The Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music, or Bienen School of Music, is an undergraduate and graduate institution devoted to musical performance

The Henry and Leigh Bienen School, of, Music, or Bienen School of Music, is an undergraduate and graduate institution devoted to musical performance and academics. Located on Northwestern University's campus in Evanston, Illinois, 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, the school was known as the Northwestern University School of Music from 1895 until 2008. In September 2008, the school's name was changed to honor retiring University president Henry Bienen and his wife, Leigh Buchanan Bienen.

One of the top non-conservatory based schools in the United States, the Bienen School offers performance degrees in all orchestral instruments, keyboard, voice, and conducting, as well as academic degrees in musicology, music history, music education, music technology, and music theory and cognition. It is one of the few music schools that offers a dual-degree undergraduate program in liberal arts, science, journalism or engineering, in conjunction with those respective university schools. The School of Music has over 125 faculty members, 408 undergraduate students, and 224 graduate students. (Fall 2006).


The Northwestern University School of Music comprises two buildings:

The Music Administration Building. Built in 1873 as the Women's College of Northwestern University, it became part of the Bienen School of Music in 1940. Currently, vocal studies, piano, and composition departments are housed in this building, in additional to administrative offices and academic classrooms. The organ department, which formerly occupied a wing in this building, was controversially closed in 2003.
Regenstein Hall of Music. Built in 1977, this building sits on the "Lakefill" and overlooks Lake Michigan. It houses studios for the instrumental and conducting programs, practice rooms, a rehearsal room and a recital hall.
In February 2008, the University announced that a new $90 million building was to be erected on the southeast campus as part of a renovation plan for that corner of the campus. The new building, which will unite all music faculty and departments in a common location for the first time since the early 1970s, will include classrooms, teaching labs, teaching studios, practice rooms, student lounges, a choral rehearsal room and library, an opera rehearsal room/black box theater, and a 400-seat recital hall. Construction on the new five-story building is slated to begin in late 2009, with completion expected in spring 2012.


Performance Venues

Pick-Staiger Concert HallPick-Staiger Concert Hall. Dedicated in 1975, this 1,000 seat venue is the main performance venue for not only the Bienen School but the university as a whole.
Lutkin Hall. Built in 1941 and named after the first dean of the Music School, Peter Lutkin, this 400-seat hall is used primarily as a recital venue.
Regenstein Recital Hall. Also known as the "Master Class Room," this 200-seat venue, located in the Regenstein Hall of Music, is commonly used for student recitals.
Cahn Auditorium. The only venue with a full orchestra pit, it is used by the School of Music primarily for operatic productions.
The Alice S. Millar Chapel. Built in 1962, this gothic stone structure houses a 100-rank Aeolian-Skinner organ and is used for some choral and mixed performances.

Music Library
The Music Library, founded in 1945, occupies the second floor of the Charles Deering Library in the main university library. It is known primarily for its holdings of music after 1945 and features an extensive collection of John Cage's correspondence.


[edit] Notable Alumni
Christopher Anderson (96) - director, Texas Tech University marching band; associate director of bands; assistant professor of music, Texas Tech Bienen School of Music
Andrew Bird (95) - musician, songwriter
Mark Camphouse (75) - professor of music and director of bands, Radford University
Kay Davis (42) - singer with Duke Ellington band
Erinn Frechette-Foster (97) - piccolo, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra; National Flute Association Young Artist Competition and Piccolo Artist Competition winner
Brad Haak (98) - assistant conductor for the first national tour of Disney's The Lion King
Howard Hanson (17) - composer
Sheldon Harnick (49) - lyricist for musicals including "Fiddler on the Roof"
Charley Harrison (89) - jazz guitarist; composer
Han Kuo-Huang (74) - ethnomusicologist, musician
Mark Hyams (00) - principal trumpet, Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra
Sherrill Milnes (56) - opera singer, Northwestern professor
Matthew Muckey (06) - associate principal trumpet, New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Brian Nies (97) - resident conductor, Oakland Youth Symphony; Leonard Bernstein Fellowship recipient
Mark Nuccio (86) - associate principal and solo E-flat clarinetist, New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Mary Beth Peil (62) - actress
Jenny Powers (03) - actress
Steve Rodby (77) - Grammy Award-winning jazz bassist; album producer
Ned Rorem (44) - composer
Arnie Roth (75) - Grammy Award-winning music director and principal conductor, Chicagoland Pops Orchestra
David Sanborn (67) - jazz saxophonist
Vincent Skowronski (66) - concert violinist, recording artist, classical recording producer, Grammy nominee
Sherry Sylar (81) - associate principal oboe, New York Philharmonic Orchestra