Student play cello with eyes closed.

School of Music News

The School of Music offers enriching undergraduate and graduate degree programs for students pursuing careers in composition, conducting, jazz studies, music education, and performance. We have more than 400 music majors studying under the guidance of experienced artist and performers, master teachers, and respected international scholars.

Current Music News

Wearing a dark blue suit and blue tie, 2024 UNLV Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Randy Garcia poses with his hands in his pants pockets in front of logo for his company, the Investment Counsel Company
People |

After founding an investment firm, Randy Gracia has generously (and gratefully) invested in his alma mater. 

Taras Krysa, on a podium with his hands and baton raised, conducts the full UNLV Symphony Orchestra (performers and instruements are displayed in the image).
Arts and Culture |

Outstanding local violin virtuoso DeAnne Letourneau performs solo in two of the evening’s most thrilling pieces.

Ballet dancers in the rose garden
Arts and Culture |

This free event features art exhibitions, live music, dance and theatre performances, film demonstrations, food and wine tastings, a beer garden, and much more.

a group photo of vox femina
Arts and Culture |

The choir will perform Andrea Ramsey's recent work 'Suffrage Cantata', which examines the journey toward women's suffrage.

A closeup of a cello player.
Arts and Culture |

The concert, featuring UNLV music faculty and friends, will be held in the Rando-Grillot Recital Hall of the Beam Music Center.

man working on music score
Arts and Culture |

Join the UNLV Wind Orchestra for an extraordinary evening of music as they celebrate the musical mastery of the great Leonard Bernstein.

Music In The News

Las Vegas Review Journal

Some were displaced during the war. One was tossed from a cattle train en route from Paris to Auschwitz. Another survived Dachau. These violins, long associated with the Holocaust, have been restored by father-and-son instrument makers Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein as part of their Violins of Hope project. The instruments will be celebrated, and played, this weekend in two concerts.

KLAS-TV: 8 News Now

The Las Vegas Sinfonietta, a professional chamber orchestra, will kick off its fifth concert season this weekend with a historically significant performance. The season’s opening concert, “Violins of Hope,” is a powerful tribute to the resilience and spirit of Holocaust survivors.

KNPR News

Las Vegas has its fair share of native celebrities like Ne-Yo, The Killers, Imagine Dragons, and future celebrities are being made right now. In October, the culture issue in our city-regional magazine, Desert Companion, will feature in Ones To Watch. These are profiles of interesting up-and-coming local artists or performers.

Yahoo!

For the first time the ҳ| 鶹ýӳ is debuting a mariachi program exploring the traditional Mexican folk music that originated in the late 1800s. “The culture is just so rich. The music is one of the most beautiful kinds of music I’ve heard in my life,” Stephen Blanco, director of mariachi for UNLV’s School of Music, said.

KLAS-TV: 8 News Now

For the first time the ҳ| 鶹ýӳ is debuting a mariachi program exploring the traditional Mexican folk music that originated in the late 1800s. “The culture is just so rich. The music is one of the most beautiful kinds of music I’ve heard in my life,” Stephen Blanco, director of mariachi for UNLV’s School of Music, said.

Verywell Mind

We all have that one friend who is shockingly adept at all things music-related. Whether they do it professionally or merely whip out their violin on special occasions, you can't help but wonder where their innate talent came from.

Recent Music Accomplishments

Gregory Koenig (Music) presented Transformative guitar education: Funds of knowledge, border crossing, and the guitar at the 2024 University of Buffalo International Guitar Research Conference. 
Gregory Koenig (Music) presented Guitar class: An opportunity for transformative music education at the National Association for Music education 2024 biannual music research and teacher education conference. 
Linda Lister (Music) had her song "Ariel Ambitions," from the song cycle Pleas to Famous Fairies, performed at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. Soprano Hannah Winston sang the song on the concert Peabody Songbook Series: A Woman's Point of View.
Amy Brown (Music) was a featured presenter for the Professional Learning Network Series, Back to School: Classroom Management Tips and Tricks, hosted by the American Orff Schulwerk Association. The presentation, "Proactive Management: Preparing Instead of Reacting," covered planning, rapport, and engagement for elementary music specialists as they…
Professor Stephen Caplan (Music) performed a recital at the conference of the International Double Reed Society (IDRS) in Flagstaff, Arizona. The recital featured chamber music of Viet Cuong, performed with students from UNLV's double reed studio. Viet Cuong is an assistant professor of composition at UNLV. Caplan also presented an "UnMasterClass…
Professor Stephen Caplan (Music) recently had a second, revised edition of his authored work, The Breathing Book for Oboe, published by Mountain Peak Music.