Offered in: Chicago

The goal of the Bachelor of Music in Voice is to provide the necessary training to thrive as a professional classical singer. Students develop fundamental musicianship skills, gain tactics for performance preparation, and learn to approach vocal production in a technically-healthy manner. The program emphasizes the value of being a good colleague, the importance of a balanced educational portfolio, and the cultivation of knowledge across all styles and periods of vocal repertory.

The program's objectives are to:

• Systematically improve technical facility, with a nuanced understanding of healthy vocal technique;
• Refine collaborative singing skills;
• Build a solid fundamental musicianship base, including analysis and and understanding of historical styles and practices;
• Balance the performative aspects of the program with a healthy portfolio of supportive music courses and general education.

All jury and recital repertoire requirements are listed on the Requirements tab within the academic catalogue.

Admission requirements

Please consult the CCPA Admission and Audition Information web page for audition requirements for singers. 

Course Requirements

¹

Enrollment in ensembles is contingent upon placement and assignment. All students in the Music Conservatory are required to participate in all ensembles to which they are assigned by the Chair and Program Director of Ensembles. Assignments are made at the beginning of each semester following placement and seating auditions.

²

World Language 101 and 102 must be of the same language.

Residency Requirement

A student must earn at least 60 credit hours at Roosevelt University.

Minimum Grade Requirements

Applied Lessons
C- is the minimum passing grade for VOI 211 VOICE (MAJOR).
B- is the minimum passing grade for VOI 311 VOICE (MAJOR).

Recitals
B is the minimum passing grade for PERF 313 JUNIOR RECITAL and PERF 314 SENIOR RECITAL.

Juries
B is the minimum passing grade for PERF 261 FRESHMAN JURY and PERF 361 JUNIOR JURY.

A student must earn a GPA of at least 3.0 in all major subject area coursework.

Recital Repertoire

PERF 313 JUNIOR RECITAL
30 minutes of art songs required in three languages (one must be English). Up to two duets are permitted. Please note: one suit/gown is permitted for the entire recital, and no encores may be performed. Recitals are shared and graded by the applied teacher of the student with whom the recital is shared.

PERF 314 SENIOR RECITAL
45 minutes of music required (no vocal duets or vocal ensembles are permitted for those Music Education students fulfilling the choral conducting component of their degree) in four languages (one must be English) and representative of four stylistic periods. One non-Baroque aria may be included, while the remainder of the recital should primarily consist of art songs. Oratorio arias and vocal chamber music are permitted. Students must prepare one-to-three sentence synopses of all texts. Please note: one suit/gown is permitted for the entire recital, and no encores may be performed. Recitals are graded by two applied teachers who are not the major applied teacher of the student giving the recital.

N.B. Music must be performed memorized. Liturgical oratorio and repertoire performed with three or more instruments across eras may be performed in juries and recitals with a score, in accordance with professional performance practice.

Jury Repertoire

It is expected that the applied teacher will follow the development of art song in preparation for juries. Suitable material consistent with the student’s development will be taken from the Italian, French, and German literature, as well as from the English and American repertories. There is no foreign language requirement for students taking non-curricular voice lessons, but the student may be assigned such repertory at the discretion of the applied teacher.

Voice majors must be able to sing in three foreign languages, starting with Italian. German and French are usually added from the sophomore year on, although these languages may be started earlier at the discretion of the teacher. Russian and other national literature may also be included in the original language if the student has the proper facility. For all voice juries, the student chooses the first selection to be sung; the faculty will then select the remaining piece(s) to be performed. At the discretion of the teacher, more repertory than listed below may be assigned. These additional pieces shall not be listed on the jury sheet.

N.B. Music must be performed memorized. Liturgical oratorio and repertoire performed with three or more instruments across eras may be performed in juries and recitals with a score, in accordance with professional performance practice.

The following is a semester-by-semester listing of repertoire requirements:

For PERF 261 FRESHMAN JURY, students are required to prepare four memorized songs, of which two will be selected for performance at the jury.

For the first semester of PERF 361 JUNIOR JURY (typically Year 3 Fall), students are required to prepare five memorized pieces (no operatic arias), of which three will be selected for performance at the jury. Students must submit at this jury the complete recital program in the proposed performance order, including accurate timings for all pieces for approval by the jury. This jury serves as the threshold for permission to give a PERF 313 JUNIOR RECITAL during the following semester.

For the second semester of PERF 361 JUNIOR JURY (typically Year 4 Fall), students are required to prepare five memorized pieces, of which three will be selected for performance at the jury. Students must submit at this jury the complete recital program in the proposed performance order, including accurate timings for all pieces for approval by the jury. If ensembles are used, member names must also be submitted. This jury serves as the threshold for permission to give a PERF 314 SENIOR RECITAL during the following semester.

For PERF 201 ACADEMIC MAJOR FRESHMAN/SOPHOMORE JURY and PERF 202 ACADEMIC MAJOR JUNIOR/SENIOR JURY, students are required to prepare four memorized songs, of which two will be selected for performance.

This degree map charts a suggested pathway through all of your required courses. It is incumbent upon all students to fully comprehend curricular requirements and course schedules, and while it is feasible to chart an alternate pathway, it is highly recommended that you do so in close consultation with your academic advisor so as to determine a degree path appropriately tailored to your needs.

A full-time undergraduate course load comprises 12-18 credits per semester.