department of music
Our Mission
The University of New Mexico Department of Music aims to provide the highest quality musical education, in order to make a substantial contribution to the cultural life of its region and the world by reinforcing the integral value of music in society.
We strive to give each student a first-rate musical education under the guidance of our dynamic artist faculty, and a well-balanced program among the disciplines of performance, music education, theory and composition, jazz studies, string pedagogy, conducting and musicology.
Accredited Degrees
Our programs strive to develop the complete musician, one who is not solely interested in his or her primary instrument, but one who engages the world around them with and through their music
Academics >
Concentration Areas
Our wide range of concentrations creates a diverse and exciting educational environment, one that allows students to explore their creative potential
Our Areas >
Community Outreach
The Department of Music at the University of New Mexico is highly engaged with the Albuquerque Arts community. This engagement goes far beyond the hundreds of concerts and musical events it hosts annually
Outreach Programs > | Public Events
Watch: All about our program
Auditions & Scholarships
The University of New Mexico Department of Music has many generous scholarship and assistantship opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students interested in a music education at UNM.
Performances & Events
Our students and faculty regularly perform music in the Center for the Arts’ Keller Hall.
For more information about performances, tickets, etc., please contact Keller Hall at (505) 277-2131
or email keller@unm.edu.
Stories from the HeART of Music in New Mexico
The UNM Music Department welcomes Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Rodrigo Sigal
The UNM Music Department welcomes Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Rodrigo SigalDr. Rodrigo Sigal is a composer, cultural entrepreneur and full time professor since 2017 at ENES, UNAM, Morelia, where he co-founded the Music and Artistic Technology undergraduate program. He is...
Christoph Wagner & Paula Corbin Swalin Faculty Features
Christoph Wagner & Paula Corbin Swalin Faculty FeaturesChristoph Wagner always wanted to play the cello. The new assistant professor of cello at the University of New Mexico, Wagner started playing when he was six. Wagner says he watched his sister play the cello...
Celebrating art of mariachi during Hispanic Heritage Month & onward
Celebrating art of mariachi during Hispanic Heritage Month & onwardBy Savannah Peat October 08, 2023UNM News Minute It’s not just a song, an album or an artist. It’s not simply a genre, or something you hear walking through a plaza or a restaurant. It is so much...
From the Chair
“Welcome to the Department of Music at UNM! The Department of Music combines a comprehensive faculty of highly regarded performers, scholars, and educators with a talented and energetic student body to create an environment of artistic discovery and expression. Our wide range of concentrations and course offerings provides students with a dynamic educational environment and many opportunities to explore and expand their artistic horizons.
Whether your career goals are to compose, teach, study, or perform music professionally, or if you want to keep music as an integral part of your life as you pursue your other studies, there is a place for you in the University of New Mexico Department of Music.”
—Michael Hix, Chair, Department of Music
Department of Music
MSC04 2570
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
Phone: (505)277-2126
Email: music@unm.edu
Contact Music
The University of New Mexico is a member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)