Extensive individual and ensemble performance training, as well as ample opportunities to perform in solo, band, chamber, ensemble, and orchestral settings, comprise the core of this four-year brass performance degree. Students receive instruction in Classical, Romantic, twentieth-century, and contemporary repertoire. They develop orchestral excerpts to be played at auditions.They focus on orchestral excerpts to be played at auditions. Small class sizes, a closely knit community, and ample opportunities for collaboration across years highlight the program. Brass students become creative, entrepreneurial performers who respect and understand the traditions of music while embracing future directions.
Why it stands out
Students join a community of exceptional, mutually supportive peers taught by accomplished faculty and distinguished guest performers. Weekly gatherings of students, faculty, and guest brass players are essential to the program. Weekly coaching and rehearsal sessions augmented by three to four guest-led masterclasses per term and an end-of-term public concert comprise the rhythms of the Brass studies year. Masterclasses focus on chamber music for smaller brass ensembles or playing specific instruments in the brass family.
Who it's for
Students seeking careers as freelance performers, orchestral players, and/or private studio or institutional teachers are well suited for this degree. The program is ideal for curious, motivated, collaborative, and versatile students who are are passionate about music, demonstrate potential for musical growth, and are willing to take advantage of the many opportunities that are available to them.
Outcomes
Opportunities for study
Students engage in private applied learning, participate in masterclasses by resident and guest teachers, and benefit from a wide choice of performance electives. They acquire a thorough understanding of performance styles and literature. They have options of exploring pedagogy, music from other traditions, conducting, performance skills, and classes that focus on the business aspects of music.
Paid professional work both on and off campus is facilitated through our Music Booking Office.
Opportunities after graduation
This program will train students to respond to the changing landscape in musical fields by preparing for a diverse set of career paths. Graduates typically pursue careers as solo, ensemble, or orchestral brass players. Some build careers as artist-teachers or as leaders in arts organizations in which a broad musical background is an asset.
Postgraduate opportunities
Students qualify to apply for admission to graduate brass performance programs. Students also pursue a wide range of other programs after graduation, depending on their interests. Graduates could apply to pursue further study within Music, or professional programs such as business, medicine and law.
Studying at U of T has allowed me to pursue several different areas within music. As a performance major I received highly specialized instruction in lessons, large and small ensembles, and masterclasses with world class guests. I was also able to take courses and lessons through the composition department, which allowed me to broaden my skill set and delve into music from a different perspective. As well as performance and composition, I was able to take several conducting courses which included personalized instruction and the opportunity to work with live musicians from U of T. I am grateful to have gleaned such a rounded musical education from U of T, which will prepare me to enter today’s music industry.
– Ilan Mendel
Bachelor of Music in Performance 2024 - Trombone
My time here at the U of T Faculty of Music has proven two specific things to me: there are endless opportunities for students, and there is a wonderful sense of community that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. As a trumpet player, the opportunities that are constantly arising in the Brass Studio are extremely valuable. These include masterclasses, workshops and events such as the Great Canadian Brass Band Festival (GCBBF) or the Canadian Women’s Brass Collective (CWBC), and performance opportunities both in and out of U of T. Furthermore, the community that the Faculty of Music upholds, especially in the Brass Studio, is extremely beneficial to students as well. You build fantastic relationships with students and faculty alike, you have many opportunities to play with each other and learn from each other, and I have seen how these connections continue deeper into the music community in Toronto, the rest of Canada, and internationally. This will benefit you outside of your studies here and as you pursue your career, and you will feel as though you have a second family! The U of T Faculty of Music is a spectacular place to develop both as a musician and as a human, and I am endlessly grateful for the opportunities and community that come with studying here.
Core courses focus on music history and culture, music theory, musical skills and keyboard harmony or skills. Students also receive individual instruction in their major performance medium and participate in major ensembles.
Students participate in the Instrumental Performance Classes, every year, which explores various approaches to performance and repertoire in instrument specific groupings. This is complemented with Applied lessons, Major Ensembles, Chamber Music, and Orchestral Studies. Other performance options include participating in the Faculty of Music’s Oasis Series, free concerts presented in non-traditional venues across the university. They also include playing in concerts held regularly at the Faculty of Music. Performing concerts at high schools throughout the Greater Toronto Area is an essential part of the curriculum of Brass chamber class.
Music & Breadth Electives
All programs require the completion of a specific number of Music Electives and Breadth Electives. A Music Elective is any Faculty of Music course (excluding Basic Music Courses) that is not required for a specific program. A Breadth Elective is a course offered by the Faculty of Arts & Science; however, up to one full credit of designated Music courses can be counted towards this requirement. Students have the opportunity to benefit from the diverse course offerings, that span different areas and traditions of music. Some examples include courses such as the the Business of Music, The 21st Century Creative Performer: An Interdisciplinary Inquiry to Performance and Performance Practice, Performance as a Freelance Artist in North America, Introduction to Computer Applications in Music to Japanese Taiko Drumming!
Options within the Degree
Music: Certificates are offered in conjunction with a degree. Currently there are Certificates offered in Health Applications in Music, Music Technology, Popular Music Studies and Ethnomusicology, and Piano Pedagogy.
Currently there are Minor programs offered in History and Culture, Composition, and Historical Keyboard. (The Minor in Composition is not available to students in the Bachelor of Music in Composition.)
Arts & Science: Within the Breadth Electives, students have the option of completing requirements towards a Minor or a Major from the Faculty of Arts & Science, in a discipline that sparks their interest.
My time at U of T not only equipped me with the knowledge and skills needed to improve on my instrument, but continually inspired my passion for music and confidence that I wanted to pursue music as a career. Through the brass program, I had the chance to meet and learn from renowned musicians from around the world that offered diverse and fresh perspectives on brass repertoire, practice, and classical music as a whole. The community at U of T is one that I found extremely welcoming and encouraging, while simultaneously pushing me to strive for my very best due to being surrounded by such amazing musicians and people.
– Ben Storm
Bachelor of Music in Performance 2022 - Trombone
Attending the University of Toronto Faculty of Music was the best decision I made for my music career. Toronto, as a super vibrant musical city, provided the perfect backdrop for my studies. Throughout my time at U of T Music, I not only honed my technical skills and proficiency on my instrument but also developed essential soft skills crucial for my future career, such as consistency, leadership, teamwork, and attention to detail. I participated in a wide range of ensembles—from orchestra and wind ensemble to big band and the hybrid ensemble—which prepared me for a diverse music career encompassing freelance and commercial opportunities. Additionally, the Faculty provided numerous work-study opportunities that have greatly supported my pursuit of arts administration.
– Ilinca Stafie
Bachelor of Music in Performance 2019 - French horn Advanced Certificate in Performance 2020 - French horn
