Choose Music at The University of Waterloo
At the University of Waterloo, you have the freedom to study music as a major or minor, to sample courses, or combine studies in music with almost any program. Waterloo’s diverse selection of courses, choirs, and instrumental ensembles will help you fulfill your musical dreams. Be part of a supportive academic community with flexible programs, inspiring classes, excellent teaching, and extraordinary musical experiences. You’ll receive a University of Waterloo degree and have access to all the resources of a world-class university.
Explore the many ways that music is meaningful in today's world
Conrad Grebel University College is home to the University of Waterloo's Department of Music and offers instruction in more than 20 instruments as well as vocal lessons.
The flexible Bachelor of Arts program will allow you to:
- Pursue a major or minor in music.
- Combine music courses and ensembles with most other areas of study.
- Study performance, music history, and theory while discovering the ways music relates to technology, film, gender, and global culture.
- Be a part of small class sizes to provide opportunity to get to know classmates and professors.
Events
Student Recital #1
Students participating in this term's Music Studio courses perform music they are studying this term.
Student Recital #2
Students in this term's Music Studio course perform music they are studying this term.
If the Earth Could Sing: University Choir & Chamber Choir Concert
The University choir will be singing Katerina Gimon's Unsung: If the Earth Could Sing: a five-movement work for choir, cello, and percussion.
News
Music and Math is a balanced combination
Music and Mathematics have been connected disciplines in the minds of psychologists and neuroscientists for years. An increasing number of studies have been carried out to link the effects of music on mathematical skills and vice versa. Many of these studies have found correlations between above-average musical abilities and above-average math performance.
2020 Aria & Concerto Competition: Open for entries
Every two years, orchestra@uwaterloo holds a Concerto and Aria Competition that is open to University of Waterloo students and recent graduates, and is judged by a panel of professional musicians. Winners perform as soloists with the orchestra in a public concert.
2020 Concerto and Aria Competition: February 1, 2020.
Deadline for application: October 25, 2019. See orchestra website for entry forms.
Competition sponsored by Professor David Taylor
Music and Healing
Pursuing Music’s Healing Effects
The Music program at Grebel and the University of Waterloo consistently appeals to students who are looking for a balanced and broad music education. When searching for a program that fit him best, student Tyler Reidy immediately felt comfortable when he arrived at Grebel for his pre-enrolment studio audition. “The faculty was incredibly welcoming, the students were encouraging and excited to get to know me during my audition process, and Grebel was small enough that I was immediately drawn to the community.” Tyler maintained a strong link to the department through all four years of his university career, and he is now set to graduate this spring with a Major in Music and an Intensive Music Specialization.