Required:
MUPG 600
Recital Project 1
9 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Performance: Solo recital, collaborative piano recital, conducting recital or principal Opera Role (by audition) with program notes.
Offered by: Performance
- Solo recital (60-70 minutes), collaborative piano recital (60-70 minutes), conducting recital (30-35 minutes) or Principal Opera Role as defined by the American Guild of Musical Artists' website ( Lead, Schedule C
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
Optional (9 credits from the following):
MUPG 601
Recital Project 2
9 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Performance: Solo recital, collaborative piano recital, conducting recital or principal opera role (by audition) with program notes. May include chamber music providing none of the repertoire was prepared in a chamber ensemble taken for credit.
Offered by: Performance
- Solo recital (60-70 minutes), collaborative piano recital (60-70 minutes), conducting recital (35-40 minutes) or principal opera role (by audition) as defined by the American Guild of Musical Artists' website ( Lead, Schedule C
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
MUPG 602
Recital Project 3
6 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Performance: Recital, conducting recital or featured opera role (by audition) with program notes.
Offered by: Performance
- Recital (30-40 minutes), conducting recital (20-25 minutes) or featured opera role (by audition) as defined by the American Guild of Musical Artists' website ( Featured, Schedule C
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
MUPG 603
Recital Project 4
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Performance: Concerto performance with accompaniment or supporting opera role (by audition) with program notes.
Offered by: Performance
- Supporting Opera Role as defined by the American Musical Artists' website ( Supporting, Schedule C
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
MUPG 604
Chamber Music Recital
6 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Performance: Chamber Music Recital with program notes. Repertoire may not include works performed in MUEN courses. Various instrumentations permitted as long as student performs in all works.
Offered by: Performance
- Chamber Music Recital (60-70 minutes). If single ensemble, recital may be taken for credit by all participating students, by approval of department.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
MUPG 605
Course not available
MUPG 606
Interdisciplinary Project 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Performance: Research-creation involving collaboration between different disciplines resulting in a new
work, interpretation or contribution to knowledge presented in public or through recorded media (e.g., performer and composer; performer and actor/dancer; performer and CIRMMT researcher; performer and sound recording student) with program notes as relevant.
Offered by: Performance
- Departmental Meeting on November 11, 2021.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
MUPG 607
Interdisciplinary Project 2
6 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Performance: Research-creation involving collaboration between different disciplines resulting in a new work, interpretation or contribution to knowledge presented in public (i.e., performer-composer commission); performance and actor/dancer collaboration, participant as co-researcher in CIRMMT study including participation in analysis of data, etc.) with program notes as relevant.
Offered by: Performance
- Performer-composer commission of 10-20 minutes. By proposal only and approval of the Department.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
Performance Exams
Deadlines
Beginning of year: Book the hall for your recital with the Production Office, Room C208.
Submit your Graduate Exam Application Form by (this is a different form than the one given by the Production Office):
- October 1st for exams between November and January;
- December 1st for exams between February and March;
- February 15th for exams between April and October:
Submit program notes up to 3 weeks before your recital, if applicable.
Guidelines
Planning the Performance Exam
- Discuss with your teacher how to use and schedule options to complete 18 credits of thesis exams required or your program, including planning for the 2nd year.
- Concertos are not permitted on programs for MUPG 601 and 602.
Selecting & Booking a Hall
- Attend concerts in the halls. Visit our Facilities pages early in your program to find concert hall seating plans, technical requirements, and booking instructions.
- Consider repertoire, instrumentation, type of audience, and any other additional requirements (i.e. overhead projection).
- Consult with your teacher about their availability (typically May for Master's recitals) and book your hall at the beginning of the year if possible. To book your recital, please see the Production Office in Room C-208.
Examiners for Performance Exams
Quick Study
- Quick Studies are arranged and held on a pre-determined date around mid-November or the end of March/April each year, and announced in the Spring of each semester.
- Fill out the Graduate Exam Application Form and notify the Voice Area Coordinator of your intent to do the quick study.
- Repertoire will be assigned three weeks before the scheduled performance date.
Working Collaboratively
- Agreements with accompanists should be confirmed in writing and include dates and times of rehearsals, repertoire, fees, and how the fees will be paid.
- Cultivate a professional working relationship with your accompanist:
- Provide repertoire well ahead of rehearsals and concert times. Â
- Create an efficient rehearsal schedule, with defined goals, in advance.
- Cancel or change rehearsal times only in exceptional circumstances.
- Be prepared for each rehearsal. Â Listen to recordings of great performances and discuss with your teacher what makes that particular collaborative relationship so artistic or powerful.
Recording your Recital
Recitals can be recorded using the one-touch recording system. Otherwise there will be a service charge according to the maximum of musicians on stage at any given time. Please contact the Production Office (production.music [at] mcgill.ca) for prices. All recording requests must be made on the appropriate form available from the Production Office (C-208) and returned no later than 2 weeks before the event.
Grading Policy
The final mark for all performance exams will be an average of the three grades submitted by the three examiners.
Read the 
Performance Examination Policy (PDF) for more information.
"For me, I've found it helpful to always anchor a concert around a specific idea - whether it be a historical figure or event, an instrument, a historical narrative of some kind or some kind of creative genre, even a particular piece or place. From there, the connections to be made can be endless! …I look for an idea I can be temporarily in love with."
-Gili Loftus, DMus.
