Graduate Scholarships and Stipends

The Eastman School of Music provides financial support to its graduate students primarily through graduate scholarships and assistantships. Where applicable, assistantships provide in-depth professional training for graduate students and the School receives valuable services in return. While virtually all students receive a tuition scholarship, some students may be qualified for and assigned assistantships. Should a student receive both a tuition scholarship and a stipend, they must be connected (a student may not accept the scholarship and decline the stipend). Scholarships range from 1-2 units to full tuition; stipends are largely based on the number of hours of work assigned, and are paid in bi-weekly or twice monthly installments and are taxable. Many students receive tuition scholarship only. Admission to a graduate program does not guarantee either a scholarship or an assistantship.

To apply for a specific assistantship, indicate your interest in up to four different positions within the online application for admission.

Many assistantships have no additional requirements and are decided on the basis of your audition/interview for admission.
Some require an additional interview or audition component for consideration.

Details for each assistantship are specified in the descriptions below.

Graduate students who have questions about their scholarship or assistantship should contact the Graduate Studies Office at gradstudies@esm.rochester.edu or 585-274-1560

FAQs about Graduate Costs and Support

Graduate Assistantships:

Applied Studio Teacher
Ensemble Performer
Classroom Teacher of Piano
Studio Accompanist
Lute or Harpsichord Continuo, Collegium Musicum
Harpsichord Accompanist
Sacred Music Assistant
Organ Maintenance
Voice Department Assistant
Jazz Department Assistant
Music Education Department Assistant
Conducting Teaching Assistant
Musicology Teaching Assistant
Classroom Teacher of Theory/Aural Musicianship
Composition Department Assistant
Computer Music Studio Assistant
Institute for Music Leadership–Department Assistant
George Walker Center for Equity & Inclusion in Music–Department Assistant
Sibley Music Library Assistant

Admissions Menu

APPLIED STUDIO TEACHER: Teach instrumental or vocal lessons to students such as non-music majors. Assistantships in studio teaching are awarded in consultation with the performance faculty, and are based on the applicant’s degree program audition. Studio teaching awards for Piano and Organ are available to DMA performance majors only. An online interview may be requested.

ENSEMBLE PERFORMER: Perform in large instrumental or vocal ensembles, including Conducting Orchestra, as assigned. Decisions are based on the applicant’s degree program audition. No additional application, audition, or forms are required.

CLASSROOM TEACHER OF PIANO: Teach Class Piano, (using a Yamaha Keyboard Lab). The curriculum is designed for Eastman music majors (non-pianists) and beginning level piano students from the UR River Campus. Candidates are selected on the basis of their classroom teaching experience and knowledge of keyboard labs, music software programs such as Classroom Maestro, SmartBoard® interactive display (7000 Series), and the creativity shown when using these teaching tools. Applicants for this assistantship will be asked to provide background information detailing their prior teaching experience. An online Zoom interview may be requested. Further information can be studied at https://www.esm.rochester.edu/classpiano/

STUDIO ACCOMPANIST – PIANO: All Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music Degree applicants are automatically considered for this assistantship; however, advanced pianists with significant studio accompanying experience and excellent sight-reading skills who are applying to degree programs other than Piano Accompanying may also apply.

Applicants should indicate their interest in being considered for this assistantship within their Eastman School of Music online application and must submit lists of their complete vocal and instrumental collaborative repertoire with their application. Applicants auditioning on campus will be invited to complete a short interview including sight-reading for this assistantship on the day of their audition. Applicants auditioning remotely will be interviewed via Zoom during the month of February.

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HARPSICHORD CONTINUO, COLLEGIUM MUSICUM and/or BAROQUE CHAMBER MUSIC: Applicants will be expected to demonstrate advanced proficiency with continuo realization by reading figured bass from an unrealized part at sight. Harpsichord majors are automatically considered for this assistantship based on their audition for admission but still must indicate their interest in a continuo grad award. This position entails performing in the Collegium Musicum ensemble as well as in Baroque Chamber Music groups.

HARPSICHORD ACCOMPANIST: Applicants will be expected to demonstrate advanced proficiency with continuo realization by reading figured bass from an unrealized part at sight. Harpsichord majors are automatically considered for this assistantship based on their audition for admission but still must indicate their interest in a continuo position. This position typically entails accompanying vocalists and instrumentalists.

SACRED MUSIC ASSISTANT: This assistantship is typically awarded only to organ majors. Decisions are based on the applicant’s degree program audition. No additional form or materials are required to apply.

ORGAN MAINTENANCE: This position is typically awarded only to organ majors. Preference is given to those with previous experience maintaining organs. Decisions are based on the applicant’s degree program audition. No additional application is required.

