Department of Music

Haydn Hall 201
Phone: 216.368.2400; Fax: 216.368.6557
David J. Rothenberg, Department Chair
david.rothenberg@case.edu


The Department of Music, an academic department within the College of Arts and Sciences, serves undergraduate and graduate students at Case Western Reserve University as well as all students at the Cleveland Institute of Music through our Joint Music Program.

The department upholds the highest standards of academic and artistic excellence through a broad range of coursesdegree programs, and ensemble experiences, with faculty specializing in historical performance practicemusic education, and musicology.

You can find more information about our department, including faculty and staff directories, student resources, facilities policies, details about our centers and collaborations, whom to contact or how to visit us, on the "About" page of our website.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Music is to:

  • Foster preeminent research, creative endeavors, and learning.
  • Support students in developing their musical skills and knowledge in the context of a liberal arts education; equip students to become proactive scholar-practitioners in music education; and promote the academic education of students from the Cleveland Institute of Music, through the Joint Music Program.
  • Provide local, regional, national, and international leadership in the fields of musicology, historical performance practice, and music education, and help prepare the next generation of leaders in these fields.
  • Encourage service to the institution and related academic disciplines, participation in faculty governance, and the promotion of open communication and shared policy-making.

Joint Music Program with CIM

Since 1968, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) have participated in an integrated music program at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Joint Music Program (JMP) allows students at both institutions to take advantage of the resources of a major research university as well as those of a leading conservatory.

A top-ranked private research university with programs spanning the arts and sciences, engineering, health sciences, law, management, and social work, CWRU excels in musicology, historical performance practice, and music education. CIM is one of just three independent conservatories in the United States devoted exclusively to classical music performance. For over half a century, these distinguished institutions have used the Joint Music Program (JMP) to share collective resources, focusing on the strengths of each institution. 

Students enrolled at CWRU take applied music lessons/studio instruction, chamber music, theory, and eurhythmics courses taught by CIM faculty, while students enrolled at CIM take music history, music education, and general electives in the humanities and sciences taught by CWRU faculty.

Both CWRU and CIM are located in University Circle, giving students access to a wealth of cultural institutions within a short walking distance from campus.

Facilities

Building descriptions, policies, operating procedures, and more can be found on the Department of Music Facilities webpageView our calendars, request a classroom, or reserve space for a special event or meeting through our Room Schedules and Reservations page. 

Haydn Hall

Haydn Hall houses the Department of Music faculty and staff offices, a large lounge (Haven Music Hall), four classrooms, four practice rooms, graduate offices and studio spaces, the Music Education Resource Room (MERR), and a Macintosh computer classroom/lab (The Core). It is located in the heart of the Mather Quada. Originally a combination of a dormitory and classrooms, this building served as the only student center on campus. It was given to the college by Flora Stone Mather and named in honor of Hiram Collins Haydn, fifth president of Western Reserve University, pastor of the Old Stone Church, and the individual most active in convincing Western Reserve College to move to Cleveland. Charles F. Schweinfurth, the prominent residential architect of Euclid Avenue (“Millionaires’ Row”) mansions, who also rebuilt the interior of the Old Stone Church in 1884 and designed Trinity Cathedral, designed Haydn Hall. Scheduling is controlled by the University Registrar and available for non-music classes with permission from the Department of Music. The practice rooms are open to music majors or CWRU students enrolled in music ensembles or applied music lessons.

aMather Quad's seven buildings: Mather Memorial Building, Clark Hall, Harkness Chapel, Haydn Hall, Mather House, Mather Dance Center and Guilford House, were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s to house the College for Women. Read more about the history of the College of Arts and Sciences

Haven Music Hall

The Haven Music Hall (Haydn Hall, Rm. 100) is a multi-use space and lounge where Department of Music students, faculty, and staff can relax, socialize, and study. It is available by reservation for special events and after-hours rehearsals, practice, or lessons. Guests will take pleasure in viewing past photographs of “The Haven” when it served as the main dining room and social hall for Haydn Hall, along with posters from past Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Annual Music Master Series.

Music Education Resource Room

The Music Education Resource Room (Haydn Hall, Rm. 10) is a space for music education students to prepare educational materials and research projects, and it contains a variety of audiovisual media, including a library of education-oriented music software. Students may borrow items from a large collection of music textbooks, educational recordings, testing materials, vocal and instrumental books, curriculum guides, and classroom instruments. The use of this center is encouraged and sometimes required for many of the projects/assignments throughout the music education curriculum.

