Bachelor of Music Performance — Orchestral Instrument
Music performance is a degree program focused on the mastery of performance skills. Ohio State offers four tracks within the Bachelor of Music in Performance: orchestral instruments, piano, voice and jazz studies.
Pursuing Instrumental Music Performance at Ohio State
Students interested in music performance should develop performance skills in preparation for the entrance audition. Piano lessons are also recommended, if available. All students planning to pursue a music major must complete an entrance audition and the Theory Placement Exam (TPE). Normally students do this during the senior year in high school on a scheduled Audition Day. Transfer students and students already at Ohio State should also plan to complete an audition and the TPE. Acceptance into a music performance degree program is contingent upon approval of the applied music faculty.
Career Prospects in Music Performance
Students in music performance have a variety of career opportunities. Some graduates establish private studios for giving music lessons or perform professionally either as soloists or in groups as opportunities arise. Some take professional auditions or participate in performance competitions. Others pursue musical performance opportunities in armed forces bands, orchestras, or choirs. Some graduates move into business and industry careers or other music-related careers, such as arts management.
Those interested in pursuing a professional career as a performer in a symphony, chamber orchestra, or on the stage often continue directly into graduate study upon completion of the undergraduate degree. The same is true of students interested in securing a position as an applied music teacher at a college or university. In addition, some music performance majors continue into graduate school in another music field, such as conducting, music history or music theory.