Performance (Orchestral Instruments) Major (B.Mus.) (125 credits)
Offered by: Performance (Schulich School of Music)
Degree: Bachelor of Music
Program credit weight: 125
Program Description
The Bachelor of Music; Major Performance (Orchestral Instruments) program provides comprehensive training in the practical and theoretical elements of music. Throughout the program, students receive individual instruction, participate in chamber music and other small ensembles, and perform in large ensembles such as the McGill Symphony Orchestra, Contemporary Music Ensemble, and Wind Orchestra.
The Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.) - Major Performance (Orchestral Instruments) program requires 91 credits (plus 34 credits for the Freshman requirement for out-of-province students).
Special Requirements
- Continuation in the program requires a minimum grade of B- in practical instruction/exams and ensembles.
- Students majoring in violin, viola, or cello must commence basic ensemble training with two terms of MUEN 565 String Quartet Seminar.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Program Prerequisites - Freshman Program (34 credits)
34 credits selected as described below, in consultation with the Program Adviser:
22 credits of Prerequisite Courses
2 credits of Assigned Small Ensemble
4 credits of Large Ensemble
6 credits of Non-Music Electives
Prerequisite Courses
22 credits, all of the courses below:
Note: Applicants who can demonstrate through auditions and placement tests that they have mastered the material in any of the courses below will be exempt from them and may proceed to more advanced courses.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUHL 186 | Western Musical Traditions. | 3 |
Western Musical Traditions. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of Western music from the Middle Ages to the present. Emphasis on key musical concepts and genres in their historical context and aural recognition of style. | ||
| MUIN 180 | BMus Practical Lessons 1. | 3 |
BMus Practical Lessons 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Practical instruction on an instrument or voice. | ||
| MUIN 181 | BMus Practical Lessons 2. | 3 |
BMus Practical Lessons 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Practical examination in clarinet techniques. | ||
| MUPD 135 | Music as a Profession 1. | 1 |
Music as a Profession 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Music Professional Development: An introduction to information, resources, and skills related to physical, mental, and professional well-being for the musician and scholar. | ||
| MUSP 140 | Musicianship Training 1. | 2 |
Musicianship Training 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Rhythm and metre basic subdivisions and conducting patterns; intervals, chords, and scale patterns; non-modulating tonal melodies with treble and bass clefs; harmonic progressions emphasizing two-part outer voice structures. | ||
| MUSP 141 | Musicianship Training 2. | 2 |
Musicianship Training 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Rhythm and metre mixed divisions and syncopations; triadic and seventh chord voicings and disjunct pitch collections; chromatically embellished melodies adding alto clef; simple modulating harmonic progressions emphasizing two-part outer voice structures. | ||
| MUSP 170 | Musicianship (Keyboard) 1. | 1 |
Musicianship (Keyboard) 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Harmonic, melodic and rhythmic analysis at the keyboard through the study of rudiments, repertoire, chorale/score reading, transposition and harmonization. | ||
| MUSP 171 | Musicianship (Keyboard) 2. | 1 |
Musicianship (Keyboard) 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Building chordal fluency. Harmonic vocabulary including sequences, chromaticism and modulation. Chorale and score reading with transposing instruments and alto/tenor clefs. | ||
| MUTH 150 | Theory and Analysis 1. | 3 |
Theory and Analysis 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Diatonic chords and harmonic progressions, focus on outer-voice framework, cadences, embellishments, building chordal fluency in common-practice tonality, applied chords. | ||
| MUTH 151 | Theory and Analysis 2. | 3 |
Theory and Analysis 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Sequences and modulation, chromatic vocabulary, analysis of simple theme types (sentence, period, hybrids) and fugal techniques. | ||
Required Courses (35 credits)
Performance
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUIN 280 | BMus Practical Lessons 3. | 2.5 |
BMus Practical Lessons 3. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Practical instruction on an instrument or voice. | ||
| MUIN 281 | BMus Practical Lessons 4. | 2.5 |
BMus Practical Lessons 4. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Practical instruction on an instrument or voice. | ||
| MUIN 282 | BMus Performance Examination 1. | 1 |
BMus Performance Examination 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Assessment of student's progress in the practical area. | ||
| MUIN 380 | BMus Practical Lessons 5. | 2.5 |
BMus Practical Lessons 5. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Practical instruction on an instrument or voice. | ||
| MUIN 381 | BMus Practical Lessons 6. | 2.5 |
BMus Practical Lessons 6. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Practical instruction on an instrument or voice. | ||
| MUIN 382 | BMus Performance Examination 2. | 1 |
BMus Performance Examination 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Assessment of student's progress in the practical area. | ||
