College

Title

Music and Theatre Arts Department

Subtitle

Take the Stage

Intro text

The performing arts have long been a defining element for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. For over one hundred years, the university has been known for its high-quality performances by both faculty and students. Adding to your opportunities, the city of Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley offer numerous music festivals, venues with live music, and theatre organizations, which are all a source of pride for our community. Here, nationally recognized professors will guide your artistic development, offer a supportive environment, and give you one-on-one attention.

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Intro Text

Majors and Minors in Music and Theatre Arts

The Music and Theatre Arts Department offers a wide variety of majors, minors, certificates, ensembles, shows, and performance opportunities. Whatever your passion is, you'll find experts to help your interest flourish. Through music, theatre, dance, or whatever else interests you, we want you to be part of our traditions, light up our stages, and enrich our community.

Please note: To be a music major, music minor, or musical theatre major at UW-Eau Claire, you will need to successfully complete a music audition.

student setting up exhibit in Foster Gallery

Arts Administration

Certificate

Dance

Certificate

Student plays the guitar in UWEC's audio room

Music

Major | Minor

Music - Applied Instrumental

Major

Close up of a student singing during A Capella Extravaganza

Music - Applied Voice

Music - Composition

Musical Theatre

Recording Arts

Songwriting

Teaching - All Music, Choral Emphasis

Major

Andrew Smits in studio with drum drums and sticks stick

Teaching - All Music, Instrumental Emphasis

Major

Scenes from the UWEC theater's production of "Peter and the Starcatcher".

Theatre Arts

Certificate | Major | Minor

Meet the Faculty

Dr. Phillip Ostrander

Music and Theatre Arts Department

Professor of Music-Trombone/Band

Dr. Aaron Hedenstrom

Music and Theatre Arts Department

Lecturer of Music-Saxophone and Jazz Studies

Jen Zwicky

Music and Theatre Arts Department

Department Assistant

Lecturer

Meet all the Music and Theatre Arts Department faculty

Hallmarks

Award-Winning Faculty

The Music and Theatre Arts faculty and staff are dedicated to sharing their knowledge to give our Blugolds the support they need and the best education they can get. Our professors have a multitude of experiences onstage, offstage, and within their communities. Learn from experts in their craft at UW-Eau Claire.

Access to State-of-the-Art Facilities

In downtown Eau Claire, only a mile from our campus, the Pablo Center at the Confluence provides rehearsal, teaching, and performance spaces for Blugolds in the Music and Theatre Arts Department.

With two theaters, recital halls, a scene shop, a recording studio — and much more — you will gain a firsthand, in-depth education of the arts.

Facts List

Just
the
facts

8 Majors, 2 Minors, 5 Certificates

Music and Theatre Arts offers a standout education with a variety of academic programs to help you find your perfect role.

Meet Fellow Musicians and Artists

Explore 20 student orgs geared towards music, theatre, and dance.

A History of Music Excellence

Our jazz ensembles have 2 Grammy nominations, 8 DownBeat awards, and 21 albums.

6 Performance Venues

From on-campus theaters to the Pablo Center in downtown Eau Claire, you can perform at a variety of professional venues.

200+ Annual Performances

Help coordinate or participate in one of UWEC's annual music, dance, or theatre performances.

Student Opportunities

Scholarships

The Music and Theatre Arts Department offers scholarships totaling nearly $200,000 to Blugolds active in the department each year. These scholarships include Viennese Ball Scholarships, which total over $30,000, and are available to incoming and continuing students majoring or minoring in music or theatre.

Other scholarships include the Cassandra Ball Egdahl Music scholarship for incoming students, then Eileen Phillips Cohen Quartet scholarship for students who play string instruments, the Holiday Concert scholarship for students who participate in this annual celebration, the Margaret and Jack O’Farrell Music Scholarship, and many more.

Learn more and apply for scholarships on Gold for Blugolds.

