Doctoral students work with their faculty advisor, instructor, or Program Director to develop repertoire appropriate to their course of study. Each program has a unique process for program review and approval, and doctoral students must make certain that they are fulfilling all academic requirements in conjunction with the recital. Funded students should plan to complete their recital coursework within their funding period as part of their curricular requirements for the degree.
As of Fall 2025, two PhD recitals are given for a total of three points. The first recital will be taken as MPAIA-GE 3402 Doctoral Recital for one point; the second recital will be taken as an Independent Study for two points. Previously, two doctoral recitalists were given for two points each, taken as Colloquy, Seminar in Music and Music Education, or Independent Study. Please review this page for a detailed breakdown of recital requirements by program (inclusive of DMAs and PhDs).
Guest artists may be invited to participate in these recitals, but doctoral students must adhere to their program’s guidelines for guest artists, as outlined by their Program Directors.
Jazz doctoral students work with their program director and instructors to develop repertoire appropriate to present for both recitals and/or a recording project. Each program has a unique process for program review and approval, and doctoral students must make certain that they are fulfilling all academic requirements in conjunction with the recital.
As of Fall 2025, two jazz doctoral recitals/recordings are given for a total of three points. The first recital will be taken as MPAIA-GE 3402 Doctoral Recital for one point; the second recital will be taken as an Independent Study for two points. Previously, two doctoral recitalists were given for two points each, taken as Colloquy or Independent Study.
Guest artists may be invited to participate in these recitals, but doctoral students must adhere to their program’s guidelines for guest artists, as outlined by their Program Directors.
Doctoral recitals, when possible, should not be scheduled to coincide with doctoral benchmarks of candidacy, proposal review, and defense.
Students in need of recording facilities/services as part of their recitals can request studio time in Dolan. These arrangements must be coordinated well in advance with the student's Program Director and designated Dolan booking liaison, listed here. Pre-semester booking period deadlines can be found on the Dolan studio Google site; the booking process typically begins in April for fall recitalists and November for spring recitalists.
Once the recital is scheduled, it is possible to arrange for rehearsal time by filling out and submitting the on-line Recital Rehearsal Space Request Form which is available at the MPAP Recital Planning Website. This form should be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the requested rehearsal time. All efforts will be made to provide rehearsal time in the performance space, but this cannot be guaranteed. Doctoral students may have additional rehearsal time in other department rehearsal rooms, subject to availability. Additional rehearsal space may be requested by emailing MPAP Space.
Doctoral students may receive up to 4 hours of accompaniment per degree recital outside of lessons, to include the dress rehearsal and the recital. Students may not pay Accompanists directly (out-of-pocket) for additional sessions conducted on campus.
All programs and program notes distributed at the recital, including recitals taking place off-campus, MUST be approved by the department. Doctoral students may not distribute programs that have not been officially approved by department administration.
Students must defer to the guidelines set forth by their Program Directors and the department. Please review the Recital Preparation Packet in-depth for more details, as this process is subject to change each academic year. Note that as of Spring 2026, the department will no longer be printing programs for student recitals.
Doctoral recitals may be adjudicated by 1-3 members of the Artist Faculty (selected by doctoral faculty), a group which must include the Program Director.
Recitals are graded, and this grade serves as one indication of the student’s fitness to continue in the program.
Under exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the instructor, the student may postpone the scheduled recital. In this case, an incomplete grade may be requested after the ninth week of the term via the Incomplete Grade Agreement Form.
Upon signing this agreement, the instructor will determine the time the student will have to complete the work, but it cannot be later than the last day of classes in the following term. If the recital is not performed in full by the agreed-upon date, the incomplete grade (I) becomes an F. F grades cannot be removed or changed. Further, incomplete grades may result in academic action by the Committee on Student Progress and failure to meet satisfactory academic progress by the Office of Financial Aid.