MIDI keyboards. Users employ computers and state-of-the-art music technologies for composition, notation, musicianship, laban notation, basic graphics, networking, data communications, writing, and interactive technologies.
Performance Venues
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The Claire Trevor Theatre seats approximately 400 patrons and is the largest performance space in the School of the Arts complex. The Trevor Theatre is used for choral and orchestral performances, as well as for performances of opera and musical theater. |
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Winifred Smith Hall, named for one of the Department's most generous donors, provides an intimate recital space with seating for approximately 200 patrons. Smith Hall contains the Oberbergen Pipe Organ and a nine-foot concert grand piano. Home to the annual Chamber Music Series, the facility is also used for student recitals and various other small-group performances. |
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The Irvine Barclay Theater, located only a few minutes' walk from the School of the Arts complex, is a joint venture of the University and the City of Irvine. Each year the Department schedules several events in this beautiful facility, including selected performances of the University Symphony. |
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Technology
The Gassmann Electronic Music Studio, located in 20 Mesa Arts Building, is a state-of-the-art Macintosh-based studio for digital recording and MIDI composition.
The REALab (Realtime Experimental Audio Laboratory), located in 216 Music and Media Building, is a laboratory for research and creative activity in the use of computers in live musical performance, including realtime audio processing, sound spatialization, networked performance, interactivity, and alternative computer-mediated instruments.
The Beall Center for Art and Technology supports research and exhibitions that explore new relationship between the arts, sciences, and engineering, and thus promote new forms of creation and expression using digital technologies. The Beall Center aspires to redefine the museum/gallery experience, both in content and form, suggesting answers to the question of how technology can be used effectively, not only to create new forms of art, but also to connect artist to artist, and artist with audience.
For more details on technology facilities and the policies governing their use, please consult this document, maintained by Professor Christopher Dobrian.