Montclair State University

Accreditations

Apply Now

Student Toolbox
John J. Cali School of Music
Introducing the John J. Cali School of Music

About Us

School Overview

guitarist

We welcome you to the John J. Cali School of Music, an educational institution that blends the best of a liberal arts atmosphere with conservatory standards. This is a place where students receive personal attention from a world class faculty, drawn from the finest musicians and scholars in the New York metropolitan area; an environment where you can explore the depths of creativity as an artist with tremendous support; and a beautiful space in which to learn. It is a home with an extended family of students who share your passions for learning, performing, studying, and excelling in the arts. Whether you are interested in music performance, education, composition, or therapy at the undergraduate or graduate levels, you will find faculty and mentors ready to guide you to all of your career goals.

Mission

John J. Cali School of Music is committed to providing a creative and challenging environment in which our students have access to a high-quality, affordable education and excellent faculty who inspire and prepare them to serve the community as educators, performers, composers, therapists, and scholars in the musical arts.

SingersValues:

Learning — The Cali School shall create well-rounded students in music and the liberal arts, with the skills and knowledge to pursue successful careers and to make meaningful contributions to society.

Creativity — The Cali School shall foster musical creativity among students, faculty and the larger community served by the School.

Diversity — The Cali School shall attract a student population and faculty that reflect the cultural diversity of our society.

Accessibility — The Cali School shall seek to ensure that talent and the desire and ability to benefit from the educational programs of the School are the determinants of admission to the School, and that, through the provision of scholarship opportunities, students with those attributes shall not be prevented from access to the School as a result of financial need.

Community — The Cali School shall contribute to broad access to rich musical experiences for the citizens of New Jersey, the nation and the world.

Back to top 

School Overview

Bassist

The School was established in 2006 in recognition of Montclair State University’s long tradition of academic and artistic excellence in music.

We offer undergraduate and graduate programs in jazz and classical performance, theory/composition, music education and music therapy.

Graduate programs also include certification in education and music therapy, the Performer's Certificate and Artist's Diploma.

Cali's faculty are acclaimed nationally and internationally as superb artists, scholars and educators. The curriculum is structured so that students have contact with as many faculty as possible.

The Cali School takes full advantage of its proximity to the cultural riches of New York City. Guest artists regularly complement our permanent faculty.

We present over 175 performances each year by students, faculty, guest artists and the Shanghai Quartet.

Students have opportunities to perform off-campus. They have recently performed at NJPAC with the  New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, at Lincoln Center, and at the Guggenheim Museum.

International study opportunities include exchange programs at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Graz, Austria; Moscow State Conservatory, Moscow, Russia; Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, Budapest, Hungary; University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway; and the Milan Conservatory, Milan, Italy.

 

Shanghai Quartet

The members of the eminent Shanghai Quartet have been artists-in-residence since 2002. In addition to teaching, coaching, and reading the works of student composers, they perform regularly on campus.
 

Partch - Boo2Unique Program — Cali is home to the Harry Partch Instrumentarium, the world's most extensive collection of instruments created by the pioneering mid-20th century composer. Partch developed an original microtonal tuning system and built special instruments for performance of his compositions. Cali students may study microtonal music by composing and participating in the MSU Harry Partch Ensemble.

 

Back to top

Photo Credits: Michael Peters [top four]; Steve Hockstein [bottom]