Master of Music in Composition

In the two-year graduate Composition MM program, students engage in advanced study through a rigorous and inspiring curriculum.

A broad spectrum of coursework, performance classes, and private instruction are combined with opportunities for skill building through entrepreneurship and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Develop your talent in a unique learning environment under the guidance of world-class faculty. At Mannes you will find a mentor who will not only help you develop the techniques needed by composers but will also help you discover your own original voice through the creation of new music and chart your own path as a 21st-century artist. Start your career in New York City, where you'll be influenced by many of today's great composers and make lasting connections with up-and-coming performers who will champion the music of tomorrow.
Mannes is a unique place, one where you will find the flexibility and freedom to direct your development as a composer, mentored by renowned and revolutionary performers who will also help you find your place in the landscape of contemporary music found in New York City.

Hone your skills alongside some of the most preeminent and accomplished composers working today, including David T. Little, Missy Mazzoli, Huang Ruo, Paul Moravec, and Lowell Liebermann. This wide range of active teaching voices fosters a healthy environment in which you can develop, experiment, and flourish.

With New York City as your classroom, you'll find ways to jump-start your career from the moment you set foot on campus. As a composition student, you'll write five major compositions, including one for orchestra. Spend your time in weekly private lessons, a composers' forum that meets eight times a semester, and competitions to have your work read by the Mannes Orchestra and Mannes American Composers Ensemble, as well as opportunities to have Mannes chamber ensembles perform your works in frequent composition department concerts.

Graduate degree applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or the equivalent degree from a foreign college or university. Applicants in the process of completing the bachelor's degree may apply for admission. Admission to the program requires completion of the bachelor's degree. Complete Essay In prose form, and in 200 to 500 words, please answer one of the following questions: Choice 1 Describe the biggest risk you've ever taken. Choice 2 Why did you decide to pursue music as a career? Choice 3 The New School brings together a dynamic group of students interested in the performing arts, visual art, design, entrepreneurship, social change, and critical thought. We would like to know more about your interest in joining our community and why you would be a good fit for The New School. We are particularly interested in knowing what will make you a valuable member of your specific school, college, program, area of study, or campus. Choice 4 Please describe in detail your interest in music improvisation, new music technologies, music entrepreneurship, and/or public engagement. Please also describe how you feel music education can help you pursue your career goals in these areas. Submit Your Portfolio or Prescreen Applicants to the Composition, Conducting, Piano, and Voice programs must submit a portfolio or prescreen materials, as detailed on our audition requirements page. After review, those whose portfolios or prescreen materials pass will be invited to submit any additional final recordings and/or schedule an admission video interview. Submit Two Letters of Recommendation Two letters of recommendation from professional and/or academic references are required. Recommendations must be submitted by recommenders directly via the online application portal. Instructions are included in the online application. Submit College Transcripts Applicants must upload an unofficial transcript, mark sheet, or academic record for each institution (even if you didn’t receive a degree) in the Academic History section of the online application. All uploaded transcripts must be accompanied by a key, a legend, or the back copy of the transcript. Non-English transcripts must be accompanied by an English translation. Records from non-U.S. institutions must have grades or marks and contain a copy of diploma if the degree has been conferred. Make sure your name appears on the transcript/record. Scanned documents must be clear and legible. Minimum required scores are: TOEFL iBT — 79 IELTS — 6.5