Internships

The word is out: Blugolds are hardworking, talented, and highly sought after by employers. Many of our students complete real-world internships in the field prior to graduation. Some past internship experiences have included:

Santa Fe Opera
Pablo Center at the Confluence
Kids from Wisconsin
Northern Sky Theatre
Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts
Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival
Walt Disney World College Internship Program

Department Jobs

Participation as a Non-Major

The performing arts are for everyone, and we welcome all students on campus, regardless of major or minor, to join in on the fun! All departmental choirs, bands, orchestras, theatre productions, and dance concerts are open to participation by all through an audition process each semester. We also offer certificate programs in areas such as arts administration, recording arts, songwriting, and dance for students who want to explore these paths.

Student Organizations

Express yourself through song, dance, and stage! We have groups focused on having a professional career in music and theatre arts and groups that are just plain fun and for the love of the arts. There are over 20 student organizations to join, including:

UWEC Theatre Collective
Concert Dance Company
National Association for Music Education (NAfME)
National Band Association (NBA) Collegiate Chapter
American String Teachers Association (ASTA)
Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI)

Learn more about these and all other UWEC student organizations.

Content Carousel

Blugold Stories

Only at Eau Claire

Take the Stage at UWEC

Explore the world of acting, music and dance with theatre arts at UW-Eau Claire. There is no role too small, and after completing our theatre arts program, you’ll be able to do them all. A bonus is access to the state-of-the-art performance venue at Pablo Center in downtown Eau Claire.

Only at Eau Claire

Do Big Things

I’ve played with some of the most famous people in the world — played in some of the biggest and most highly desirable concert halls — and I was able to do that with the education I received at UW-Eau Claire.

Larry Lelli

Music - Applied Instrumental

Do Big Things

Man wearing glasses, a black hat and a blue shirt holds a pair of drumsticks while sitting at a drum set.

Blugold Proud

I had every opportunity to learn what needed to do this work right here at UWEC, with professors who saw what I could do and gave me ample coaching and opportunity. I could not have been more lucky than to attend UWEC when I did.

Heidi Joosten

Broadway composer, arranger, director and performer

Music Composition

Class of 2013

Blugold Proud

Heidi Joosten: A Blugold on Broadway

Music alumna Heidi Joosten returned to campus in November 2024 to accompany the premiere performance of a new arrangement of one of her 2014 compositions. The Blugold Symhonic Choir, the Red Cedar Choir from Barron County and a brass quintet performed the piece with Joosten's mother directing the Red Cedar and Joosten herself on piano.

Blugold Proud

Heidi Joosten, music composition alumna in auditorium seats

The view from the top: Music alumna Heidi Joosten returns

Joosten, a 2013 music composition graduate of UW-Eau Claire, is a highly celebrated director, composer, conductor and performer, currently touring the country with various Broadway projects. She took time recently to premiere and accompany a new composition performed by UW-Eau Claire and UW-Eau Claire – Barron County choral, wind and brass ensembles.

Blugold Proud

Group of musicians playing instrument for the Jazz Festival throughout downtown Eau Claire

Only at Eau Claire

Jazz Music Takes the Stage — and the Streets

From high school competitions to college master classes with jazz greats, a two-night jazz crawl of shows through downtown EC and headliner shows extraordinaire, Jazz Fest has it all!

Get involved with Jazz Fest

Only at Eau Claire

Musicians performing on the large orchestra concert,

Only at Eau Claire

A Time-Honored Eau Claire Tradition

The annual UWEC Holiday Concert is a decades-old tradition that kicks off the holiday season in style. Don’t miss the sounds of Bluglds filling every inch of the Pablo RCU Theater with cheer.

Get your tickets

Only at Eau Claire

Take the Stage at UWEC

Explore the world of acting, music and dance with theatre arts at UW-Eau Claire. There is no role too small, and after completing our theatre arts program, you’ll be able to do them all. A bonus is access to the state-of-the-art performance venue at Pablo Center in downtown Eau Claire.

Only at Eau Claire

Do Big Things

I’ve played with some of the most famous people in the world — played in some of the biggest and most highly desirable concert halls — and I was able to do that with the education I received at UW-Eau Claire.

