Our vibrant community of artists, scholars, and students, established in 1877, continues to innovate and animate the future of music studies throughout the world. Our department is founded on the artistic, scholarly, and pedagogical pursuit of music and on a belief that these spheres of activity are best practiced together. Penn’s traditions of musical and sonic engagement emphasize and encourage variety and connections – between traditions studied, approaches to their investigation, and modes of sonic encounter and music-making.
The research interests of our faculty cover a wide spectrum of traditions, from opera to Zulu hymns, and from Bahamian junkanoo to European medieval song, to name but a few. Some faculty members are themselves distinguished performers and recording artists.
Through a commitment to collaboration and interaction across the different fields, Penn’s faculty works together to shape an educational environment that fosters a similarly broad-minded view of what it means to study music, and to be a musician today.