Guest Scholars

The MSU Music Theory Area has a vibrant guest-scholars program. Seven renowned theorists visit us each year to present their research, guest-teach our classes, and mentor our students.

Guest lecture in Music building classroom with lecturer at the front of the class and camera perspective from the audience with several attendees listening

Guest Lectures

Graduate students in the music theory area are exposed to cutting-edge research through guest lectures. Visiting scholars present their most current thinking on a variety of topics, bringing the plurality of the music-theoretic discipline right here to East Lansing.

Guest Teaching

Our students interact directly with the guests as master pedagogues. Visiting scholars are selected so that their expertise aligns with a seminar or workshop in our graduate curriculum in music theory. Each of them guest-teaches this course, and many of them teach a graduate course for performers and/or a course in our undergraduate core sequence as well.

Professional Mentoring

We reserve time in each guest scholar’s itinerary for individual meetings with any interested students, as well as a group lunch with graduate students in music theory. These conversations offer opportunities for candid mentoring about students’ research projects, professional development, teaching, and applications for jobs and doctoral programs.

Upcoming Events

Monday, January 12, 2026

Votapek and Friends 5th Edition

7:30 pm

Cook Recital Hall

Artist-Faculty and Guest Recital Series

Pianist Ralph Votapek performs alongside Wei-Qin Claire Tang and Daniel Bazin in an evening of vibrant two-piano works, featuring music by Barber, Bernstein, Kapustin, and Rachmaninoff.

Event Details

$$$

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Dark Horse Consort – The Sounds of St. Mark’s

7:30 pm

Fairchild Theatre

Taylor Johnston Early Music Series

The Dark Horse Consort revives the rich brass traditions of Renaissance and early Baroque Europe with a dazzling program of Gabrieli, Picchi, and Castello, echoing the majestic, multi-choir soundscapes of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice.

Event Details

$$$

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Guest Masterclass and Recital with Ari Cohen Mann, oboe

4:30 pm

Cook Recital Hall

Guest Recital and Masterclass

Ari Cohen Mann joins pianist Sandy Huang for a masterclass with oboe students, followed by a recital featuring Kevin Day’s Vortex and a reimagined Pulcinella Suite by Stravinsky.

Event Details

Free

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Thursday, January 15, 2026

Saxophone Collaborations

7:30 pm

Cook Recital Hall

Artist-Faculty and Guest Recital Series

MSU saxophonist Joseph Lulloff leads an evening of vibrant saxophone and piano works, joined by Yu-Lien The and John Nichol, featuring Amy Beach’s Romance, the world premiere of Parker Fritz’s Write Your Own Way, and more.

Event Details

$$$

Sunday, January 18, 2026

Jian Xiong, viola

4:00 pm

Cook Recital Hall

DMA Solo Recital

A student-led event that features performances and presentations by music majors from the MSU College of Music.

Event Details

Free

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"A highlight of my time at MSU was getting to talk about my research and my future plans with a variety of prominent theorists in the field through the guest scholar program."

Alexandrea Jonker '18 (MM Theory), Now A Ph.D. Student In Music Theory at Mcgill University