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VOICE DEPARTMENT ASSISTANT: This position involves assisting in the voice department office, and is typically awarded to a voice performance major. It does not require an interview, nor any additional forms or materials.

JAZZ DEPARTMENT ASSISTANT: Departmental and/or teaching assistantships in jazz theory, jazz history, improvisation, jazz writing and arranging, performing in ensembles, and instrumental teaching. These assistantships are typically awarded to jazz majors. No additional forms or materials are required.

MUSIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ASSISTANT: These include both departmental assistantships (available to Music Education majors only) and assistantships for classroom teachers of music education techniques (available to any interested performers except those who play guitar or keyboard instruments). Recipients of this assignment assist with teaching duties in the Music Education curriculum. Interviews via phone or Skype may be requested. No additional forms or materials are required.

CONDUCTING TEACHING ASSISTANT: This assistantship is restricted to applicants admitted with a major in conducting. Duties may include assisting conducting faculty in rehearsals, leading sectionals, and otherwise preparing for concerts. Doctoral students may be asked to teach conducting classes. Assignments are based on the applicant’s audition and interview; no additional forms or materials are required.

MUSICOLOGY TEACHING ASSISTANT: Only applicants to the Musicology or Ethnomusicology degree programs are eligible for this assistantship, and will be considered based on their interview for the degree program. Applicants to other programs will not be considered. Recipients of this assignment assist with teaching duties in the musicology and music history curriculum.

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CLASSROOM TEACHER OF THEORY/AURAL MUSICIANSHIP: This assistantship is highly competitive, and is most typically assigned to current Eastman students who have taken a theory pedagogy course at Eastman (and by default to students admitted to the PhD in theory). Applicants with any written theory or aural musicianship grades lower than an A-, or a submitted Duolingo English test score below 120, will not be considered. Recipients of this assignment assist with teaching duties in the undergraduate theory curriculum, both in the classroom and in one-on-one tutoring. Applicants for this position will be asked to submit a short statement within the application explaining why they want to be an instructor in the undergraduate theory core at Eastman, and how their background/training has prepared them for this position. Additionally, one of the applicants recommendation letters must be from a teacher of theory or aural musicianship. An interview via videoconference may be requested, which will include demonstration of sight singing, keyboard, and pedagogic abilities. Graduate students assigned one of these assistantships must commit to attending TA training sessions in Rochester one full week before the beginning of classes.

COMPOSITION DEPARTMENT ASSISTANT: This assistantship is restricted to applicants admitted with a major in composition. Duties can include assisting with department performances and projects, and teaching composition-related courses. No additional interview or application is required.

COMPUTER MUSIC STUDIO ASSISTANT: Composition applicants are automatically considered for this assistantship. Other interested applicants may apply; a background in either system programming or electronic music is required. Recipients of this assignment assist in the Eastman Audio Research Studio (EARS) with projects, performances and/or teaching. An online Interview may be requested.

INSTITUTE FOR MUSIC LEADERSHIP – DEPT. ASSISTANT:

This position supports the Assistant Director of the IML with the development of ALC curriculum, communicating with the ALP Certificate cohort, data assessment & collection, and marketing of IML offerings. As a team leader, candidates must be able to supervise fellow student workers and collaborate with other team leaders across the department. The ideal candidate is someone who can take assigned tasks and work independently to complete by a deadline. Attention to detail, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills are a must. Required: A working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications. Preferred: Some graphic and video editing (Canva, InDesign), website development (WordPress) and social media (Facebook & Instagram) knowledge. Please submit a work resume through the online application. Performance resumes will not be considered for this assistantship.

GEORGE WALKER CENTER FOR EQUITY & INCLUSION IN MUSIC – DEPT. ASSISTANT

This position supports the Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion in Music. The ideal candidate is someone who has a demonstrated interest in equity and inclusion in music, and can take assigned tasks and work independently to complete by a deadline. Attention to detail, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills are a must. Required: A working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications. Preferred: social media (Facebook & Instagram) knowledge. Please submit a work resume through the online application. Performance resumes will not be considered for this assistantship.

SIBLEY MUSIC LIBRARY ASSISTANT

The Sibley Music Library is one of the largest academic music libraries in the world, devoted to all aspects of the study of music. Graduate students at the masters or doctoral level who have experience or interest in library work can select this option to be considered for an assistantship at the Sibley Music Library. Tasks may include assisting patrons at the reference and circulation desks as well as processing new titles, organizing archives, or facilitating research in special collections. Experience with research and familiarity with library resources is preferred. In order to be considered, upload a research paper (such as a music history or musicology paper, honors thesis, or other research example) on the “Other Documents” page of this application if your program requirements do not already include a research paper. Selected applicants may also be invited to complete a short interview for this assistantship.

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