Priority review: December 1, 2026. Final deadline: January 1, 2027. Submitting early is very strongly encouraged. Scroll to the bottom of this page for specifics about application materials.
Prospective applicants are recommended to contact Dr. Daniel Cook in the fall to share their intention to apply.
Click here for the Ithaca College School of Music, Theatre, and Dance official Master of Music program page (not specific to Band; contains overall degree information that might be of interest).
The Master of Music in Conducting with a Wind Band concentration is a two-year, in-residence degree program for conductors ready to grow as musicians, teachers, and leaders. Graduate students work closely with dedicated faculty and spend their time primarily in front of real ensembles, preparing real concerts. Augmented by weekly private lessons and seminars, students refine through immersive training in score study, interpretation, expressive movement, rehearsal technique, and performance practice, and depart Ithaca prepared in their craft within both historical traditions and today’s evolving musical landscape. Our graduate conductors are deeply involved in every aspect of a thriving collegiate band program.
Graduate conductors learn alongside the band faculty every day: in lessons, in seminar, and on the podium with the Ithaca College ensembles.
Left to right: Prof. Ben Rochford, graduate student Laurel Stinson, Dr. Daniel Cook, and graduate student Meghan Siergiey after the Founder’s Day Concert, September 2026.
Graduate students serve as teaching assistants for Advanced Conducting and give individual private lessons to undergraduates in the course. They collaborate with the band faculty to host the annual Northeast Concert Band and Orchestra Festival and the annual Northeast Wind Conducting Symposium.
There are typically one or two openings each year. Graduate students are offered both a stipend and tuition remission, which vary from year to year based on allocations from the Office of Graduate Studies.
A typical award includes a tuition reduction in the form of course credits waived, a regular paycheck, and other paid opportunities, such as working with the Pep Band when applicable.
Learn more about Ithaca College’s Graduate Tuition and Financial Aid
Previous graduates have gone on to prestigious doctoral programs and collegiate teaching, as well as prominent public school teaching positions.
Studying conducting at IC was a growth-filled and joyous experience. I look back on those formative years fondly, and am grateful for the relationships, knowledge, and opportunities that resulted.
Corey Seapy, M.M. Wind Conducting ’14, Director of Bands, University of Central Missouri
Priority review: December 1, 2026.
Final deadline: January 1, 2027.
Submitting by priority review is very strongly encouraged. Please contact Dr. Daniel Cook in the fall to share your intention to apply.
Submit one video recording of approximately 20 minutes that includes both performance and rehearsal footage.
Position the camera so your head, torso, and hands are fully visible from the point of view of the ensemble.
Applicants with a successful prescreen will be invited to schedule an audition. We anticipate this to be either February 22 or 23, 2027. Candidates will rehearse the Wind Ensemble and possibly other ensembles to demonstrate their conducting and ensemble leadership skills. Other components of the visit include a Q&A with Band faculty/staff, a one-on-one interview with Dr. Cook, and scheduled time to take in the city of Ithaca.
There are typically one or two openings each year. Awards include a stipend and tuition remission, which vary from year to year based on allocations from the Office of Graduate Studies. Graduate Tuition and Financial Aid
Please contact Dr. Daniel Cook, Director of Bands via email at dcook1@ithaca.edu.