Missouri State University Music Department

03/19/2026

Music education professor Dr. Daniel Hellman was inducted into the organization's Hall of Fame.

02/09/2026

Congratulations to Jared Swope!

Swope sang with Missouri State's Chorale and was a founding member of the Men’s Chorus.

10/24/2025

MO Band and Music Directors: Students are invited to join the Missouri State University woodwind faculty for a coaching clinic on All-State/District audition materials! Nov. 1, 2 p.m., Ellis Hall. This event is free. Registration required:

Join us in Ellis Hall at Mo State on Nov. 1 for a woodwind coaching clinic. sun icon # All-State Music WOODWIND CLINIC 2025 Join the Missouri State University woodwind faculty for a coaching clinic on All-State/District audition materials! Default # # # SATURDAY, NOV. 1 2 PM Ellis Hall Missouri State....

10/22/2024

09/16/2024

The USAF Shades of Blue ensemble will be on campus tomorrow for an evening performance in the John Goodman Amphitheatre. Please see the flyer and check out the blog post for more information!

https://blogs.missouristate.edu/reynolds/2024/09/12/us-air-forces-shades-of-blue-jazz-ensemble-to-perform-in-john-goodman-amphitheatre-sept-17/

08/20/2024

Earlier this summer, MSU Professor of Voice Dr. Richard Todd Payne performed in Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Aida" with the Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis. See the attached blog post to read about his experience with the role.

We are always so proud of our faculty, who are regularly performing professionally across the US and internationally. Go Bears!

https://blogs.missouristate.edu/reynolds/2024/08/20/dr-richard-todd-payne-performs-in-verdis-aida/

08/07/2024

Over the summer, a number of our voice students had the opportunity to participate in the national auditions of the annual National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) conference. Nine Missouri State students advanced to the semifinal rounds, with three of those students advancing and placing in the final rounds of their respective categories.

See the blog post below to learn more about this story. We are so proud of these students and their instructors for their success and growth. Go Bears!

Three students advanced to final rounds and placed in their categories.

07/26/2024

In June, our Missouri State University Symphony Orchestra had the opportunity to perform a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York. This performance, conducted by director Dr. Christopher Kelts, featured solo pianist and keyboard performance major Jiyeon Lee as well as a premiered piece written by Dr. John Prescott.

See the attached blog post for more information about this performance. We are so proud of our students and faculty that made this performance such a success. Go Bears!

Performance by a Missouri State alum and a composition from an emeritus professor among program highlights.

07/17/2024

Take a tour through the largest musical instrument in the Midwest. Produced by students of Missouri State University, this documentary features the unique music of the carillon and shows how it is played. Through never-before-seen images and footage, see the bells being forged in the Netherlands and how the bell tower was constructed on campus. Interviews with current and former staff showcase the impact the carillon has had on the university and its students.

04/30/2024

The Missouri State University chapter of the Pi Kappa Lambda music honor society inducted its newest members last week. Pictured here are a number of those inductees, joined by Pi Kappa Lambda faculty.

From left to right: Dr. Paula Patterson (Department Head of Music), Dr. Perry Mears (Pi Kappa Lambda President), Graduate Student inductee Leianna Pavon, Undergraduate Student inductees Elise Thierbach, Linnea Babcock, Brookelynn Shell, Charles Wolfe, Aaron Tomczyk, and Dr. John Prescott (Pi Kappa Lambda past-President). The 2024 inductee class also included Graduate Students Emma Cerovich, Rebecca McGuire, and Tanner Munson.

Please join us in congratulating these students!