The Composition and Sound Practices program focuses on facilitating the making of creative, critical, experimental, and socially engaged music, sound, and intermedia work in the context of the humanities. In this program, students compose, design, perform, and produce based on the methodological study of music and sound through research, analysis, and reflection, and by learning a broad range of composition techniques and creative technologies.
Areas of instruction include but are not limited to the analysis of music and sound compositions, the exploration of different forms of musical notation (e.g., graphic, text-based, classical, contemporary), the practice of interdisciplinary research, (e.g., composer-performer workshops, collaboration with other artists, intermedia practice) recording and production technology, performance, installations, and sculpting music and sound work.
Create and Investigate
The University of Chicago's redesigned PhD program in Music Composition and Sound Practices offers a unique, interdisciplinary environment where artistic creation and scholarly inquiry merge.
Our program has been redesigned to engage with current developments in the field. We embrace a wide range of approaches from acoustic and electronic composition to intermedia practice, sound art, and improvisation. You will be encouraged to explore new territories and develop a unique artistic voice that reflects the complexity of our contemporary world.
This is your opportunity to join a community of innovative composers and scholars.
Your Education, Our Investment
We believe that financial concerns should never be a barrier to academic and artistic excellence. The University of Chicago offers full funding for all PhD students in the Music Composition and Sound Practices program for the duration of their studies. This comprehensive package includes:
- Full Tuition and Student Fees
- Health Insurance
- A Generous Living Stipend
Collaborative Environment
The PhD in Music Composition and Sound Practices is housed within the University's esteemed Arts and Humanities Division.
This placement fosters a deeply collaborative environment where you will engage with a diverse community of artists, scholars, and thinkers. Our curriculum seamlessly integrates artistic praxis with rigorous research methodologies, providing you with the tools to both create groundbreaking work and articulate its significance.
A City of New Music Collaboration
Our program is closely connected to Chicago's vibrant and dynamic new music community. You will have direct access to a network of world-class ensembles and organizations, with opportunities for collaboration and performance.
Among others, our partners have included:
- Ensemble Dal Niente
- ~Nois Saxophone Quartet
- Third Coast Percussion
- Civic Orchestra of Chicago
Composition Faculty
Hans Thomalla, Professor of Composition
Hans Thomalla is a German American composer. A particular focus of his work lies in music for the stage. He has written four operas, Fremd (Stuttgart Opera 2011), Kaspar Hauser (Freiburg and Augsburg Opera 2016), Dark Spring, and Dark Fall (both Mannheim Opera 2020 and 2024). In addition to numerous awards and fellowships, Thomalla has been associated with the Darmstädter Ferienkurse for many years, serving on the composition faculty. He is also the co-founder of the Chicago based Sideband Records.
Senem Pirler, Assistant Professor of Composition
Senem Pirler (she/her) is an artist, sonic improviser, and educator. Pirler has exhibited work nationally and internationally, including performances at the EMPAC (NY), Carnegie Hall (NYC), Southbank Centre (London), and Akademie der Künste (Berlin). Pirler’s interdisciplinary work crosses over into sound art, composition, performance, video art, and installation. Pirler has been awarded a NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in the category of Music/Sound in 2022 and the Malcolm Morse Award to honor the work of Pauline Oliveros and Deep Listening in 2018.
Augusta Read Thomas, Resource Faculty
An influential teacher and musical composer, Read Thomas is the University of Chicago University Professor of Composition in the Division of the Arts and Humanities and the College, and the founder and director of the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition (CCCC). A Grammy award winner and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Music, her music is regularly conducted and performed by leading orchestras worldwide. This past fall, her most recent work, “Bebop Kaleidoscope—Homage to Duke Ellington,” was premiered by the New York Philharmonic.
Composition Resources
The CHIME Studio (Chicago Integrated Media Experimental Studio) is a vibrant hub for the fusion of computer music, composition, and multimedia practices at the University of Chicago. In addition to our studio spaces, CHIME regularly produces concerts, such as its annual electroacoustic music festival, and engages in collaborative projects with artists from diverse disciplines, both on campus and throughout the city of Chicago.
The Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition offers numerous opportunities for graduate students in composition to supplement their coursework. The Center’s concert series provides a space for student composers to develop and showcase new work, performed by the resident Grossman Ensemble and various guest artists specializing in new music, and it features a number of graduate student-led projects each season.
Visit the Prospective Students page to learn more about the curriculum requirements, find answers to frequently asked questions, and apply online.