With a dynamic, nontraditional curriculum, CalArts’ two-year MFA in Instrumental Arts is ideal for advanced instrumental artists who are passionate about pushing the boundaries of music performance and ready to take their craft to dizzying new heights. The program emphasizes creativity, collaboration, and innovation as it prepares you for an ever-broadening spectrum of professional practices and career pathways. Through an intensive and comprehensive curriculum that culminates in the creation of original works, you’ll hone your musicianship in a rigorous yet nontraditional creative environment, with countless opportunities to develop your distinctive artistic voice with the support of your peers and faculty.
Explore and expand your artistic practice in exciting new ways as a motivated and innovative musician who is interested in pursuing instrumental performance at the highest skill level—but not by taking a conventional path.
CalArts’ distinctive program best serves students who already have a strong background in performance and musicianship and want to explore the relationship to their instrument in less traditional directions outside of a conservatory setting. Graduate programs in The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts are designed to equip advanced students with the skill sets you’ll need to stake out a place for your unique vision and reach the highest levels of professional practice. The curriculum is stimulating and challenging, and fosters a collaborative learning environment in which music and sound artists—students and faculty alike—work together to refine and perfect their already distinctive voices, while simultaneously exploring new and inspiring creative territories.
As an MFA Instrumental Arts student, you can pursue specialized study in the following instrument families: Brass, Collaborative Keyboard, Guitar, Harp, Percussion, Piano/Keyboard, Strings, and Winds. See specific application and degree requirements for each instrument family below.
Interested in this program?
View our step-by-step application guide to learn more.
Brass studies at CalArts—including specializations in French horn, trombone, trumpet, and tuba—is unique and innovative, with a curriculum designed to further develop the role of brass instruments in the present and looking toward the future.
Collaborative Keyboard studies, offered at the graduate level only, prepares advanced students for careers in a variety of disciplines, with an emphasis on collaborative performance, refining repertoire knowledge, and building language facility.
Harp studies enables harpists to explore a full range of repertoire, ensemble performance opportunities, and supplemental coursework in support of their métier.
Percussion studies supports students in gaining a broad and comprehensive understanding of the percussion field, acquiring cultural fluency, and developing high-level technical skills on numerous instruments.
Piano/Keyboard studies encourages students to develop and refine advanced performing skills, explore new techniques, and extend their artistic horizons in order to become versatile and resourceful professional performers.
Strings studies surveys Western musical repertoire from the medieval to the modern and continues forward, emphasizing contemporary styles, diverse musical cultures, improvisation, digital media, and interdisciplinary performance.
Winds studies surveys Western musical repertoire from the medieval to the now, and emphasizes contemporary styles, diverse musical cultures, improvisation, digital technology, and interdisciplinary media.
To be considered for the MFA Instrumental Arts program, you must complete an application and all program-specific requirements, including a portfolio representative of your work, an artist statement, a brief video introduction, letters of recommendation, and an audition. Before applying, please familiarize yourself with the detailed application requirements and resources available to assist you in this important process.
In addition to CalArts’ naturally collaborative atmosphere, the Institute provides several programs of study that can be pursued concurrently with a student’s chosen metier, such as a concentration in Arts Education or Integrated Media.
What courses would you take as an MFA Instrumental Arts student? Browse the courses offered in the School of Music, including opportunities to study jazz, world music, experimental pop, film scoring, improvisation, electronic music, composition, vocal performance, African and Balinese ensembles, and much more.
From world music and contemporary jazz to experimental sound art and interdisciplinary collaborations, a dynamic range of ensembles provides students with unparalleled opportunities to explore diverse genres, push creative boundaries, and perform innovative works with renowned artists and peers.
“All I wanted to do was play Haydn and Mozart. Oh, how quickly that changed,” said Rayan Bancroft (BFA 11, MFA 13) of his arrival at CalArts. Now principal conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) and chief conductor for the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, he was named the winner of the 2021 Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) Conductor Award in 2021.
Bassoon recital featuring contemporary bassoon works by Yun, Hurtando and Neuworth.
Sat, Nov 16 / 5:00 PM - 5:00 PM
CalArts Campus
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