Welcome to The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts

Innovation across an unrivaled diversity of styles is a hallmark of The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts, where musicians are empowered to expand the boundaries of received practice and to develop distinctive artistic voices that will stand out in the musical crowd.

  • 100% of our faculty

    are working musicians, composers, and technicians

  • 5:1 student-faculty ratio

    in The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts

  • 17% international students

    in The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts

At CalArts, students and world-class faculty work together in a vigorous performance culture in which opportunities for collaborations with musicians, filmmakers, animators, dancers, theater directors, actors, and writers flourish.

Our programs combine a stylistically open approach to creativity with rigorous technical instruction, individualized mentoring, and professional-development training. 

CalArts’ emphasis on exploration and creative risk-taking sets us apart from other music programs and conservatories. Students are encouraged to break away from conventional norms and experiment with new sounds, genres, and technologies. With access to state-of-the-art facilities and a vibrant, multidisciplinary community, you are free to pursue innovative projects that defy categorization. This open-minded approach fosters a culture of fearless artistic discovery, where boundaries between disciplines blur and new musical expressions emerge.

Find your metier match in The Herb Alpert School of Music’s assorted academic offerings.

  • Performance School of Music

    Sonic Boom performs music that saturates the space.

    Wed, Dec 11 / 8:00 PM

    CalArts Campus

  • Performance School of Music

    Concert of works by BFA student composers enrolled in BFA Composers' Forum.

    Wed, Dec 11 / 8:00 PM

    CalArts Campus

  • Performance School of Music

    Performance of songs written and arranged by Kat Niles (Kathleen Fogarty) during the first year…

    Sat, Mar 1 / 8:00 PM

    CalArts Campus

The composer Morton Feldman used the term “Wild Beast” as a metaphor for the ineffable generative force in art—making it the ideal name for CalArts’ iconic music pavilion. The pavilion houses a highly flexible performance and rehearsal space for our students and faculty, as well as an outstanding venue for public concerts. 

Wild Beast outdoor stage at CalArts

Interested in hearing some of the music of the students of CalArts? From our legendary 32 years of jazz recordings with Capitol Records to streaming many live performances on Youtube, The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts shares many performances and projects for audiences to enjoy. 

View our step-by-step application guide to learn more.