The Core

The Core (Haydn Hall, Rm. 16) is a Macintosh computer classroom and lab dedicated to mind, sound, and vision. The Core is a collaborative space for all CWRU students, faculty and staff, as well as the University Circle community, to gather and collaborate, design visual and aural mediums, and create masterpieces. It not only offers computers and software, but also video and digital cameras and microphones for checkout, one-on-one tutorial time, course instruction, and space for meetings/demonstrations. The Core is actively involved in bringing technology to the community and it works closely with faculty in providing support facilities for technology-related courses.

Denison Hall

Denison Hall, located next to Wade Commons near the North Residential Village, is used primarily for ensemble rehearsals and individual practice. This facility houses six Wenger practice modules, one of which is a “virtual reality” acoustic room; a percussion studio; and a music library. The four classrooms include the Spartan Rehearsal Hall (Rm. 197), Wade Rehearsal Hall (Rm. 119), Denison Rehearsal Hall (Rm. 160), and Denison Classroom (Rm. 152). The facility also has storage rooms for marching band uniforms, equipment and instrument storage lockers (available to music majors and students enrolled in ensembles). In general, the classrooms in Denison Hall are to be utilized by music majors or CWRU students enrolled in music ensembles or applied music lessons. Scheduling is controlled by the Department of Music. 

Florence Harkness Memorial Chapel

Harkness Chapel, built during 1902, features neo-Gothic architecture, antique oak and Georgia pine woodwork, and Tiffany windows. Harkness Chapel was built to honor Florence Harkness Severance (Louis Henry Severance), the only daughter of Stephen V. Harkness and his second wife, Anna M. Richardson Harkness. It is a warm, intimate, and acoustically resonant space for vocal and instrumental chamber music. The building provides space for concerts, music classes, student recitals, special events, and weddingsb. The performance hall can seat up to 400 guests and has a built-in sound system, and audio/video recording (with livestream) capabilities. Scheduling is controlled by the Department of Music. 

Harkness Classroom is located inside of Harkness Chapel and serves as an academic classroom, and a backstage area during performances. This room features a capacity of 40 desks on risers with Level 2 Technology, including video projection, stereo sound system, and a grand piano. Scheduling is controlled by the University Registrar and available for non-music classes with permission from the Department of Music.

bHarkness Chapel is available for wedding celebrations during the summer, starting the weekend after commencement (mid-May) and ending the weekend before orientation (2nd weekend in August). University Chapels may be reserved for use by faculty, staff, current students, and alumni, and sons/daughters or brothers/sisters of faculty, staff, current students, and alumni. Please see more information on the Department of Music Weddings webpage.

Centers and Partnerships

Kulas Music Collection

The Kulas Music Collection, located on the first floor of the Kelvin Smith Library, contains more than 42,000 items, including books, scores, media, microforms, and music periodicals. Users can borrow books and scores; the library provides listening and reading areas to use media and reference collections. In addition to print resources, access is provided to online databases and research guides. A partnership with the Robinson Music Library at the Cleveland Institute of Music, which coordinates acquisitions and services, is available to faculty, staff and students with a valid ID. 

For assistance using the collections or other music-related research, please contact Jacey Kepich, Research and Engagement Librarian (jacey.kepich@case.edu).

Kulas Collection of Historical Instruments

The Department of Music maintains an impressive collection of modern reproductions of early instruments. The Historical Performance Practice program offers a wide range of ensembles from Medieval to romantic, and the Kulas Collection of historical instruments (renaissance, medieval and baroque string, wind, and brass instruments) is available to all students. The program also owns a wide range of historical keyboard instruments (French, Italian, and German Harpsichords, a continuo organ, and two fortepianos).

Center for Popular Music Studies

The Center for Popular Music Studies (CPMS) exists to promote scholarship and teaching about the history and significance of popular music, which includes collaborations and partnerships with institutions in Cleveland and around the world. The goals and objectives of the CPMS include: supporting collaboration between researchers and historians of popular music, investigating and creating new approaches to teaching popular music (including performance), providing opportunities for graduate students to learn about popular music in an active, critically robust program, and advancing emerging research in popular music through sponsorship of visiting scholars.