| MUIN 480 | BMus Practical Lessons 7. | 2 |
BMus Practical Lessons 7. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Practical instruction on an instrument or voice. | ||
| MUIN 481 | BMus Practical Lessons 8. | 2 |
BMus Practical Lessons 8. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Practical instruction on an instrument or voice. | ||
| MUIN 482 | BMus Performance Examination 3. | 2 |
BMus Performance Examination 3. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Assessment of student's progress in the practical area. | ||
Theory
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUTH 250 | Theory and Analysis 3. | 3 |
Theory and Analysis 3. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Compositional resources of late 18th and early 19th century music. Analysis of forms common to the period c. 1770 - 1840, including Classical sonata forms in several media. | ||
| MUTH 251 | Theory and Analysis 4. | 3 |
Theory and Analysis 4. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Expanded harmonic resources of the 19th century (e.g., advanced chromaticism including enharmonic reinterpretation and symmetrical division). Analysis of characteristic small and large forms. Writing and analytical skills with a goal toward perceiving how levels of musical structure interact. | ||
| MUTH 350 | Theory and Analysis 5. | 3 |
Theory and Analysis 5. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Exploration of 20th and 21st century organizations of pitch, rhythm, timbre etc. Written and analytical skills for the purpose of gaining insight into the compositional techniques and aesthetics of this repertoire. | ||
Musicianship
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUSP 240 | Musicianship Training 3. | 2 |
Musicianship Training 3. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Rhythm and metre mixed divisions and two-part work; additional chordal voicings and pitch collections; melodies modulating to closely-related keys adding tenor clef; harmonic progression including applied chords; two-part keyboard-style passages. | ||
| MUSP 241 | Musicianship Training 4. | 2 |
Musicianship Training 4. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Changing metres; chord voicings and atonal pitch collections; modulating tonal melodies and score reading of transposing instruments; harmonic progression including chromatic chords; two-part passages. | ||
Music History
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUHL 286 | Critical Thinking About Music. | 3 |
Critical Thinking About Music. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Examination of various periods and styles: e.g., central works from different traditions, the interaction of music and society, performance practice, and music's relation to other arts. | ||
Professional Development
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUPD 235 | Music as a Profession 2. | 1 |
Music as a Profession 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An overview of the responsibilities and skills required of professions in music and of the varied career paths leading from a music degree. | ||
Complementary Courses (33 credits)
Performance
12 credits1 (2 credits per term; as assigned by audition) from Large ensembles:
- 1
All ensemble courses under MUEN may be taken in multiple terms.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUEN 563 | Jazz Vocal Workshop. | 2 |
Jazz Vocal Workshop. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Vocal workshop for jazz musicians. | ||
| MUEN 565 | String Quartet Seminar. | 2 |
String Quartet Seminar. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An overview of the history of the string quartet genre and literature for this formation. Basic principles of string ensemble playing, intonation, matching sound production, cueing, etc., will be addressed. Regular performances in a masterclass setting. Participation in an orchestra program as assigned when warranted by ensemble needs. | ||
| MUEN 573 | Baroque Orchestra. | 2 |
Baroque Orchestra. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Open to singers and instrumentalists, this ensemble specializes in chamber music primarily of the Baroque era. | ||
| MUEN 587 | Cappella McGill. | 2 |
Cappella McGill. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An ensemble of 16 voices performing challenging repertoire from the Renaissance to the present day. Since the expectation is a level of performance equivalent to a professional chamber ensemble, singers wishing to join this group should have had considerable ensemble experience, and advanced vocal and sight-reading skills. | ||
| MUEN 590 | McGill Wind Orchestra. | 2 |
McGill Wind Orchestra. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Large ensemble for wind instruments. | ||
| MUEN 592 | Chamber Jazz Ensemble. | 2 |
Chamber Jazz Ensemble. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This ensemble will deal with the extensive repertoire of music which exists for small jazz orchestra (9-13 instruments). | ||
| MUEN 593 | Choral Ensembles. | 2 |
Choral Ensembles. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Students enrolling in Choral Ensembles will be assigned to one of the above groups. | ||
| MUEN 594 | Contemporary Music Ensemble. | 2 |
Contemporary Music Ensemble. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Ensemble for contemporary music - instruments and voice. | ||
| MUEN 595 | Jazz Ensembles. | 2 |
Jazz Ensembles. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Ensemble for jazz - instruments and voice. | ||
