A Legacy of Excellence
Home to over 340 music students, the Wanda L. Bass School of Music prides itself on fostering a world-class creative environment with more than 250 performances each year, ranging from solo recitals to full-scale choral and orchestral works to 18 performances of six opera and music theater productions.
Few schools have produced as many graduates who excel across the musical spectrum as award-winning performers, educators, composers, conductors, scholars, and industry leaders.
Unmatched Performance Opportunities
The OCU Symphony Orchestra has been honored with an ASCAP Adventurous Programming Award and represented the United States at the "Meet in Beijing" Arts Festival. Recent performed works include "The Rite of Spring" by Igor Stravinsky, Symphony No. 1 "Titan," by Gustav Mahler, "La Mer," by Claude Debussy, and countless other masterworks. The OCU Symphony Orchestra also regularly collaborates and performs works by living composers, most recently including Lowell Leiberman.
The OCU Wind Philharmonic and Wind Ensemble have performed seven times as an honor ensemble at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association (OKMEA) convention and have been featured at the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) regional convention. Stewards of new music, OCU Wind Bands have collaborated with composers including Michael Daugherty, Jenn Jolley, Karel Husa, Frank Ticheli, Edward Knight, Martin Mailman, Ron Nelson, Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, Joseph Schwantner, Catherine Likhuta, and many others.
Additional opportunities include all manner of Chamber Ensembles, the OCU Percussion Ensemble and Blue Star Steel Pan Ensemble, Oklahoma Saxophone Ensemble, Project 21 new music consortium, masterclasses with incredible guest artists, Early Music Ensemble, as well as Jazz Orchestra, and Jazz Combos. OCU is also home to competitive Graduate Assistantship Ensembles, including the Graduate Wind Quintet, Graduate String Quartet, and Blackwelder Brass.
Learn more about OCU's ensembles...
Outside of OCU-hosted performances, our students frequently are working in the OKC metro area as performers, educators, as well as other opportunities with partnered regional performing arts organizations, including: Painted Sky Opera, Lyric Theatre Oklahoma, Canterbury Voices, and the OKC Philharmonic.
World-Class Faculty
The Wanda L. Bass School of Music prides itself on fostering a creative environment that encourages exploration and collaboration. Faculty members at Oklahoma City University are active musicians and scholars whose first priority is teaching and mentoring. Meet our amazing instrumental faculty:
- Brass Faculty
- Composition Faculty
- Instrumental Ensemble Directors
- Jazz Faculty
- Keyboard Faculty
- Percussion Faculty
- String Faculty
- Woodwind Faculty
All music students at OCU always study with Bass School of Music Faculty - never with a graduate assistant or TA.
Incredible Alumni
OCU's instrumental alumni have won positions in ensembles including:
- U.S. Marine Band “President’s Own”
- U.S. Army Band's "Pershing's Own"
- Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
- Jerusalem Philharmonic
- Dallas Winds
- New York City Ballet Orchestra
- Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra
- Count Basie Orchestra
- Utah Symphony
- Phoenix Symphony,
- Indianapolis Symphony
- Oklahoma City Philharmonic
- Tulsa Symphony
- Kansas City Symphony
- Alabama Symphony
- Santa Fe Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra
- Amarillo Symphony
- New World Symphony
- Shenzhen Symphony
- Ramat-Gan Symphony Orchestra
- Atlantic Brass Quintet
Leaders in Music Education
OCU's BME Instrumental Music Education program produces highly desired and competitive graduates, with a 100% placement rate. Our Instrumental Music Education alumni have found success in teaching positions and professorships around the globe. OCU alumni have been celebrated as district, state, and OKMEA teachers of the year and attained distinction for pedagogical excellence.
OCU's Music Education students gain practical teaching experience in the field as early as the first year. Many students also work as private lesson teachers, marching band techs, or otherwise volunteer in classrooms during their studies.
Music education studies are boosted by OCU's Collegiate National Association for Music Education (CNAfME) chapter. Through CNAfME, OCU Music Education students are able to network with working professionals, meet special guest speakers, and receive annual assistance to attend Oklahoma Music Educators Association (OKMEA) and Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) conferences.
A Legacy of Excellence
Home to over 340 music students, the Wanda L. Bass School of Music prides itself on fostering a world-class creative environment with more than 250 performances each year, ranging from solo recitals to full-scale choral and orchestral works to 18 performances of six opera and music theater productions. Few schools have produced as many graduates who excel across the musical spectrum as award-winning performers, educators, composers, conductors, scholars, and industry leaders.
