Skip to main content

A Master’s in Composition, Designed for Impact

Fredonia’s Master of Music in Composition is for those ready to create boldly and shape the future of music. Here, you’ll grow as a composer, scholar, and collaborator in a program that champions both artistic vision and professional versatility. You’ll work closely with world-class faculty, compose for live ensembles and media, and be immersed in a vibrant community of creators and performers. Our graduates leave prepared for top-tier doctoral programs and careers in music performance, education, technology, and more. If you’re ready to turn your passion for composition into a meaningful career, Fredonia is your launchpad.

What You’ll Gain

  • Artistic Mastery – Private composition lessons and frequent performances help refine your personal voice and technical skill.
  • Scholarly Depth – Coursework in theory, history, and research prepares you for advanced study and academic leadership.
  • Collaborative Experience – Work with dancers, filmmakers, poets, and visual artists in a community where creative disciplines intersect.
  • Professional Portfolio – Present your original works through frequent concerts and your graduate recital, showcasing your range and talent.
  • Advanced Technology Skills – Access cutting-edge music technology labs and industry-standard software for notation, recording, and production.
  • Performance Opportunities – Get your work performed regularly in one of the many recitals, concerts, or interdisciplinary showcases hosted throughout the year.
  • Career Readiness – Be prepared for doctoral programs, composition residencies, or immediate careers in education, media, and performance.
  • Mentorship and Networking – Connect with nationally recognized composers and Fredonia alumni who are reshaping the musical landscape.
  • Accredited Excellence – Study in a program accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music and rooted in over 100 years of musical excellence.

Career Opportunities for Music Composition

  • Advanced Graduate Study
  • Film/Television Music Composer
  • Music Consultant
  • Music Professor
  • Music Writer
  • Conductor
  • Music & Arts Administration
  • Music Performer
  • Music Teacher
  • Sound Design
Fredonia degree map icon

What does a Graduate Degree in Music Composition look like?

Fredonia catalog seal icon

More questions about Fredonia's graduate programs?

MUS 521 Music Bibliography

An exploration of the resources and techniques needed for graduate studies in all areas of music. Students will learn to examine and critically evaluate music resources in both traditional and electronic forms, and will develop research strategies that can be adapted to many different areas of study.

MUS 653 Post-Tonal Analysis

The course introduces students to a variety of post-tonal music and analytic approaches. Repertoires covered include free-atonality, twelve-tone music, integral serialism, early electronic music, aleatoric music and indeterminacy.

MUS 609 Composition

Advanced free composition for graduate study, concentrating on individual creative musical inclinations of each student. Seminar and private study of 20th century creative concepts.

Why Music Composition at Fredonia?

Fredonia students in the New Jazz Ensemble performing

Student-Focused. Future-Ready.

Fredonia’s campus culture is all about you—personalized support, world-class faculty, and conservatory-caliber training without the elite price tag.

Rosch Recital Hall as seen before a performance

Your Stage, Perfectly Tuned

Perform your original works in Rosch Recital Hall—an award-winning venue known for its stunning acoustics and professional-caliber production values.

Graduate student composing music on a vintage '67 Moog synthesizer

Where Vintage Meets Visionary

From a vintage Moog synthesizer to cutting-edge software suites, Fredonia’s Electroacoustic Music Studio puts limitless creative power at your fingertips.

Student Stories

My time as a master's student in the music composition department at SUNY Fredonia cemented my commitment to being a composer. The quality of instruction in composition lessons is high, and I was always impressed by what my fellow composition students were doing. The frequency of composer concerts is great, and I also valued the consistent presence and support of professors at those events, thereby creating a strong sense of community. The guest composers and performers we hosted were impressive, and the readings, masterclasses, and lessons I received with those guests exposed me to the world of new music beyond Western New York.

— Emily Joy Sullivan

Latest Articles

Composition in the News

School of Music

Acclaimed saxophonist/composer Troy Roberts to visit Fredonia

The School of Music will welcome saxophonist/composer Troy Roberts for a series of master classes...

School of Music

Sorel residency to bring acclaimed composer Higdon back to campus

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Dr. Jennifer Higdon is returning for the second part of her 2024...

Arts

Higdon to visit SUNY Fredonia as Sorel Visiting Artist

Composer Dr. Jennifer Higdon will be in-residence with the Fredonia School of Music twice this year...

Take the next step

Request Info Visit Apply