Larry Lelli

Music - Applied Instrumental

Do Big Things

Blugold Proud

I had every opportunity to learn what needed to do this work right here at UWEC, with professors who saw what I could do and gave me ample coaching and opportunity. I could not have been more lucky than to attend UWEC when I did.

Heidi Joosten

Broadway composer, arranger, director and performer

Music Composition

Class of 2013

Blugold Proud

Heidi Joosten: A Blugold on Broadway

Music alumna Heidi Joosten returned to campus in November 2024 to accompany the premiere performance of a new arrangement of one of her 2014 compositions. The Blugold Symhonic Choir, the Red Cedar Choir from Barron County and a brass quintet performed the piece with Joosten's mother directing the Red Cedar and Joosten herself on piano.

Blugold Proud

The view from the top: Music alumna Heidi Joosten returns

Joosten, a 2013 music composition graduate of UW-Eau Claire, is a highly celebrated director, composer, conductor and performer, currently touring the country with various Broadway projects. She took time recently to premiere and accompany a new composition performed by UW-Eau Claire and UW-Eau Claire – Barron County choral, wind and brass ensembles.

Blugold Proud

Only at Eau Claire

Jazz Music Takes the Stage — and the Streets

From high school competitions to college master classes with jazz greats, a two-night jazz crawl of shows through downtown EC and headliner shows extraordinaire, Jazz Fest has it all!

Get involved with Jazz Fest

Only at Eau Claire

A Time-Honored Eau Claire Tradition

The annual UWEC Holiday Concert is a decades-old tradition that kicks off the holiday season in style. Don’t miss the sounds of Bluglds filling every inch of the Pablo RCU Theater with cheer.

Get your tickets

Only at Eau Claire

Take the Stage at UWEC

Explore the world of acting, music and dance with theatre arts at UW-Eau Claire. There is no role too small, and after completing our theatre arts program, you’ll be able to do them all. A bonus is access to the state-of-the-art performance venue at Pablo Center in downtown Eau Claire.

Only at Eau Claire

Events List

Health and Safety:

Stress Management & Well-being: College can be hard. Everyone can benefit from placing their personal well-being as a top priority throughout the semester. Should you want some emotional support for any reason, you can access FREE counseling services (even one short session to problem-solve solutions) from the UWEC Counseling Services on campus. They are providing a variety of online and in-person services, including some virtual wellness workshops. Call them at 836-5521, stop by Old Library room 2122, or check out the Counseling Services website to make an appointment.

Students also have FREE access to UW System Mental Health Support through Mantra health – a telehealth service available 24/7 days a week (call or text: 888-531-2142 or go online at: app.mantrahealth.com; sign up using your UWEC email address). You can also reach out to the WI-branch of the national crisis/emotional support text line by texting ‘HOPELINE’ to 741 741 or use the national suicide prevention lifeline: 988 Please use these resources to support your mental well-being and success as a Blugold!

UW-Eau Claire is committed to offering a physically, psychologically and emotionally safe environment for all youth. To support this mission, our Youth Protection Program is responsible for overseeing youth policies and guidelines, and ensuring accurate accounting of the youth participating in UWEC programs. Safety processes and compliance structures focus on protection of minors who are not enrolled in UWEC classes, but who participate in youth programs on and off campus.

About the Youth Protection Program (YPP)

This program is responsible for:

maintaining compliance with System Administrative Policy 625 on Youth Protection,
collecting and maintaining records of registered Youth Activities;
communicating expectations to university employees associated with registered Youth Activities;
providing guidance and interpretations related to University and System policy;
in partnership with responsible offices, assessing the compliance status of registered Youth Activities; and conducting periodic reviews of program documentation or site visit inspections.

Registration

Youth Activities (including camps, clinics and all other events) must be registered with the Youth Protection Program at least 60 days prior to the first scheduled activity. All youth activities must adhere to UWS policy 625.

UWEC-sponsored events will be sent necessary background checks and trainings from UWEC Human Resources after event is registered.
Third-Party organizations will be responsible for administering background checks & training.