Bienen School of Music

Preparing the next generation of artists, scholars, educators, and arts advocates

The Bienen School of Music educates exceptional students in an environment that values both musical and academic excellence. Undergraduate and graduate programs provide a depth and breadth of musical study to equip students with a continuing capacity to grow in their musicianship and to adapt to evolving professional demands.

Gifts to the Bienen School of Music help support the school’s strategic priorities. Supporters who make annual leadership gifts of $1,000 or more to the Bienen School are recognized with membership in the Lutkin Society and the Northwestern University Leadership Circle.

Dean Jonathan Bailey Holland’s primary goal is to maintain consistently high levels of Artistic Excellence and Academic Rigor throughout all programs in the Bienen School. In support of this goal, the dean has identified several strategic priorities:

• Financial Aid is critical in attracting the most qualified, talented undergraduate and graduate students from around the world. Increased aid will allow the school to adequately compete with peer institutions for top applicants and ensure that the cost of a Northwestern education is not a barrier to any student wishing to enroll.
• While practicing and studying are important, it is equally important for students to take time away from music and academics to reset, refocus, and build social bonds. An endowment in the area of Student Well-being will fund programming to encourage students to maintain this balance and prioritize their mental and emotional health.
• Endowed Professorships bring prestige to the most deserving faculty, strengthen the school’s reputation, and ensure support for faculty positions in perpetuity. Increasing endowed professorships is crucial to recruiting and retaining top-tier faculty and attracting outstanding music students.
• Building on several ongoing research initiatives at the school and throughout the University, the Bienen School is poised to make tremendous contributions to Music and Health Research to benefit society as a whole. New funding will help expand the school’s footprint in this important area of discovery.
• As Technology evolves quickly, securing an endowed fund for technology will allow the school to provide the most advanced technology available for students and faculty to utilize in their pursuit of academic and musical excellence.
• A commitment to fostering Engagement with Alumni and the Community will provide students with real-world experience and leverage the school’s broad alumni network. Funding will support areas such as career development programming, student-alumni networking, and student performances beyond campus.

You may direct your gift to an individual department or program, or give to the Bienen School Annual Fund, providing resources to sustain our outstanding educational and artistic experience.