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College of Music
Giving & Alumni
College of Music
Programs & Initiatives

Education Abroad

Music is a universal language, and the College of Music values every opportunity to interact and learn from musicians around the world. Our faculty create these opportunities for our students, and over decades they have led education abroad programs that have enriched the student experience.

In all international experiences, MSU musicians have been able to explore these locations, from large city centers to the countryside. These formal excursions, most of which include for-credit courses, are in addition to international trips that sometimes present wonderful opportunities to expand musical horizons. The Jazz Studies Area, for example, took a two-week trip to Japan where they engaged with a vibrant Japanese jazz scene, and the Spartan Marching Band traveled to Austria and wowed large crowds with their expertise. 

The education abroad opportunities shared here may be on hiatus or in active planning stages. Students should contact their primary professor about opportunities for international travel.

A clarinetist and a saxophonist perform together outdoors in the Masada desert in IsraelChamber Music Study Abroad Program

Directed by Assistant Professor Tasha Warren, MSU’s Chamber Music Study Abroad Program rotates locations every two to three years. In each location, students and faculty mentors perform and share music together with audiences in a variety of formal and informal concert experiences that form the framework of a tour exploring the country’s culture, history, and geography.

Previous MSU Chamber Music Study Abroad programs have traveled to Spain, India, and Israel, exploring such treasures as the Taj Majal, ancient and modern temples, Indian traditional music and dance, Flamenco, Klezmer, Masada, Western Wall, the Mediterranean and Dead Sea, and so many others. The next program is projected to occur in Greece in July 2025.

a professor speaks to a student during a lesson while three other students and a pianist look onItaly

In Todi, Italy, faculty from the College of Music have partnered with the Centro Studi Carlo Della Giacoma to allow MSU students to participate in master classes and perform in a concert series. The host is a cultural association founded in 1998 and named for the composer, musicologist, and conductor Carlo Della Giacoma that provides our students with firsthand knowledge of Italian culture and language.

side view of college students in a line on a stageChina

In China, a vocal collaboration between our college, the China Conservatory of Music, and the Tianjin Conservatory of Music has allowed students from both countries to sing with one another, learn about each other’s cultures, and perform together in East Lansing and China.

 

 

group of college students hold the flag of Ireland on a rocky shore with water in background

Ireland

A faculty-directed program called “Music Performance in Ireland” involved a partnership the Royal Irish Academy of Music. The first trip, organized with the MSU Office for Education Abroad, took place in 2017 and was described by MSU flute studio students as energizing.

 

 

a group of students and faculty stand in front of an open doorway in Cuba

Cuba

Havana, Cuba is yet another location that College of Music students have experience. In past years, our college has teamed up with the MSU College of Social Science in collaboration with Colegio San Geronimo, University of Havana, Oficina del Historiador to offer “Music and Sustainable Development.” Through workshops, performances, and other activities, students have enjoyed Cuba’s rich culture, studied music and national identity, and learned about music and entrepreneurship.