Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts

Established in 2008, with a gift of $15 million, the endowment supports music scholarships, endows three faculty chairs, and funds faculty programs.

The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts offers rigorous training in a variety of musical styles and cultures.

The vibrant mix of offerings allows students to acquire the musical fluency to work across conventional boundaries, expand their artistic and cultural horizons, and develop a global creative vision. Qualitatively different from conventional music conservatories, technical excellence is only one part of the story, as The Herb Alpert School of Music seeks to empower students as complete makers of music.

The School stands out in several ways, including world-class musical innovators on faculty; a stylistically open approach to musical creativity; the ability for students to work with mentors from all areas of the School to construct individualized courses of study; ample opportunities for collaboration within CalArts’ multidisciplinary arts environment; flexibility for students to organize ensembles, often with faculty participation; and performances that are centered on original music and spontaneous creation alongside extant musical literature and interactive media.