The UGA School of Music maintains performing groups which provide opportunities for a studio of 12 to 16 oboists. The University of Georgia Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, Symphony Band, and Symphonic Band accept qualified members by impartial, "blind" audition each year. Students often rotate responsibilities within each premier ensemble, allowing experience in all positions of the oboe/English horn section. Two Concert Bands, and many chamber ensembles are open to all students. Vocal ensembles perform music with oboe and our active composition area writes new music for oboe. Several university instruments are available for use in the performing ensembles -- six English horns (four fine new Loreés since 1993) and a variety of oboes by Loreé, Fox, Cabart, and others. The UGA Oboe Studio receives frequent requests for oboe and English horn performers from: regional and municipal orchestras, regional colleges and touring groups, and area church and civic groups needing musicians for special events or seasonal festivities. These professional performance opportunities are regularly passed along to students.
The Performing and Visual Arts Complex is a set of three buildings on the growing east campus section at The University of Georgia. It includes a 45,000 sq. ft. performance building, the 100,000 sq. ft. School of Music building, and the 55,000 sq. ft. Georgia Museum of Art.
The performance building features the 1,100 seat Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall, with gallery seating wrapping around the stage, the 360 seat Ramsey Concert Hall, and a 3,000 sq. ft. orchestra rehearsal room.
The five floor academic/instructional building houses classrooms, faculty studios, practice rooms, administrative offices, choral and band rehearsal rooms, a fully equipped reed room, Music Reference Library and the 180 seat Robert G. Edge Recital Hall.
The state of Georgia contributed $19 million to the $34 million project, the rest coming from private sources. The university is now raising another $54 million for the second phase of the project, which provides for expansion of the music library and museum, and construction of new buildings for the Drama department and School of Art.
The UGA School of Music has a resident faculty of 50 and a student body of nearly 400. Degree programs include the Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Arts; the Master of Music, and Master of Arts; and the Doctor of Education, Doctor of Musical Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy in Music. Undergraduate major include performance, composition, music therapy, music education, and music theory. In addition, an elective minor in music is available for students interested in music but majoring another discipline.
UGA music faculty members are exceptionally well qualified to offer high level instruction in their respective areas of specialization. All hold advanced degrees, and all are active performing artists, composers, researchers, or authors in their respective fields. Instruction is provided for every instrument of the band or orchestra by a resident faculty specialist.
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