| MUEN 597 | McGill Symphony Orchestra. | 2 |
McGill Symphony Orchestra. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Ensemble for orchestral instruments. | ||
4 credits 1 (1 credit per term; as assigned by audition) from small ensembles:
- 1
All ensemble courses under MUEN may be taken in multiple terms.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUEN 540 | Chamber Music Project 1. | 0.5 |
Chamber Music Project 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Chamber music ensemble for various instruments. | ||
| MUEN 541 | Chamber Music Project 2. | 0.5 |
Chamber Music Project 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Chamber music ensemble for various instruments. | ||
| MUEN 560 | Chamber Music Ensemble. | 1 |
Chamber Music Ensemble. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Ensemble for chamber music - various instruments. | ||
| MUEN 569 | Tabla Ensemble. | 1 |
Tabla Ensemble. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Performance and practice of the tabla of North India. | ||
| MUEN 580 | Early Music Ensemble. | 1 |
Early Music Ensemble. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An ensemble of 4-6 vocalists and instrumentalists which performs music of the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods. | ||
| MUEN 598 | Percussion Ensembles. | 1 |
Percussion Ensembles. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Ensemble for percussion instruments. | ||
9 credits chosen from:
MUEN courses at the 400 or 500 level (maximum of 4 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUIN 269 | Classical Concerto Exam. | 1 |
Classical Concerto Exam. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Performance by memory before jury of a concerto from the Classical period. | ||
| MUPG 229 | Traditional Drumming 1: Rudiments. | 1 |
Traditional Drumming 1: Rudiments. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Rudiments based on the French, Swiss, American and British styles. | ||
| MUPG 300 | Music Performance Strategies. | 3 |
Music Performance Strategies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exploration of topics and strategies to optimizepractice and performance. Topics include:individual characteristics and habits inperformance and practice, stress and anxietymodels theories, physiological response,coping strategies and skills (e.g., mental imagery,time management, goal setting,attention/concentration, relaxation andmeditation). | ||
| MUPG 325 | Improvisation for String Players. | 2 |
Improvisation for String Players. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Improvisation from its use in the early baroque to present day repertoire. | ||
| MUPG 326 | Introduction to String Pedagogy. | 2 |
Introduction to String Pedagogy. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The pedagogy of string playing through performing techniques and instructional materials including: etudes, scale systems and graded repertoire for technical and musical advancement on the specific instrument. | ||
| MUPG 328 | Introduction to Percussion Pedagogy. | 1 |
Introduction to Percussion Pedagogy. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the pedagogy of percussion playing through performing techniques and instructional materials including: etudes, scale systems and graded repertoire for technical and musical advancement on the specific instrument. | ||
| MUPG 329 | Traditional Drumming 2: Hand Drumming. | 1 |
Traditional Drumming 2: Hand Drumming. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic hand drumming techniques and rhythmic patterns based on world music traditions. | ||
| MUPG 331 | Introduction to Woodwind Pedagogy. | 2 |
Introduction to Woodwind Pedagogy. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The pedagogy of woodwind playing through performing techniques and instructional materials including: etudes and scale systems and graded repertoire for technical and musical advancement on the specific instrument. | ||
| MUPG 336 | Introduction to Brass Pedagogy. | 2 |
Introduction to Brass Pedagogy. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the pedagogy of brass playing through performing techniques and instructional materials including: etudes, scale systems and graded repertoire for technical and musical advancement on the specific instrument. | ||
| MUPG 410 | Violin Orchestral Excerpts. | 1 |
Violin Orchestral Excerpts. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Study of excerpts from the orchestral literature, highlighting the standard audition materials for major symphony orchestras; mental preparation skills for orchestral auditions. | ||
| MUPG 411 | Viola Orchestral Excerpts. | 1 |
Viola Orchestral Excerpts. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Study of excerpts from the orchestral literature, highlighting the standard audition materials for major symphony orchestras; mental preparation skills for orchestral auditions. | ||
| MUPG 412 | Cello Orchestral Excerpts. | 1 |
Cello Orchestral Excerpts. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Study of excerpts from the orchestral literature, highlighting the standard audition materials for major symphony orchestras; mental preparation skills for orchestral auditions. | ||
| MUPG 413 | Double Bass Orchestral Excerpts. | 1 |
Double Bass Orchestral Excerpts. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Study of excerpts from the orchestral literature, highlighting the standard audition materials for major symphony orchestras; mental preparation skills for orchestral auditions. | ||
| MUPG 414 | Woodwinds Orchestral Excerpts. | 1 |
