The School of Music, Theatre, and Dance offers a range of coursework, opportunities, and facilities for the study of music composition. Applied lessons in composition are available to undergraduate and graduate music majors as well as additional course offerings in arranging, orchestration, electronic music, and music analysis.
Study With
Composition Laboratory
The Music Composition Laboratory (inside the University Center for the Arts) boasts state-of-the-art hardware and software for both composition and audio production. This lab is specifically dedicated for use by composition students only who have 24-hour secure access to the space. It also provides students with access to high-quality laser printers and binding machines for the creation of professional quality scores. The following software programs are currently available:
Notation Software:
- Finale
- Sibelius
Digital Audio:
- Ableton Live Suite
- Max/MSP
- Pro Tools HD
- Logic Pro X
- MOTU Digital Performer
- Reason
- East-West Symphonic Libraries
- Tapspace Percussion Library
New Music at CSU: Aries Composers Festival
The Aries Composers Festival is a three-day event that welcomes renowned composers from throughout the United States and abroad to the campus of Colorado State University. Originally known as the Rocky Mountain Contemporary Music Festival, many world famous composers have visited and worked with CSU students in rehearsals, concerts, lectures, and masterclasses including most recently Michael Colgrass, Michael Daugherty, and Libby Larsen.
The festival brings multiple guest composers, as well as music theorists, musicologists, and other researchers interested in new music, to CSU. Festival events include concerts - with forces ranging from a full symphony orchestra to electroacoustic media - along with lectures, paper presentations, receptions, and panel discussions.
The next festival is planned for Spring 2020. Details coming: ariescomposersfestival.org
Student Achievement
Student composers at CSU have been accepted to numerous prestigious graduate music programs throughout the nation and abroad. Some of the more notable programs are listed below:
- Brandeis University
- Royal Northern College of Music (UK)
- University of Texas – Austin
- University of Kansas
- University of Missouri – Kansas City
- University of Missouri – Columbia
- University of Massachusetts – Amherst
- University of Southern California
- Arizona State University
- Florida State University
- University of Colorado – Boulder
- University of North Texas
- University of Northern Colorado
Additionally, student composers have participated in prominent new music festivals and composition workshops including the following:
- Cortona New Music Sessions (Italy)
- Valencia International Performance Academy & Festival (Spain)
- University of Cincinnati Film Scoring Workshop
- University of Missouri Summer Composers Workshop
- College Music Society Regional Conferences
Composition Events
Composition News
Fully both: CSU alum Henry Ives blends art and science
By Liam Conlon Henry Ives graduated from Colorado State University in 2022 with degrees in computer science and music, and when asked for his title, he paused. “It’s a deeper question than you think,” he said. “I’m not a composer that writes software as a day job, and I’m not a software engineer that composes […]
‘Hope Arises’ on the wings of the premiere of James David composition, ‘Flying Jewels’
James M. David, an internationally recognized composer who currently serves as professor of music composition at Colorado State University, is dedicated to creating dynamic and thoughtful music for all. His work is regularly inspired by moving words, images and ideas from the past and present. David’s composition, “Flying Jewels,” was inspired by Brian Doyle’s essay […]