Music Performance: Strings Major

Conservatory Admission
(440) 826-2368, music@bw.edu

OVERVIEW

Achieve instrumental mastery while gaining a comprehensive education that can lead to a professional career in music.

Baldwin Wallace's string performance major is a rigorous and rewarding program that helps you develop strong technical, artistic, entrepreneurial and analytical skills.

Within the string program, BW offers studies in violin, viola, cello, bass, harp and guitar. Small class sizes, individual attention and faculty mentoring are inherent to the program. BW's faculty-student ratio is 7:1 for the Conservatory of Performing Arts.

The program offers an outstanding foundation for graduate studies and career opportunities. It includes intensive academics, private lessons and extensive performance opportunities.

Baldwin Wallace faculty are established professionals with real-world experience, impressive credentials and networking connections. They're published composers, authors, musicians and researchers.

A residency partnership with The Cleveland Orchestra brings some of the nation's leading orchestral musicians to campus to give master classes on the orchestral repertoire for string performance students. You'll benefit from meaningful networking, mentoring and learning opportunities.

Also impressive to your studies is BW's 20-minute proximity to Cleveland - home of nationally ranked music, theatre and arts organizations and facilities.

Exceptional Learning Experiences

Innovation, excellence and outstanding hands-on learning and performance opportunities make the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Performing Arts a proven choice for students nationwide. The undergraduate-only Conservatory provides an exceptional learning environment for students to take lead roles in performing, conducting, managing and teaching.

In chamber groups, students discover and refine skills that will be essential for 21st century musical artists including communication, team work, critical thinking, decision making, time management, leadership, and creativity. Frequent performing opportunities help students to gain confidence on stage while audience feedback informs their efforts to continue polishing and refining interpretations.

Partnerships in Northeast Ohio and beyond

Impressive to your studies is BW's 20-minute proximity to Cleveland, home to nationally ranked music, theatre and arts organizations and facilities. The BW Conservatory has outstanding campus performance traditions and collaborations with regional and national organizations.
Mastering Your Skills

BW brings some of the nation's leading musicians to campus to give master classes on repertoire for string performance students. You will benefit from meaningful networking, mentoring and learning opportunities.
A Wealth of Opportunities

Within the string program, BW offers studies in violin, viola, cello, bass, harp and guitar. String performance provides an outstanding foundation for graduate study and can be studied as a single major or companion field of study for a double major.
First In Line

BW's undergraduate-only Conservatory provides students with valuable opportunities to perform, compose, conduct, teach and manage. Alumni can be found at top graduate schools and employed with renowned organizations.
Real-World Experience

Experiential learning bridges classroom study with real-world opportunities. With more than 325 events a year, the BW Conservatory offers an impressive array of performance opportunities for you to demonstrate your musicianship.
Individual Attention

Small class sizes, individual attention and faculty mentoring are inherent to the string performance program. BW's faculty-student ratio is 7:1 for the Conservatory of Performing Arts.
Outstanding Performance Traditions

As a result of your private study, you will be provided with numerous solo and departmental opportunities to perform. Outstanding performance traditions include our world-renowned Bach Festival, the biennial FOCUS Festival of Contemporary Music and an annual concerto competition.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Music educator
Chamber musician
Orchestral musician
Conductor
Music business executive
Arts administrator
Private teacher
Concert soloist

Faculty Mentoring

Small classes, personalized attention and faculty mentoring are a key part of Baldwin Wallace's performance program. BW's Conservatory of Performing Arts faculty are established professionals with real-world experience, impressive credentials and networking connections. The student-faculty ratio is 7:1.

BW faculty who are members of the Cleveland Orchestra

Residencey Partnership with The Cleveland Orchestra

A residencey partnership with The Cleveland Orchestra brings some of the nation's leading orchestral musicians to campus to give master classes on the orchestral repertoire for string performance students. Pictured here are BW faculty who are members of the Cleveland Orchestra.

Photo of Boesel Musical Arts Center

Vibrant Facility Engages Students

Striking Boesel Musical Arts Center is a four-building complex that houses 50 soundproofed practice rooms, instructional space, practice studios and impressive rehearsal halls that can accommodate the latest technologies for teaching and performance.

