Studios

Explore the foundation of music and voice performance.

UAF offers a wide range of flute instruction and experiences for flutists of all levels and interests from music career-oriented students to those who wish to keep up their skills and enjoy playing as a music minor or non-degree student.  Class and private lessons, as well as ensembles, are available through UAF. There are many playing opportunities on campus and in the greater Fairbanks community including the UAF Wind Symphony, Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, Fairbanks Flutists, light opera pit orchestras, churches, and summer festival groups. Weekly solo and small ensemble recitals are held in the Davis Concert Hall with its exceptional acoustics.  Degrees are available in performance and education, and many flute graduates have gone to successful careers in both.

Double Reed instrumentalists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks can expect to have weekly hour-long private lessons on their major instrument. Additionally, reed making classes for both Oboe and Bassoon are available and encouraged.

Double reed instrumentalists can expect to perform in university ensembles such as the Wind Symphony (Concert Band/Wind Ensemble) and the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra. Seat placement is determined by audition each semester. Other performance opportunities such as chamber ensembles: duos, trios, quintets, etc. will be facilitated and coordinated for students by need and availability.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks presents the premier single reed studio in Alaska. UAF single reed studio consists of music majors and minors who study clarinet and/or saxophone. Students will have opportunities to perform in small chamber ensembles as well as larger performance ensembles such as the Wind Symphony and Fairbanks Symphony. Weekly performance opportunities are available, including student recitals and studio masterclass. 

The UAF Music Department offers French Horn instruction to horn players of all levels and interests, both music majors and non-majors. Private lessons focus on sound production, range, and technique and incorporate solo and orchestral literature. Students have the opportunity to play in UAF and community ensembles including UAF Wind Symphony, Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, Fairbanks Community Band, and others.

UAF Piano Program

While the program focuses on solo performance, it also emphasizes chamber music, collaborative piano, and teaching. The well-rounded curriculum prepares our graduates to make their way in today’s highly competitive music world.

Piano students have regular opportunities to play in weekly studio master classes and perform on weekly “Music at One” student recitals as they prepare for their degree recitals and juries.  Along with individual lessons, as well as chamber music coaching, by their major studio teacher, students also receive coaching from other teachers in the music department.

Moreover, many internationally acclaimed pianists visit the UAF Department of Music as part of the Fairbanks Symphony Concert Season, and Fairbanks Concert Association.  These artists give recitals, lectures, and master classes, which are all available to our students. Recent guests have included Vladimir Feltsman, James Tocco, Natasha Paremski, Alexander Kobrin, Jerome Rose, and many others.

Performance opportunities

Every piano student studies solo and chamber music literature, collaborates with instrumentalists and/or singers, and performs in the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, and UAF Wind Ensemble.  There are numerous performing opportunities on campus and beyond. Many piano students compete in the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra’s annual concerto competition, which offers the winners the opportunity to perform with the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra on a subscription concert.  

Our former students are presented in concerts and with orchestras in New York, Germany, China and Greece.  Past students include Jamina Gerl ’11 MM who performs as a concert pianist in US and Europe, and Mallory Bernstein ’11 MM who is a teacher and an opera accompanist in Colorado.

Resources

UAF Department of Music maintains grand pianos in all concert halls, studios, and practice rooms. Students benefit from extensive libraries containing music collections, CD’s and DVD recordings. UAF has the Charles Davis Concert Hall which is the only true concert hall in the state of Alaska, and has incredible acoustics for performances and recordings.  Every four years, UAF is the host of the prestigious Alaska International Piano–e–Competition which brings world class pianists to the campus who compete to win more than $70,000 in prize moneys.

Violin/ Viola students enjoy an intense study in our rich repertoire. UAF String Area provides ample performance and collaborative opportunities through Northern Lights String Orchestra, Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, Music at One, chamber music courses, faculty collaborations, and weekly performance masterclasses. Two options for study include Class Violin/Viola Lessons or Private Violin/Viola Lessons. 

Class lessons do not require an end of semester jury and meet once a week in a group lesson.  

Private lessons come with a more one on one experience, perfect for students who seek a more in-depth study. It offers a weekly one hour lesson, a large ensemble requirement (NLSO or FSO), piano rehearsals and coaching with collaborative pianist Dr. Lorna Eder, an end of semester jury, and a weekly masterclass. 

String Masterclass occurs weekly on Monday nights and meets from 5:00pm-6:45 pm in the McGown room FA 217.

