The Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music is the music school of the
University of Houston
The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...
. The Moores School offers the
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of presc ...
,
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
in Music,
Master of Music, and
Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in music
performance,
conducting,
theory
A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may ...
and
composition,
music history and literature,
pedagogy
Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...
, and
music education
Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do origin ...
and also offers a Certificate of Music Performance. It is a component of the University of Houston's
Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts
The Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts (KGMCA) is one of thirteen academic colleges at the University of Houston
The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH ...
. The Moores School is a fully accredited member of the
National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). Its
namesake
A namesake is a person, geographic location, or other entity bearing the name of another.
History
The word is first attested around 1635, and probably comes from the phrase "for one's name's sake",
which originates in English Bible translations ...
s are UH alumni
John Moores (a businessman and philanthropist) and his former wife Rebecca. As of 2021–2022, the Director of the Moores School is Courtney Crappell.
History
The University of Houston was founded in 1927, and the music department was formed in 1940. In 1969 the department was officially designated as the University of Houston School of Music. In 1972 the School of Music moved into the Fine Arts Building, a facility it shared with the School of Art. A multimillion-dollar gift in 1991 by UH alumni
John and Rebecca Moores led to renaming of the school in their honor (media references to the "Moores School of Music" appear as early as fall 1995) and to the construction of the present facility, which began operation in 1997.
Artistic directors of the school have included Bruce Spencer King, Earl Moore, Robert Briggs,
Milton Katims
Milton Katims (June 24, 1909February 27, 2006) was an American violist and conductor. He was music director of the Seattle Symphony for 22 years (1954–76). In that time he added more than 75 works, made recordings, premiered new pieces and le ...
, David Tomatz, David Ashley White, Andrew Davis, and Courtney Crappell.
Overview
Enrollment in the Moores School stands at nearly 600 music majors, who are instructed by a faculty of 80. Since 1997 the school has been located at the Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music Building on the University of Houston campus. A large and varied schedule of concerts and recitals featuring students, faculty, and guest performers serves the concertgoing public of Houston throughout the year.
Ensembles at the Moores School include the Wind Ensemble (recipient of multiple Grammy nominations), the Moores School Symphony Orchestra, the Concert Chorale, AURA (a contemporary music ensemble), the Jazz Orchestra, the Mariachi Pumas, the
Spirit of Houston Cougar Marching Band, the Symphonic Winds, the Concert Band, the Cougar Brass, the Choral Artists, the Chamber Singers, the Concert Women's Chorus, the
Houston Symphony Chorus, the University Men's Chorus, the University Women's Chorus, the Moores School Percussion Ensemble, and Collegium Musicum (early music). The Edythe Bates Old Moores Opera Center presents productions consistently lauded as being of professional quality. As a component of the
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, the Moores School also collaborates for some events, programs, and productions with the
School of Art, the
Creative Writing Program, the School of Theatre and Dance, and the
Blaffer Gallery, the art museum of the University of Houston.
The Houston Opera Studio has provided dozens of world-class
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...
singers with early professional training and experience. From its inception in 1977 until 1992, the Studio was a partnership between the University of Houston School of Music and
Houston Grand Opera; it is now administered solely by HGO.
["UH will end its support of Opera Studio" by Charles Ward. ''Houston Chronicle'', 18 February 1992]
The Moores School of Music Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Blake Wilkins, has also performed at three Percussive Arts Society International Conventions. These showcase concerts were the result of winning three PAS "Call for Tapes" contests. The Moores School Percussion Ensemble is the second ensemble in history to achieve three PAS Showcase concerts. The group has recorded three commercially released compact discs: Surge, released in 2005; Not Here, But There, released in 2009; and the most recent, Everywhere Entangled, which was released in January 2012.
Data indicate that some 80 percent of Moores School graduates stay in the Houston area following graduation, so that a large proportion of the community's professional musical performers and educators are University of Houston alumni. Nevertheless, Moores School graduates in significant numbers can be found on concert stages, on college faculties, and in other leading professional musical roles worldwide.
Extracurricular programs and activities
The Moores School hosts a number of musical activities outside the scope of its basic program of university instruction. These include the following:
* a Division of Preparatory and Continuing Studies, which offers throughout the academic year private and classroom music instruction to the community at large, especially geared to children and adults
* the Texas Music Festival, an annual month-long summer program of concerts with intensive instruction and coaching for young professionals and highly talented students
* the Cougar Band Camp, a week-long summer program
* the International Piano Festival, an annual weekend of concerts and master classes with world-renowned keyboard artists
* an annual Moores School of Music Jazz Festival
* Floot Fire, an annual five-day festival for flutists
In addition, the Moores School of Music is home to chapters of four collegiate music fraternities and one honor society:
* The Beta Sigma chapter of
Kappa Kappa Psi, honorary band fraternity, founded January 21, 1950
* The Tau chapter of
Tau Beta Sigma, honorary band sorority, founded March 25, 1950.
* The Beta Pi chapter of
Sigma Alpha Iota, music fraternity, chartered March 28, 1953.
* The Omicron Upsilon chapter of
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity, chartered May 29, 1966.
* The Zeta Tau chapter of
Pi Kappa Lambda
Pi Kappa Lambda () is an American honor society for undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors of music. There are over 270 chapters nationally; a complete roster of current chapters is listed in the organization's official web ...
, music honor society, chartered 1989.
Facilities
Located in the Arts District of the University of Houston campus, the centerpiece of the $24 million Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music Building is the 800-seat Moores Opera House, which features a ceiling mural by
Frank Stella, light fixtures b
Isaac Maxwell and a
green room displaying paintings by
Ary Stillman
Ary Stillman (February 13, 1891 – January 28, 1967) was a representational and abstract Russian-American painter born in Hresk near Slutsk, Belarus. He excelled in art as a youth, and after graduating from school he was accepted into the Impe ...
. The building contains 50 teaching studios and 60 practice rooms, a large library, state-of-the-art listening and composition facilities, a recording studio, four rehearsal halls for large ensembles, and a lounge. Some facilities in the "old" Fine Arts Building, such as the Dudley Recital Hall and the Organ Hall, are still used by the Moores School.
Noted faculty and alumni
List of University of Houston people
Sources
*"beginning a new era: the moores school of music" by Cydney Mackey. From ''Collegium'', Winter 1997.
* Kriebel, Robert C. ''Blue Flame: Woody Herman's Life in Music''. Purdue IN: Purdue University Press, 1995. .
*"Texas Heart" by Dennis Rooney. ''The Strad'', January 1990.
References
External links
University of Houston Moores School of MusicOfficial website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moores School Of Music
Music schools in Texas
University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Texas classical music
Educational institutions established in 1940
Arts organizations established in 1940
1940 establishments in Texas