*One recital required: This Master’s Recital represents the culmination of work with your Major Professor. Accordingly, most Master’s students complete their recital in the final (4th) semester, although you may choose to complete the recital in a different semester, with the consent of your Major Professor.

REGISTRATION

For any semester in which you complete a recital, you must register for your Major Professor’s section of the course MUSIC PERF 990: Master’s Recital (1-4 credits). The number of credits may vary, see your degree worksheet for details.

RECITAL COMMITTEE

Recitals will be evaluated by a “Recital Committee” consisting of three School of Music faculty members, chosen in consultation with your Major Professor:

1. Your Major Professor
2. A faculty member within your area of study
3. A faculty member outside your area of study

Please fill out the “MM Recital/Project Committee Registration Form” at the beginning of the semester in which you give your (first) Master’s recital: https://forms.gle/LEN5dhpNu7JeT1Bt9

SCHEDULING YOUR RECITAL

Master’s students are encouraged, but not required, to hold their recitals in Collins Recital Hall in the Hamel Music Center, which is equipped with audio and video recording technology. To book Collins Hall, you must pay a “Graduate Recital Fee” of $145 (see the KB for details). This fee covers the booking of Collins Hall as well as audio recording service provided by our recording engineers. Video recording may be added for an extra fee ($100). Please note that these fees are NOT covered by TA/Fellow funding.

Please visit our School of Music KnowledgeBase (KB) for detailed information on the protocol for scheduling recitals: https://kb.wisc.edu/mwsomkb/facilities-student-recital-scheduling-policy

In particular, please note:

• You may request a recital reservation one month before the start of the semester.*
• There are two parts to the scheduling process:
  1. Submit your request for a date & time on EMS.
  2. Submit the event intake form with your recital details and proof of payment.
• If you request to cancel or reschedule a recital later than two weeks prior to the event, the paid $145 fee will not be refunded.

*Summer: Due to lack of staff support for recitals during the summer, it is NOT possible to book Collins Hall for a summer recital. If you are planning to complete a recital during the summer, please make alternative venue plans.

OFF-CAMPUS/CONDUCTING RECITALS

With the consent of your Recital Committee, you may choose to hold your recital in an off-campus venue. Additionally, conductors typically count School of Music ensemble performances toward their degree requirements. In these cases, please note:

• You will not need to schedule an event in EMS or pay the $145 fee.
• You will still need to enroll in MUSIC PERF 990.
• You will still need to make your own audio recording for archival purposes.
  (If conducting a School of Music ensemble in the Hamel Music Center, please contact Ben Bell Bern to discuss possible recording options)

PUBLICITY

The School of Music will publicize your recital based on the information you provide on the intake form (see above). Your event will be posted to the events calendar on the School of Music website. If you provide a headshot with the intake form, your event will also be posted to Facebook. You are welcome to create your own recital posters and place them on bulletin boards/strips around Humanities, in particular outside the Grad Office on the 5th floor!

RECORDING

You are required to prepare an audio recording of your recital.

By scheduling your recital in Collins Hall, you will receive an audio recording of the recital. You may add optional video recording and/or livestreaming for an additional fee of $100. See the link above for detailed information about the recording capabilities in Collins Hall. If you do not hold your recital in Collins Hall, you will need to arrange for your own recording to be made.

PROGRAMS

You are required to prepare a printed program for your recital.

There are no formatting requirements for the program, however, it must include the following statement: “This recital is given in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Music degree.” You can find a free template file here: https://kb.wisc.edu/mwsomkb/communications-student-recital-program-template

RECITAL BALLOTS

You will have an online “Recital Ballot” in the form of a Google spreadsheet that can be shared with your committee at the time of your recital. Committee members will enter feedback and a recommended grade. 

RECITAL GRADE

Your Major Professor will grade your recital based on the feedback from your committee. A grade of A, AB, or B is passing for graduate credit. A grade of BC or lower is not passing. In some cases, you may receive a grade of “Incomplete,” see below for details.

AFTER YOUR RECITAL

Please submit the following to the Graduate Program Manager to be archived in your academic file for 10 years after graduation:

• A printed copy of your recital program
• Your recital recording in digital format (MP3 or MP4) on hard media (CD, DVD, or USB drive)

INCOMPLETE RECITALS

In some cases, you may be unable to complete a scheduled recital. In this case, you have two options:

1. Drop the recital credit(s) and re-enroll in the following semester. This is the recommended action in all cases, unless there is a financial penalty.
2. Only if there is a financial penalty for dropping the credit(s), you may take a grade of “Incomplete” (I) and complete the recital during the following semester. You will NOT re-enroll in the recital course; instead, your Major Professor will simply change the “I” to a letter grade once you have completed the recital. The Graduate School will place a hold on enrollment/graduation for any “I” that is not changed to a letter grade by the end of the following semester.

In order to avoid unnecessary holds, please consult James Doing before choosing the “incomplete” grade option: gpm@music.wisc.edu

Last updated: August 26, 2025