A wide variety of performance opportunities await our students each year, with orchestras, bands, choirs and opera, jazz nonets and combos, small ensembles, and more.
A variety of programs and initiatives operate continuously or annually to enhance learning experiences and help students prepare for their future in music.
The MSU College of Music supports and challenges students, values innovation and creativity, and helps every community member achieve professional excellence.
The MSU Symphony Band, under the direction of David Thornton, presents a compelling program featuring Berlioz’s Marche Hongroise, the world premiere of Maxwell Kowal’s Express, and Nelhýbel’s Trittico.
The MSU Wind Symphony, with guest conductor Tyler Austin and guest ensemble Newfound Winds, presents a vibrant program featuring Adams’ Incandescence, Flagello’s The Bird-While, Copland’s Buckaroo Holiday, and the world premiere of Frank Duarte’s Lenguaje, Symphony No. 1.
The program, conducted by Arris Golden, features Children’s March by Percy Grainger, Of Endless Miles and Empty Rafts by Michele Fernández, the world premiere of Hymn to the Red Cedar by MSU composer Carlos LaLonde, and Divertimento for Winds and Percussion by Roger Cichy.
This program of dynamic works, conducted by David Thornton, includes Pegasus Fanfare from The Sleeping Spirit by John Gibson, Starry Ocean by Shuying Li, Anahita by Roshanne Etezady, Hands Across the Sea by John Philip Sousa, and The Wild Goose by Ryan George.
MSU composer Zhou Tian premieres his Concerto for Saxophone with acclaimed saxophonist Joseph Lulloff, joined by Hindemith’s Konzertmusik für Blasorchester and Maslanka’s Symphony No. 8, conducted by Kevin L. Sedatole.
The program, conducted by Arris Golden, features Tuttarana by Reena Esmail, Second Suite in F by Gustav Holst, Resting in the Peace of His Hands by John Gibson, Fallingwater at Twilight by James David, and His Honor by Henry Fillmore.
MSU Wind Symphony joins forces with various MSU choirs to present a powerful concert featuring works by guest composer Jake Runestad, including Proud Music of the Storm, A Silence Haunts Me, and a piece by MSU composer David Biedenbender.
An afternoon showcasing wind ensemble versatility with Bernstein’s Slava!, Profanation, and BSO Forever, plus works by Chambers, Yagisawa, Piunno, Sousa, and Newman, conducted by Dana Sedatole and David Thornton.