Northern Lights String Orchestra meets Mondays from 7:00pm-8:30 pm in Davis Concert Hall.

Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra meets Tuesdays from 6:30pm-9:30 pm.

We encourage non-music majors, music minors, and music majors alike. Extra opportunities include masterclasses and collaborations from world class string artists like Shelia Browne, soloist and Juilliard faculty; David Kim, Concertmaster of Philadelphia Symphony; members of the Cypress Quartet; Gabriel Pegis, Principal second of Cincinnati Symphony; Kathryn Eberle, Associate Concertmaster of Utah Symphony; Daniel Han, section violin in the Philadelphia Symphony; Brian Lewis, soloist and UT Austin faculty; Kevin Lawrence, violin faculty UNCSA; Christopher Luther, violist and fiddler; Svend Rønning, Concertmaster of Tacoma Symphony; and Matthew Thomas Troy, guest conductor.

Recent student successes include:

Lisa Ibias ‘19. Soloist with Juneau Symphony, Associate Concertmaster of Juneau Symphony.

Rose Crelli, ’18. Assistant Principal of Huntsville Symphony. Graduate Assistantship at University of Louisville.

Trevor Adams, ‘15 & ’17. Scholarship recipient and Teaching Assistantship at Roosevelt University, Film Composition Degree.

Heidi O’Connor Brooks, ‘15/’16. Hired with Anchorage School District after completing full assistantship MAT program in UASE.

As a cellist at UAF, students have opportunities to join the vibrant cello community in Alaska at any level of their development. Students who are either looking to begin their cello studies or who enjoy small ensemble playing can enroll in Class Lessons, while those with more experience may take Private Lessons, in which students study the cello through specific techniques and repertoire. All UAF cellists may participate in a variety of ensembles, including the Northern Lights String Orchestra, Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, Nanook String Quartet, UAF chamber ensembles, and the Fairbanks Cello Festival. Many cellists at UAF engage in educational outreach and are actively involved with UAF’s National Association for Music Education chapter. UAF cellists also have regular performance engagements at Music at One, masterclasses with guest artists, recitals in the renowned Davis Concert Hall, and side-by-side performances with UAF Music Department faculty.

Private instruction in string bass consists of one private lesson per week, either one-half hour or one hour depending on how many credits the student signs up for. All students are welcome, beginners (MUS 151 Class Lessons), non-music majors and degree seeking music majors. 

Lessons in my studio provide students with the fundamental skills of instrumental playing and musicianship, the development of a clear, precise musical sound and experience with a variety of musical styles, periods, and genres. With weekly guidance, the student will achieve certain mastery of bass performance, demonstrate music performance at their highest level, and gain a deeper understanding of music teaching and skills related to pedagogy. 

Students are expected to practice regularly between lessons and prepare weekly assignments. Ninety (90) minutes a day is the minimum recommended. While you are preparing for your lessons, you are also preparing for large ensemble, Northern Lights String Ensemble or Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, and chamber music rehearsals. The student will also have many other performing opportunities: weekly masterclasses, weekly Music at One performances, and end of semester juries, to mention just a few. 

Download the Current UAF Percussion Brochure Here

The percussion program at UAF cultivates versatile, creative musicians through focused experiences in solo, chamber, and large ensemble performances, as well as intensive individual study with the percussion faculty. The program curriculum mirrors national standards in instrumental and technical proficiency while simultaneously adapting to suit the interests and needs of each percussion major. UAF features a variety of performing ensembles, including two dedicated percussion ensembles (UAF Percussion Group and the UAF Steel Pan Ensemble) that cover a wide range of percussive genres, styles, and history, as well as large ensembles such as the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, the percussion facilities are outfitted to meet all percussive needs, home to a myriad of professional-grade instruments and four dedicated percussion practice rooms. UAF percussionists also enjoy extra-curricular opportunities to perform in a variety of other professional organizations, such as the Fairbanks Light Opera Theatre, Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, and the Northern Exposure New Music Festival, among others.

If you're interested in pursuing any level of percussion studies at UAF, please don't hesitate to contact us! Thank you for your interest in our program.

The UAF Music Department offers Guitar instruction to guitar players of all levels and interests, both music majors and non-majors. Private lessons focus on development of technique and musicality in all genres of guitar playing.

If you're interested in pursuing any level of guitar studies at UAF, please don't hesitate to contact us! Thank you for your interest in our program.