Music Major

The Virginia S. and W.W. Nelson Department of Music began as a conservatory of music even before the college’s founding in 1885. The program is a charter member – since 1931 – of the National Association of Schools of Music, whose curricula guide the baccalaureate offerings.

Since the conservatory’s restructuring as a liberal arts department in 1966, Rollins has continued to enjoy a reputation as one of the finest schools in the Southeast offering preprofessional music training.

The mission of the department is:

• to provide majors the best possible education in performance, historical literature, and theory – the background necessary to pursue graduate work or a career in music;
• to offer the diverse population of students from both Rollins CLA and the Holt School an opportunity to pursue musical training leading to the baccalaureate/bachelor degree respectively;
• to open the curriculum to the wider campus community by encouraging nonmajors to take courses, including those designed specially for novices;
• to give all students – majors and nonmajors–performance experience through choral and instrumental ensembles and individual training in applied music;
• to serve as a cultural center for the Central Florida community by presenting performances and master classes of outstanding merit by resident and guest artists; and
• to offer residents of the Central Florida community an opportunity to study music avocationally.

We are committed to music for all rather than music for the few.