Woodwinds Orchestral Excerpts. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Study of excerpts from the orchestral literature, highlighting the standard audition materials for major symphony orchestras; mental preparation skills for orchestral auditions. | ||
| MUPG 415 | Brass Orchestral Excerpts. | 1 |
Brass Orchestral Excerpts. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Study of excerpts from the orchestral literature, highlighting the standard audition materials for major symphony orchestras; mental preparation skills for orchestral auditions. | ||
| MUPG 416 | Percussion Orchestral Excerpts . | 1 |
Percussion Orchestral Excerpts . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Study of excerpts from the orchestral literature, highlighting the standard audition materials for major symphony orchestras; mental preparation skills for orchestral auditions. | ||
| MUPG 425 | Extended Techniques - Strings. | 2 |
Extended Techniques - Strings. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Extended techniques for strings; including physical production, original etudes and transcriptions toward the development, mastery and performance of each technique. | ||
| MUPG 429 | Percussion Seminar. | 2 |
Percussion Seminar. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Topics ranging from orchestral literature to solo repertoire. | ||
| MUPG 431 | Extended Techniques - Woodwinds. | 2 |
Extended Techniques - Woodwinds. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Extended techniques for woodwinds; including physical production, original etudes and transcriptions toward the development, mastery and performance of each technique. | ||
| MUPG 435 | Extended Techniques - Brass. | 2 |
Extended Techniques - Brass. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An investigation into the area of extended techniques for brass; physical production, original etudes, and transcriptions toward the development, mastery, and performance of each technique. | ||
| MUPG 473 | Special Project in Performance. | 1 |
Special Project in Performance. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. For details, contact the Department of Performance. | ||
| MUPG 474 | Special Project in Performance. | 2 |
Special Project in Performance. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. For details, contact the Department of Performance. | ||
| MUPG 571 | Free Improvisation 1. | 1 |
Free Improvisation 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the creative practice of improvisation for performers. The course focuses on the development of listening as applied to the practice of collective and solo improvisation. | ||
| MUPG 572D1 | Free Improvisation 2. | 0.5 |
Free Improvisation 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course is designed for performers who want to develop their skills as advanced improvisers. Both collective and solo contexts are addressed as performance practices, touching upon the history of improvisation as well as current trends. | ||
| MUPG 572D2 | Free Improvisation 2. | 0.5 |
Free Improvisation 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course is designed for performers who want to develop their skills as advanced improvisers. Both collective and solo contexts are addressed as performance practices, touching upon the history of improvisation as well as current trends. | ||
(Percussionists must include MUEN 569 Tabla Ensemble., MUPG 328 Introduction to Percussion Pedagogy., MUPG 329 Traditional Drumming 2: Hand Drumming.)
Musicianship
2 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUSP 324 | Musicianship for Strings. | 2 |
Musicianship for Strings. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamental musicianship issues in the context of performance with an emphasis on intonation accuracy, rhythm, articulation, voice-leading and sound texture for strings. | ||
| MUSP 346 | Post-Tonal Musicianship. | 2 |
Post-Tonal Musicianship. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Extended tonal and post-tonal harmonic and contrapuntal structures, rhythmic practices of the 20th and 21st century, score reading. | ||
| MUSP 355 | Musicianship for Percussion. | 2 |
Musicianship for Percussion. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamental musicianship issues in the context of performance with an emphasis on polyrhythm. | ||
| MUSP 361 | Topics in Musicianship. | 2 |
Topics in Musicianship. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced ear training challenges in rhythm, pitch, harmony, form, or timbre. | ||
| MUSP 363 | Topics in Global Musicianship. | 2 |
Topics in Global Musicianship. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Musicianship skills from one or more global musical practice(s), with specific challenges and approaches corresponding to the selected topic. | ||
Music History/Literature/Performance Practice
6 credits of courses with a MUHL or MUPP prefix
Percussionists must include:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUHL 392 | Music since 1945. | 3 |
Music since 1945. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Appearance and evolution of such post-war phenomena as total serialism, "chance" music of various kinds, and electronic music as seen in major figures such as Boulez, Stockhausen, Cage and others in Europe and the United States. Important developments during the 1960s. Rise of "minimalism" and "neo-Romanticism" during the 1970s and 80s. | ||
Elective Courses (23 credits)
3 credits of non-Music Electives
20 credits of Free Electives (may include 2 credits of courses with a MUEN prefix)