Maltz Performing Arts Center

The Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center at The Temple–Tifereth Israel opened in 2015 after extensive restoration and renovation of the structure, which first served as a synagogue in 1924. Today, the center is an active venue for performances and events, including lectures and music concerts, including the Silver Hall Concert Series (during which our department ensembles perform). The center's musical venues are Silver Hall, a 1,000-seat concert hall for large ensemble performances, and Koch Hall, a 90-seat recital hall for smaller performances. The center also houses the Department of Theater, whose facilities include the Roe Green Theatre, the Walter and Jean Kalberer Black Box Theatre, rehearsal studios, practice rooms, and costume and scene shops.

News and Events

Enjoy events and performances presented by the Department of Music, find an archive of past concerts, recitals and more, discover our weekly forum for presentation and discussion of recent research, and explore some of our latest news and headlines! Find all of this information on the Department of Music News and Events webpage

Ensembles and Lessons

The Department of Music is pleased to offer a variety of academic ensembles open to all students and Case Western Reserve University affiliated individuals. Applied music lessons are available to all students through our Joint Music Program with the Cleveland Institute of Music. Find a list of ensembles, audition and participation details, and general information about private lessons on the Department of Music Ensembles and Lessons webpage

Resources for Current Students

Explore relevant topics such as handbooks, advising, policies and procedures, forms, student employment, and more on the Department of Music Resources for Current Students webpage.

Chair

Nathan B. Kruse, PhD
(Michigan State University)
Professor; Department Chair
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
Music teacher education; research methods


Department Faculty

Julie Andrijeski, DMA
(Case Western Reserve University)
Senior Instructor; Head of Historical Performance Practice
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
Historical performance; dance

L. Peter Bennett, D Phil
(Oxford University)
Professor; Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Historical Performance Practice
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
17th-century French music; historical performance

Francesca Brittan, PhD (sabbatical F24)
(Cornell University)
Associate Professor; Head of Musicology; Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Musicology
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
19th-century France; Romantic aesthetics; popular music

Christopher Clark, PhD
(The Hartt School of Music)
Instructor; Director of Choirs
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
Music teacher education; choral music education

Georgia J. Cowart, PhD
(Rutgers University)
Professor
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
17th and 18th centuries; music, the arts, and politics

Paul S. Ferguson, MM
(Eastman School of Music)
Senior Instructor
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
Jazz studies and arranging

Matthew L. Garrett, PhD (sabbatical Spr25)
(Florida State University)
Professor; Director of the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education (UCITE)
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
Music teacher education; choral music education

Daniel Goldmark, PhD
(University of California, Los Angeles)
Professor; Head of Popular Music Studies; Director of the Center for Popular Music Studies; Associate Dean for Interdisciplinary Initiatives and International Affairs
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
American popular music; film music; history of the music industry

Benjamin C. Helton, PhD
(University of Illinois)
Assistant Professor; Director of Spartan Marching Band; Acting Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies in Music (BA)
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
Music teacher education; instrumental music education

Kathleen A. Horvath, PhD
(The Ohio State University)
Professor; Director of Orchestras; Associate Provost for Academic Affairs
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
Music teacher education; string education and pedagogy

AJ Kluth, PhD
(University of California, Los Angeles)
Lecturer
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
Popular music and experimentalisms after 1950; (ethno)musicology; saxophonist

Lisa Huisman Koops, PhD
(Michigan State University)
Professor; Head of Music Education; Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Music Education
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
Music teacher education; general music; early childhood music

Susan McClary, PhD (sabbatical F24)
(Harvard University)
Fynette H. Kulas Professor of Music
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
16th- and 17th-century music; cultural criticism; music theory and analysis; 21st-century opera

George Nicholson, EdD
(Teachers College, Columbia Univeresity)
Lecturer
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
Music teacher education; string education and pedagogy

David J. Rothenberg, PhD
(Yale University)
Professor; Acting Head of Musicology and Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Musicology (F24)
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
Medieval and Renaissance music

Ryan Scherber, PhD
(Florida State University)
Associate Professor; Director of Bands; Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies in Music Education (BS)
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
Music teacher education; instrumental education; quantitative research methods


Visiting Faculty

Samantha Heinle, PhD
(Cornell University)
Visiting Assistant Professor in Musicology
https://case.edu/artsci/music/about/people
Austro-German works of the 20th-century, media theory, aesthetics, and critical theory