The Wellesley College Music Department offers both a highly regarded academic program and a wide range of outstanding performance opportunities. This provides an ideal educational environment for students who seek to combine serious musical study with the depth and richness of a liberal arts curriculum.The Department has a vibrant Concert Series which supplements the classroom and practical musical education of all musicians at Wellesley.

Did you know?
About our ensembles?
  • We have nine (9) ensembles.
  • 300 or so students participate in the department instrumental and vocal ensembles.
About taking vocal or instrumental lessons?
  • 200 plus students take lessons on an instrument or voice.
  • Lessons are available on most classical and jazz instruments and in classical and jazz voice.
  • For students who take lessons for credit and are on financial aid, lessons are free.
  • You do not need to be a major or minor to take lessons.
Faculty are accessible and interested in you!
  • There are more than 40 faculty teaching lessons.
About majoring or minoring in Music?
  • The major is flexible and has several tracks.
  • For those who choose to major and qualify to do an honors thesis, there are three options: academic thesis, composition thesis or performance thesis. (Link to Major/Minor requirements
  • The minor is intended to allow students to be flexible enough to give students with limited time to take courses in music to focus on their areas of interest
  • Faculty are accessible and interested in you. Mentoring is an essential element of our mission
  • Many of our majors go on to careers in music?in the fields of musicology, ethnomusicology, composition, performance and arts administration, but others, especially those who double-major or major in another field and minor in music, go on in the fields of science, medicine, political policy, education etc. A focus in music trains your mind to be flexible for all sorts of fields.
About our resources?
  • In September 2016, the Music Department will have a beautiful new chamber music hall and a new large ensemble practice space in a new wing of Pendleton Hall adjacent to the Jewett Arts Center.
  • The Music Department owns 35 pianos, most of them Steinway grand pianos.
  • The practice rooms are open to all students.
  • There are instrument lockers for those taking lessons in the department.
  • The Music library is fantastic.
About our Concert Series?
  • We have a concert series that runs the gamut from early music, classical repertoire, composition, jazz greats and musics of the world, and electronic and sound explorations. Our concerts are free to students and their guests.