Perform at the Highest Level
- Professional-level training
- Distinguished artist faculty
- Innovative music industry programs and performance opportunities
- Preparation for prestigious graduate programs worldwide
Ensembles
Music Programs
Music at Shenandoah
- Programs span the music industry
- Unique programs in jazz/commercial music and contemporary music/entrepreneurship
- Virginia’s oldest music therapy program
- Highly regarded music education program
- Students accepted by respected programs as the Chautauqua Institute, Kneisel Hall, Aspen Music Festival, The Pierre Monteux School, Adamant and the Idyllwild Summer Program
- Alumni perform in symphony orchestra and opera companies worldwide, are educators and therapists, and respected creatives
Music News

Shenandoah Conservatory Announces Winners of the 2025/26 Student Soloists Competition
Shenandoah Conservatory announces the winners of the 2025/26 Student Soloists Competition (SSC) on behalf of the SSC committee. Competition Winners Christopher Gilley, cello (Category I) Timur Mustakimov, piano (Category II) Cadence Weaver, voice ... Continue Reading Shenandoah Conservatory Announces Winners of…

Shenandoah Conservatory Students Excel at Virginia NATS Competition
This past weekend, a large cohort of Shenandoah Conservatory singers travelled to George Mason University to compete in the annual Virginia chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Competition. Students of Professor of Voice ... Continue Reading Shenandoah Conservatory Students Excel at…

Jennifer Steele Named Dean Of Shenandoah Conservatory
Shenandoah University is pleased to announce that Jennifer Smolos Steele, Ph.D., has been named the new dean of Shenandoah Conservatory. Dr. Steele has held various academic positions in higher education arts programs for nearly 20 years. She ... Continue Reading Jennifer Steele Named Dean Of…
Music Alumni

Debut Album by Lončar ’18 Released by Doberman Musique, Release Concert Held at Croatian Embassy
“Danse Rythmique,” a debut album by Maya Lončar ’18 (Bachelor of Music in Performance), was released on Friday, March 14, through Doberman Musique, a Canadian music label. She performs music by famous French composers including Claude Debussy, ... Continue Reading Debut Album by Lončar ’18…

Thompson ’24 Joins National Tour of ‘The Cher Show’
Sarah Thompson ’24 (Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance – Trombone) has taken her talents on the road as part of the national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical “The Cher Show.” Performing in the pit orchestra, Thompson is bringing her ... Continue Reading Thompson ’24 Joins National Tour…

Article by Hammel ’87, ’89 Featured in ‘Becoming an Unstoppable Woman’ Magazine
“Pathmakers of Change: Empowering Future Generations Through Inclusive Music Education,” an article written by Alice M. Hammel ’87, ’99 (Bachelor of Music in Music Education, Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Education) was featured in the March 2025 ... Continue Reading Article by Hammel ’87, ’89…
Music Faculty
Active, supportive, masters of their craft
- Passionate about the art of teaching
- Sought after as soloists, guest artists, and expert clinicians worldwide
- Highly engaged in their fields with deep networks
- In residence at prestigious summer festivals
- Experience ranging from performing at the Metropolitan Opera to conducting Grammy Award-winning choirs, composing music and serving on international competition juries
ShenCoLAB
Shenandoah Conservatory turns over the programming and facilities to its students for a week of unbridled exploration, collaboration and creativity.
ShenCoLAB is the only such week of its magnitude and scope offered by a university performing arts program in the United States.
The week culminates in an extraordinary event: the Festival of Arts, Ideas & Exploration, which featured 27 performances and five presentations in the inaugural year!
Take a Virtual Tour of Shenandoah Conservatory
Shenandoah Conservatory is an exciting hub of collaboration and innovation. Here's a chance to take a quick look at all the spaces in which our students engage in rich and rewarding creative experiences in music, theatre, and dance.
We're an All-Steinway School
Great music stirs the heart and inspires the soul, and Steinway pianos are celebrated as the instruments used by renowned artists to cultivate their talent and produce great music. Similarly, uncompromising excellence in performing arts education sparks the imagination and inspires the future.
