In Depth

Swing Time
Each February, our chapel is the home to one of the best college jazz festivals in the United States.
Read more

Perfect Harmony

Why I Teach

Elmhurst College Music Professor Ross Kellan talks about the art of teaching.

Study Abroad

Choose from Seven Continents!

A term or a year spent in another country can make a world of difference to you.

Home

» Music

Elmhurst College's internationally renowned music department has much to offer students interested in the serious study of music. Elmhurst is a great location, just 16 miles from downtown Chicago, with access to some of the world's greatest venues, teachers and performers. A top-notch faculty, opportunities to perform and land internships and wonderful facilities make Elmhurst a great choice.

Our faculty includes Chicago Symphony Orchestra members, national recording artists, and award winners—who love to teach in a friendly environment where they can work with their students as individuals.

Whether you play the tuba or sing the blues, Elmhurst has a performing ensemble for you: we have four choral ensembles, three concert bands, three guitar groups, two jazz bands and two vocal jazz groups, two orchestras and a number of chamber ensembles. Several of our ensembles go on regular tours of the nation or the world, and are nationally and internationally known. The Jazz Band, for example, has made numerous tours of both Eastern and Western Europe, twice at the invitation of the U.S. State Department, and appears frequently with such well-known jazz artists as Dee Dee Bridgewater, Nicholas Payton, Clark Terry, and Randy Brecker.

Our practical approach leads to real world experience and connections before you graduate. For example, music business students complete internships with organizations such as Ravinia Festival and Universal Records, and our music education majors student teach in at least two schools.

Our facilities are outstanding. We offer computer labs with CD-ROM systems, a MIDI lab, and a new state-of-the art 24-track digital recording studio. Buik Recital Hall and Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel are used year-round for hundreds of performances, and Elmhurst College is linked to a library system that can make available nearly any musical resource.
 
Take a look at our web site and contact us if you're interested in visiting the campus, taking a sample lesson with one of the music professors, sitting in on classes or just having a conversation with one of our faculty members. We look forward to meeting you!