Director, Music Theatre Program
M.F.A., Northwestern University
Baldwin Wallace University has discontinued the music theatre direction major and is no longer accepting applications as of fall 2023.
Students aspiring to build a career in music theatre direction are encouraged to consider alternative pathways within the BW Conservatory. This includes options such as performance or music theatre, along with our collaborative piano emphasis program. For further discussion and guidance, please reach out to Conservatory Admission at music@bw.edu.
OVERVIEW
Gain the skills to transform music into an artistic vision that captivates an audience. Baldwin Wallace's Bachelor of Music in music theatre direction is a highly selective program within the Conservatory of Music that integrates keyboard and music instruction with extensive music theatre opportunities to prepare you for a career in the performing arts.
Hands-on music director experiences
You'll learn by doing. BW's music theatre direction major admits only a few students each year to give you opportunities to arrange music, work with pit orchestras, and collaborate with stage directors and choreographers.
Top-ranked music theatre program
You'll work alongside award-winning faculty and students in BW's nationally acclaimed music theatre program. Baldwin Wallace's close proximity to Cleveland and its nationally ranked music and arts organizations offers outstanding opportunities. BW partners include:
- Playhouse Square
- Great Lakes Theater
- Beck Center for the Arts
- Cleveland Play House
- Dobama Theatre
- Cain Park Summer Music Theatre
- Cleveland Public Theatre
- Nighttown
Career Opportunities in Music Theatre Direction
- Music director
- Musician
- Music arranger
- Rehearsal, dance or audition accompanist
- Orchestrator
- Keyboard programmer
- Music copyist
CURRICULUM
BW's music theatre direction major is highly selective and intentionally small to give you personalized attention and opportunities tailored to your skills, experiences and career aspirations.
You'll study with BW's distinguished keyboard faculty. They have decades of real-world experience, impressive credentials and networking connections. They're committed to your success, both in the classroom and as a performer.
BW music theatre professors are leaders, innovators and artists. Their extensive national and international experience in directing, acting, singing and dance have earned critical acclaim.
What you'll learn
The music theatre direction major will prepare you to conduct and play in pit orchestras, rehearse actors and orchestras, sight read in many styles, arrange music and program keyboards. Your classroom, studio and performance experiences will include:
- Taking courses in piano sight-reading, collaborative piano and jazz piano to build a large range of skills.
- Participating in the music theatre workshop sequence with music theatre performance students.
- Assisting with music theatre productions on campus and with BW partnership productions at Playhouse Square and Beck Center for the Arts.
- Taking Conservatory musicianship classes in harmony, solfege and music history.
- Participating in the Music Theatre Masterclass Series - each year a minimum of 10 New York agents and casting directors visit campus.
View a full list of courses and course descriptions for the music theatre direction major.
Course Descriptions
A more extensive listing of course descriptions, requirements for the major and additional information can be found in the University Catalog.
STUDENT EXPERIENCES
Extensive music theatre performance opportunities begin freshman year at BW and continue through senior year.
Music Theatre Collaborations
Starting your first year, you'll be involved in BW productions both on and off campus. BW presents three full musicals every year in three very different venues - a large fall musical on campus, a winter show produced by Beck Center for the Arts and a spring musical (usually a regional premiere) produced in downtown Cleveland in partnership with Playhouse Square, the second largest theatre district outside of New York City. BW music theatre also partners with Cleveland's Great Lakes Theater and Nighttown jazz and cabaret club, as well as regional and national performance centers like the Idaho Shakespeare Festival and the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.
Co-curricular Activities
Opportunities for music theatre direction majors include:
Ars Nova
Ars Nova is a welcoming music theatre community that fosters the relationship between the professional theatrical community and BW pre-professional students through education provided by guest artists from the professional field.
Theatre Arts and Performance
The purpose of this organization is to support student theatre artists and those interested in theatre on campus, to inform students of events and opportunities in theatre, to maintain an open forum for student ideas and projects, and to raise awareness of theatrical events on and off campus.
ALUMNI SUCCESS
FACULTY
Dance Program Coordinator
A.A.S., Onondaga Community College in Business
Lecturer of Music Theatre Music Direction
B.M., Music Theatre, Baldwin Wallace University
Music Theatre Music Director
B.A., Baldwin Wallace College
Music Theatre
Victoria Bussert
Director, Music Theatre Program
Professor of Theatre
M.F.A., M.A., Northwestern University
www.victoriabussert.com
Matthew Webb
Music Theatre Music Director
Assistant Professor of Music Theatre
B.A., Baldwin-Wallace College
Keyboard
Sungeun Kim
Program Coordinator, Music Performance: Keyboard
Professor of Keyboard
D.M.A., Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University
Robert Mayerovitch
Professor of Keyboard
D.M., Indiana University