Program Overview
Music Theory
Music theory is a part of every area of study in the conservatory. We stress aural skills, critical thinking, analysis, and writing to help students find as many ways as possible to not only understand music but to also engage with it deeply.
Professor Jan Miyake ’96 teaches in one of her music theory classes.
Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97
Program Facts
- Program Type: Minor
- Division: Music Theory
Division Director
Jared Hartt,
Barker Professor of Music Theory
Quick Links
Oberlin Orchestra Performance in Finney Chapel.
Photo credit: John Seyfried
Performance Ensembles
Oberlin sponsors approximately 500 concerts on campus each year, including recitals and concerts by the more than 25 student ensembles, and performances and master classes by guest artists.
Faculty
Christa Cole ’17
Assistant Professor of Music Theory
Thomas Cooke
Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Theory
Mítia Ganade D’Acol
Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Theory
Samuel Gardner
Assistant Professor of Music Theory
Jared Hartt
Barker Professor of Music Theory
Tyler M. Howie
Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Theory
Rebecca Leydon
Professor of Music Theory
Megan Kaes Long
Associate Professor of Music Theory
Joseph Lubben
Professor of Music Theory
Jan Miyake ’96
Professor of Music Theory
Bryan Parkhurst
Associate Professor of Music Theory
Andrew Pau
Associate Professor of Music Theory
Carlos Pérez Tabares
Assistant Professor of Music Theory
Eron Smith
Assistant Professor of Music Theory
Justin Weiss ’17
Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Theory
Music Theory News
The Meaning Behind the Motions
What makes a live performance unforgettable? Assistant Professor of Music Theory Samuel Gardner has uncovered compelling evidence that physical gestures—ranging from subtle, unconscious movements to lively, intentional displays—are central to understanding how both performers and audiences connect with sound.
Meet the Conservatory’s Newest Tenure-Track Faculty
Five members of the conservatory faculty have been granted tenure-track positions beginning this academic year. They span the disciplines of music theory, composition, trombone, and TIMARA—each of...
Megan Kaes Long Wins Society for Music Theory's Wallace Berry Award
Megan Kaes Long, an associate professor of music theory at Oberlin Conservatory, was awarded the 2021 Wallace Berry Award by the Society for Music Theory. The prize is given annually for a...
