Music Outreach - Volunteers needed!
Share your love of Music with elementary and high school students. For more information go to Music Outreach and for more questions about this program please contact Prof. Barbara Gawlick; email: barbara.gawlick@bc.edu
Faculty Projects and Student Accomplishments
Read about the works of the Music department's faculty members and Students
Our WorkFall 2025 Auditions for Boston College Symphony Orchestra and Instrumental Chamber Music Program.
Audition for the Boston College Symphony Orchestra and Instrumental Chamber Music Program!
For placement into the Boston College Symphony Orchestra and/or an instrumental chamber music group, all students (new and returning) should sign up for and play an audition in the first week of the semester. Your audition will serve as BOTH your orchestra audition and your chamber music audition; students may indicate which musical ensembles they are interested in on the audition survey (see below).
The audition is informal, but an important chance for Dr. Anna Wittstruck, Director of BCSO and the Chamber Music Program, to hear you play individually and discuss one-on-one how best to support (and balance alongside your academics) your musical goals as an instrumentalist here at Boston College.
All students interested in joining BCSO should plan to attend the first open rehearsal on Wednesday, August 27, 7:10-9:30 pm in Conte Forum Band Room – even if you haven't auditioned yet! All are welcome! If you haven't played an audition by that point but want to join the rehearsal, please email Dr. Anna (anna.wittstruck@bc.edu) with your name and instrument to let her know that you plan to attend, so that she can make sure there are enough chairs, stands, and music parts ready.
Auditions for BCSO (or BCSO + Chamber Music) will be held in Lyons Hall Room 427 at the following times:
• Sunday, August 24, 5:40 pm-10:00 pm (directly following the Music Department Performing Ensembles Welcome Reception in Lyons 423 from 4:30 pm-5:30 pm - all are welcome to attend!)
• Monday, August 25, 10:00 am-12:30 pm; 1:30 pm-3:30 pm; 4:30 pm-6:00 pm; 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
• Tuesday, August 26, 9:30 am-1:00 pm; 4:30 pm-5:00 pm; 7:30 pm-9:00 pm
• Wednesday, August 27, 9:30 am-1:00 pm; 3:30 pm-5:30 pm (BCSO Open Rehearsal in Conte Forum Band Room at 7:10 pm - all are welcome to show up and play!)
• Make-up times (please use as last resort, reserved for new students who may need a bit more time to prepare their audition – for example, if you need to borrow/rent an instrument from campus or a local shop, and/or didn't have access to your instrument over the summer): Thursday, August 28, 11:00 am-1:00 pm; 4:30 pm-5:00 pm and Tuesday, September 2, 11:00 am-1:00 pm; 4:30-5:00 pm. If you need to schedule a later audition time than those listed, please email Dr. Anna directly (anna.wittstruck@bc.edu).
Additional audition times for students interested in chamber music ONLY will be offered on Wednesday, September 3, 10:00 am-12:00 pm and 1:00 pm-2:00 pm, location Lyons Hall Room 406.
To audition for BCSO and/or Chamber Music, please follow the instructions below:
1. Please sign up for an audition time using this sign-up sheet.
2. Before your audition time, please have filled out this survey.
3. Please prepare the following:
• String players: 3-5 min of solo playing of your choosing.
• Wind players: 2 short contrasting pieces (one lyrical, one technical), and a chromatic scale.
• Percussion: your audition time will just be a one-on-one conversation, with a chance to play on instruments at our first rehearsal.
• Pianists: 3-5 min of solo playing of your choosing. Please be prepared to sight-read.
The Boston College Symphony Orchestra meets on Mondays (strings only and/or sectionals) from 7:00-8:30 pm in Lyons 423, and on Wednesdays (full orchestra) from 7:00-9:30 pm in Conte Forum. The first BCSO rehearsal, which will take place on Wednesday, August 27, at 7:10 pm in Conte Forum, is open to any interested students who would like to play.
Small instrumental chamber groups (2-6 people) rehearse on their own and receive weekly coachings from a faculty member, scheduled at the discretion of the group and coach.
SAVE THE DATE(S):
· Monday, September 8, 8-9:30 pm: Chamber Music Information Session / Pizza / Sight-Reading (meet your assigned group and coach), Lyons 4th floor
· Saturday, September 13–Sunday September 14: BCSO Overnight Retreat to Cape Cod
Barbara Gawlick receives 2025 Faculty Arts Award
Barbara Gawlick, Part-Time Faculty of the Music department, is the recipient of the 2025 Faculty Arts Award presented to her for her contribution to the arts and her commitment to Music education. She is the director of the Music Outreach program and the Family Concert series. Read more about the Arts Award in the Boston College Chronicle on page 8 of April 10, 2025. The Award will be formally presented by the Provost and Dean at the Annual Arts Council Arts Awards Ceremony.
Photo by: Lee Pellegrini
The Beatles: From "Yesterday" to "Tomorrow Never Knows" Music Course offers a new perspective
Prof. Jason McCool offers fresh perspectives on the Beatles and their music. Read the full article titled "The Long and Winding Road" published in the Boston College Chronicle (Sean Smith, May 2025). Photo by: Caitlin Cunningham
Congratulations - Music graduates - Class of 2025!
Congratulations and Best Wishes!
Prof. Noone’s Research Project in Sacred Music, Salamanca, Spain
Prof. Michael Noone is interviewed about his latest research into Spanish sacred music in Salamanca Cathedral.
O LungO Drom Performance in Vienna
Two BC students of Prof. Ralf Gawlick (from the music department) who are currently studying in Vienna attended the performance of O Lungo Drom in the Josephinum Wien on October 22.
Shown in the photo are: Tristan Leitz and Isabella Jones with Prof. Ralf Gawlick
Prof. Mangin contributes scholarship on Sudanic African Empires and their influence on African American Blues and Spirituals for the prestige Gilder Lehrman Institute
Dr. Mangin is a contributing scholar to AP African American Studies course featuring interviews and documents from the Gilder Lehrman Collection and other archives, secondary resources such as essays and videos. The guide will be available as a free resource to all students and teachers, without any need for a login or site subscription. https://www.gilderlehrman.org/ap-aas-preview