Musicology
The Division of Musicology at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign offers one of the most comprehensive programs of its kind. It brings together distinguished faculty and resources for the study of musical culture in all its dimensions. While traditional values of historical scholarship are respected and creatively developed, the program also reflects the need to consider music in relation to cultural phenomena from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives. Thus, emphasis on the study of original manuscripts and other primary sources, engagement with theory and analysis, study of other areas of cultural endeavor, intensive research on the social history of institutions and patronage systems, and careful consideration of cultural values from the approaches of the societies and historical periods in question all form part of the practice and training available in the degree programs offered.

Many of our faculty members have extensive experience in musical performance and advanced training in practical musicianship. A broader cultural perspective is reflected as well in the active involvement of faculty members in related disciplines, such as anthropology, social, political, and cultural history, art history, the literatures of various languages and area studies. The combination of cultural breadth with rigorous research embodied in our program and its faculty aims at scholarship and teaching of enduring value, fully engaged with the global realities of the twenty-first century.