The Department of Music at Santa Clara University provides an intellectual and stimulating artistic environment fostering individual expression and creativity through the study of music and musical performance.
About Our Program
The Department of Music offers a degree program leading to the bachelor of arts in music as well as a minor in music. A minor in musical theatre is available in conjunction with the Department of Theatre and Dance. The Department of Music's curriculum is designed to provide students of diverse backgrounds with the skills necessary to comprehend, perform, and appreciate music's role in human history and its power to enhance the lives of all people. Because individual study and performance is essential to the expression and acquisition of music as a language and art form, private instruction and membership in all departmental music ensembles is available to all Santa Clara students.
To declare or change a major, minor, or emphasis, fill out the SCU Registrar's Program Petition form.
Student Spotlights
A'Zhae Turay
A'Zhae Turay, an engineering and music double major, was a winner of the Concerto Aria competition. A'Zhae also won the Descalzi Award this year.
0605: A'Zhae Turay Senior FeatureRebecca An
Rebecca An was a winner of the Concerto-Aria and a Goldwater Scholar this year. A biochemistry major, Rebecca wants to redesign how cancer drugs find their targets.
0512: Goldwater Scholars
Ensembles
Faculty & Staff
Faculty Spotlights
Music Professor Christina Zanfagna and Film/Communication Professor Michael Whalen are collaborating on a documentary entitled BLACKITALIAN.
Professor Teresa McCollough celebrates 35 years at Santa Clara University and reflects on the path she has forged as a professional pianist, teacher, and advocate of new music.
News & Events
His return to campus for the Sinatra Series marks a full-circle moment of performing and teaching at the place where he began his classical music journey.
Our Stories
From orchestra and choir to jazz and wind ensemble, Santa Clara’s Music Department gives students across every major a place to keep creating, performing and building community through music.
Santa Clara University has many hidden gems, and Music @ Noon is one of them.
Life After SCU
Music and Political Science double major headed to Stanford Law to pursue space law.
For music minor Jared Shimada ’16, MS ’18, playing his trumpet in music ensembles gave him a scheduled mental release from the technical demands of engineering.
His return to campus for the Sinatra Series marks a full-circle moment of performing and teaching at the place where he began his classical music journey.
Riley Carpenter ’25 found a well-rounded education at Santa Clara, designing cutting-edge superconducting thin-film dark matter sensors while pursuing his passions in the humanities and arts.