Unmatched Performance Opportunities
As the world's oldest campus troupe, OCU's Oklahoma Opera and Music Theater Company has produced hundreds of performances of over 170 opera and theater works since 1930. Performance opportunities for vocalists include a six-show, 18-performance season each year.
Learn more about Opera & Music Theater at OCU...
Vocalists perform in OCU's incredible Choral Ensembles, including University Chorale, Ad-Astra Treble Chorus, and University Singers. OCU Choirs have been featured as honor ensembles at the Oklahoma Music Educator's Association (OKMEA) annual conference and regularly perform large-scale masterworks in collaboration with the Symphony Orchestra as well as the annual Vespers performance series.
Learn more about Choirs at OCU...
Additional opportunities include student-run operas and musical productions, Project 21 new-music consortium, Early Music Ensemble, productions in the School of Theatre, masterclasses with incredible guest artists, and other opportunities with partnered regional performing arts organizations, including: Painted Sky Opera, Lyric Theatre Oklahoma, Canterbury Voices, and the OKC Philharmonic.
World-Class Faculty
The Wanda L. Bass School of Music prides itself on fostering a creative environment that encourages exploration and collaboration. Faculty members at Oklahoma City University are active musicians and scholars whose first priority is teaching and mentoring. Meet our amazing faculty:
All music students at OCU always study with Bass School of Music Faculty - never with a graduate assistant or TA.
Incredible Alumni
OCU-trained vocalists have performed at some of the world's best festivals, venues and companies, including:
- The Metropolitan Opera Deutsche Oper Berlin
- La Scala
- Opera Bastille Paris
- Opéra de Montréal Bavarian State Opera Lyric Opera of Chicago
- Houston Grand Opera
- Teatro Colón
- Grosses Festspielhaus Semperoper Dresden Staatstheater Stuttgart
- Welsh National Opera
- San Francisco Opera
- Florida Grand Opera
- Los Angeles Opera
- Boston Lyric Opera
- Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Michigan Opera Theatre
- Opera Company of Philadelphia Seattle Opera
- San Diego Opera Opera Santa Barbara
- Fort Worth Opera
A word from OCU alumna, Kristin Chenoweth...
A word from OCU alumna, Kelli O'Hara...
Leaders in Music Education
OCU's BME Vocal Music Education program produces highly desired and competitive graduates, with a 100% placement rate. Our Vocal Music Education alumni have found success in teaching positions and professorships around the globe. OCU alumni have been featured as district, state, and OKMEA teachers of the year and attained distinction for pedagogical excellence.
OCU's Vocal Education students gain practical teaching experience in the field as early as the first year. Many students also work as private lesson teachers, assist with high school musical productions, or otherwise volunteer in classrooms during their studies.
Music education studies are boosted by OCU's Collegiate National Association for Music Education (CNAfME) chapter. Through CNAfME, OCU Music Education students are able to network with working professionals, meet special guest speakers, and receive annual assistance to attend Oklahoma Music Educators Association (OKMEA) and Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) conferences.
A Sunrise City
Home to more than 1.2 million Oklahomans and an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, the Oklahoma City metro offers an abundance of the arts, quality health care, excellence in education, and more. And it does so without high costs, energy shortages, or traffic congestion. It is a distinctly livable city where you can chase your dreams and still enjoy a rich quality of life.
Life in the heart of OKC
Our campus sits in the heart of OKC in the historic and vibrant Uptown 23rd District.
Just a short drive, walk, or bike ride from campus you can explore more than a dozen diverse neighborhoods and entertainment districts featuring live music venues, local restaurants, coffee shops, food trucks, farmers markets, art events, and cultural performances.
On any given night you may find yourself dining at one of the local hotspots in Automobile Alley or Deep Deuce, enjoying a festival in the Plaza District or Midtown, appreciating one of the many art galleries in the Paseo Arts District, attending a professional sporting event, catching a local or nationally touring show at the Civic Center Music Hall or the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, playing laser tag in the Bricktown Entertainment District, or taking a stroll by beautiful Lake Hefner.
Ready to audition?
We can't wait to hear you! Applicants can audition in-person on campus, live-virtually through Acceptd, or by recorded audition submitted through Acceptd.
Learn more about the music admissions process and audition requirements...
Questions?
Are you still thinking about whether or not to audition? That's okay, let's explore and see if we're a good fit for each other! Request More Info Here and we'll follow up degree options, ensembles, scholarships, and tips for the college audition process.
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