All-Steinway

BW's Conservatory of Performing Arts is honored to be designated as an All-Steinway School, an elite classification that speaks to the quality of the student experience.

Hands playing violin

Entrepreneurial BW Conservatory students form music group for hire March 14

Violin and viola performance majors Renée Long '25 and Hyunwoo Jeoung '25 help "make life’s moments even more special" with Berea Strings LLC.

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Bonnie Vigil

BW alumna awarded Fulbright to Spain May 28

Bonnie Vigil '24 joins an elite group of individuals representing the U.S. overseas as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant.

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The glass front of BW's Boesel Musical Arts Center reflects Marting Hall tower.

Embracing the Arts – Full STEAM ahead October 20

The 125-year-old BW Conservatory of Music bears witness to the transformative power of the arts in the lives of our students and our community.

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CURRICULUM

Rigorous coursework coupled with intensive and extensive practical experiences provide comprehensive learning.

You'll study music theory, history and literature, form and analysis, tonal harmony, Solfège and more. You'll learn to apply critical thinking, creativity and technical skills to your work.

Outside the classroom, you'll take private lessons and participate in rehearsals and performances with a major ensemble, as well as other performance activities.The culmination of your studies is a full-length recital program held during your senior year.

String performance offers an outstanding foundation for graduate school. It can be studied as a single major or companion field of study for a double major.

The musical performance: strings major prepares students to:

Perform repertoire appropriate to class standing with technical and interpretive proficiency

Course Descriptions

Course descriptions, requirements for the major and additional information can be found in the University Catalog.

STUDENT EXPERIENCES

Student success is a top priority. Small class sizes, individual attention and faculty mentoring are at the core of BW's Conservatory of Performing Arts programs.

Experiential learning bridges classroom study with real-world opportunities. As an instrumental performance major, you'll have numerous opportunities to demonstrate your musicianship:

Regular studio classes
Departmental recitals
Conservatory convocations
Guest master classes
BW concerts
BW opera and music theatre pit ensembles
Semester juries
Required degree recitals
Annual concerto competition

With more than 325 events a year, the Conservatory offers an impressive array of performance opportunities.

At the faculty level, BW string musicians perform regularly as members of the Elysian Trio and Lyceum2, among others.

IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES

The BW Conservatory has outstanding campus performance traditions and collaborations with regional and national organizations. A few examples include:

Baldwin Wallace Bach Festival
The three-day campus event is the oldest collegiate Bach Festival in the country. It features lectures, BW performance groups, faculty members and renowned professional soloists and musicians. Baldwin Wallace students consider the unusual opportunity of participating, as colleagues, with world-class professionals a high point in their performing experience. The festival is evolving to include year-round events, such as Bach Haus, that explore Bach's influence on a broad spectrum of music.
FOCUS Festival of Contemporary Music
The biennial festival features the music of a contemporary composer who visits Baldwin Wallace for a week-long residency. At the conclusion of the week's rehearsals and symposia, the composer's music is performed in a series of concerts, including large ensembles and chamber groups.

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Personally and professionally rewarding, student organizations and activities foster career skills, leadership and teamwork.

One organization string performance majors can benefit from is the American String Teachers Association. It is open to any student interested in playing or teaching string instruments. Members participate in workshops and performances.

LEARNING RESOURCES

At Baldwin Wallace, student learning experiences are enhanced by exceptional resources that include:

Riemenschneider Bach Institute
The institute houses rare items related to J.S. Bach and his circle, as well as historical reference materials, scores and a collection of classic recordings. It has one of the nation's most impressive holdings of Baroque manuscripts and first editions. It attracts scholars from around the world.
Ferne Patterson Jones Memorial Music Library
A valuable campus resource, the library offers 18,000 scores, 7,000 books, and more than 10,000 sound and video recordings. Online resources to which the library subscribes include over one million tracks of streaming audio and video. Help with research is available by appointment, on a walk-in basis or through email.