University Spotlight: Illinois Wesleyan University
In this column, we spotlight amazing vocal programs and highlight how they’re helping singers!
Illinois Wesleyan University
School of Music
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What Makes You Unique
Find Your Voice at Illinois Wesleyan University
At Illinois Wesleyan University, music isn’t just studied — it’s lived. The School of Music delivers conservatory-level training within a close-knit liberal arts community, giving musicians the rare opportunity to develop both artistic mastery and personal confidence.
Whether you dream of the opera stage, the classroom, or the spotlight of musical theatre, IWU’s Choral and Vocal programs offer the tools to get you there. Students receive one-on-one mentorship from world-class faculty and have numerous performance opportunities including fully staged operas, choir tours across the globe, jazz gigs, recitals, and collaborative productions with the School of Theatre Arts.
Programs include BM in Vocal Performance, a BA in Music and a BME the nationally ranked Music Education program which boasts 100% job placement. IWU’s School of Music also offers various minors and concentrations such as a Jazz minor and a minor in Arts Administration. The School of Music at IWU presents itself as a place where students “grow into inspiring musicians and well-rounded individuals through rigorous training and the acquisition of comprehensive knowledge and skills.”
With generous talent scholarships (up to 40K per year in renewable scholarships), small studio sizes, and endless stage time (over 100 performances a year!), Illinois Wesleyan helps you grow as an artist, leader, and collaborator.
Scholarships & Financial Aid
Talent Based Scholarships are available through Auditioning. Please see: https://www.iwu.edu/music/admissions/major-audition.html
Performance Opportunities & Events
IWU offers its students the rare opportunity to perform in fully staged operas accompanied by orchestra. Upcoming productions include Mozart’s The Impresario and Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti, running January 16–18, 2026. Meanwhile, the university’s premier choral ensemble, the Collegiate Choir, will embark on a Midwest tour in Spring 2026.
Notable Alumni
Noteworthy Alums: Dawn Upshaw, Barrington Coleman, Natalie Cummings, Kate Tombaugh and many more!
Other Notes
More than just a program, the IWU School of Music is a Midwestern treasure where individual mentorship meets real-world preparation—equipping students to design their own careers in the modern musical world.
