Community Connections
Music
transcends the boundaries of language. Both cultural and collaborative, it forges
a partnership between musician and listener, a fellowship within the community
that creates and sustains it. At Azusa Pacific University, performances –
collective, creative experiences – move beyond entertainment. Here, performance
exemplifies scholarship and emphasizes the value of musical dialogue. Through
events such as the International Piano Institute, the Battle of the Big Bands,
Orange County Performing Arts Center Christmas concerts, Symphony Orchestra
Workshop, and Celebrate the Masters, local neighbors and audiences at large
share in the culmination of the musicians' talent, research, skill, and passion.
Annual Orchestral Workshop
Each year, the School of Music hosts the Orchestral Workshop, inviting advanced high school musicians to study with a special guest conductor for a five-day, on-campus learning experience. The workshop exposes young artists to intensive sectional instruction, encouraging them to pursue collegiate musical study. On the final day, the attendees present a concert with the APU Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor.
Artist Concert Series
The Artist Concert Series brings to Azusa Pacific University outstanding performers with diverse musical backgrounds from all over the United States. Created to give our students the opportunity to experience high-level performances without leaving campus, the Artist Concert Series also allows students to interact with the performers the day prior to the concert during a Performance Forum. This direct interfacing is crucial to the development of professional, prepared musicians.
As a service to our community, the Artist Concert Series invites local musicians, music aficionados from the community, and other students to attend the concerts, providing them the opportunity to hear music of a caliber that one might expect only in a larger city.
Azusa Conservatory
Sponsored by the School of Music and the Center for Service Learning and Research, and with additional support from Citrus College, the Azusa Conservatory trains APU students to teach young music enthusiasts. The program offers choral and instrumental music instruction to more than 60 elementary through high school students as they interact with APU student mentors throughout the year. Family events and recitals round out the experience and ignite the spark of musical passion in countless neighborhood youth.
For more information, please contact the School of Music at (626) 815-3848.
Battle of the Big Bands
This local concert showcases talent through a musical duel between APU's Jazz Orchestra and neighboring Citrus College's Blue Note Swing Orchestra. Battle of the Big Bands, which attracts more than 1,000 jazz enthusiasts each year, features the best in jazz music, both new and old.
International Piano Institute
An annual event sponsored by the School of Music, the International Piano Institute attracts musicians of every background to participate in two weeks of intense training and performances. Guests represent some of the finest pianists from the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, Poland; the Tchaikovsky State Conservatoire in Moscow, Russia; Yale University; University of Southern California; and Boston University.
International Tours
APU's signature international component adds breadth and scope to its music education, touring to places such as Armenia, Canada, Mexico, Romania, and Thailand, and ever including a recent performance at the Sydney Opera House in Australia. As School of Music ensembles participate in national and/or international tours, students gain invaluable insight into other cultures, while representing APU to the music community at large.
For more information on School of Music ensembles, their performances, and tours, visit the music ensembles and concert itineraries pages.
