Thank you for your interest in Music Theory at Indiana University! To view a list of presentations by current and former faculty and students from IU, please visit our IU at SMT page. We will also be participating in the Prospective Graduate Student Fair on Friday and hosting a reception on Saturday. We invite you to stop by or reach out to us.
If you have questions, please contact Isaac at mustheor@iu.edu.
Meet our Faculty!
Eclectic in their interests, the music theory faculty are recognized nationally and internationally as leaders in their areas of research, which represent diverse fields from the traditional to the experimental. Please email the faculty individually if you would like to discuss further.
Noriko Manabe | Chair | nmanabe@iu.edu
Music and social movements, music and language, popular music, music industry, Japan
Roman Ivanovitch | Associate Chair | rivanovi@iu.edu
Tonal analysis, 18c music, form, variation techniques, Mozart
Kyle Adams | Director of Undergraduate Studies | kyadams@iu.edu
History of music theory, hip-hop music, popular music, musicianship
Andrew Goldman | angoldm@iu.edu
Music cognition, music neuroscience, improvisation, embodiment
Orit Hilewicz | ohilewic@iu.edu
Intertextuality, metaphor, and agency in the long 20th century, film and multimedia music, and temporality
Julian Hook | juhook@iu.edu
Mathematical approaches, transformation theory, 19c–20c music
Eric Isaacson | isaacso@iu.edu
Atonality, 20c music, music informatics, cognition
Marianne Kielian-Gilbert | Emeritus Professor
Cultural studies, feminist theory, aesthetics, 20c–21c music, Stravinsky
Andrew Mead | awmead@iu.edu
20c music, serialism, Babbitt, Webern, Carter
Frank Samarotto | fsamarot@iu.edu
Schenker, history of music theory, rhythm, temporality, 19c music, Brahms
Lina Tabak | lstabak@iu.edu
Rhythm and meter, Latin American folk music, pedagogy, and music cognition
Amy Tai | amytai@iu.edu
Dance, Western art music, phenomenology, Labanotation, narrativity
Our Degrees
Music theory at Indiana University emphasizes musicianship and scholarly study with particular emphasis on the history of musical thought, analysis of musical structure, and pedagogy. Every student in our graduate program receives an Associate Instructor position, preparing them for a career in academia by providing hands-on teaching experience.
Master of Music in Music Theory
The master’s degree emphasizes exposure to a broad range of analytical and pedagogical topics and techniques. Dual degree: MM/MLS (library science).
Doctor of Philosophy in Music Theory
The doctoral curriculum emphasizes depth of study, providing students the opportunity to explore specific music-theoretical areas in detail.
My time at IU changed my life! The faculty are not only brilliant scholars, but wonderful teachers who genuinely care about helping students. Their areas of specialization are diverse, so you are likely to find a mentor whose interests overlap with your own.
You will learn teaching, as part of a robust undergraduate theory program that has for decades brought students, with varying levels of prior musical training, the practical theoretical skills they need to achieve success in the field.
You will be one in a large group of theory graduate students whose diverse backgrounds and musical interests will enrich your own education.
The theory department at IU created an environment that for me was intellectually stimulating and rich in wonderful musical experiences. I only wish I could do the degree over again.
—Aaron Sunstein, Ph.D. Alum
I have seen tremendous growth during my time at the Jacobs School of Music. The faculty has created a welcoming, supportive, and collaborative environment that is critical to the success of the graduate student body.
—Anna Peloso, Ph.D. Student