Music at WPI

Music is wonderful for many reasons—it’s eclectic, it offers chances to collaborate and form communities, it allows us to express emotion to others and for them to empathize with what we’re saying. At the same time, music can mean different things to different people. It comes in diverse forms, even when those making it use the same tools, inspirations, and rules (or lack thereof).

The opportunities are endless, just like they are at WPI.

We know music may not be the first thing you think of when you start looking into a STEM school, but it’s just as prevalent here as, well, STEM itself. Whether you’re a seasoned performer or have a passing interest in music and performance, you’ll have the opportunity to explore your passion for music in whatever form that may take:

Complete your Humanities & Arts Requirement with a focus on music
Join one of the many music ensembles on campus
Earn a minor in music through classes in music theory, history, technology, performance, and more
Put your passions to work through research projects on everything from electric guitar innovation to musical robotics curating the Jazz History Database
Take advantage of masterclasses and performance opportunities with world-renowned musicians

And this is just the beginning—after all, what’s a great song without an even better hook? Check out the resources below to see how you can make music come to life at WPI.

The 2021 WPI Concert Band’s Virtual Exhibition, APART, is an engaging and creative presentation including aerial drone footage of the campus during the last piece. Performance order: Percy Grainger’s "Shepherd’s Hey", David Biedenbender’s "Melodious Thunk" and Rossano Galante’s "Journey Through the Stratosphere."

Music News

DIY Music Technology

The Electric Guitar Innovation Lab was founded nearly four years ago by music professor V.J. Manzo as an informal space to experiment with new ways of evolving the guitar. In both 2020 and 2021, it received funding from the Les Paul Foundation for its work on projects that address the needs of performers, instrument makers, and others who work with guitars or guitar innovation.

Robotic Music to Our Ears

Associate professor of music Scott Barton worked with his students to produce a first-of-its-kind concert pairing human musicians with artificially intelligent musical robots at nearby Mechanics Hall. Called Sound Fusion, the concert ranged from Bach to rock, and was an event that Barton hoped would allow people to “experience musical pieces they have known in a whole new kind of light.”

Open-Ended Art, Serendipitous Results

After five years of research, associate professor of Interactive Media and Game Development and Humanities & Arts Joshua Rosenstock unveiled the Fermentophone—an edible musical instrument—at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in February of 2020. Read more about his research and how, in his words, “Different foods provide different grooves.”

V Manzo

Professor of Music, Humanities & Arts

V.J. Manzo, Ph.D. is Professor of Music at WPI. He is a composer and guitarist with research interests in theory and composition, artificial intelligence, interactive music systems, and music cognition. V.J. is author of several books published by Oxford University Press includin [...]

Scott Barton

Professor,

Humanities and Arts - HUA

I compose, perform, record, mix and produce electroacoustic music; I am interested in how we can use the tools and techniques of audio production to explore new musical territory. I build mechatronic and robotic musical instruments; I am interested in how we can free electronic m [...]

Frederick Bianchi

Professor,

Humanities and Arts - HUA

Professor Frederick Bianchi works in the area of music technology. As the director of music technology research, Bianchi works with students from all disciplines. His particular focus is Virtual Orchestra technology, multichannel sound design, and neuroscience research. In additi [...]

Mitchell Lutch

Assistant Teaching Professor and Director of Wind Band Activities,

Humanities and Arts - HUA

Mitchell Lutch was appointed Assistant Teaching Professor of Music and Director of Wind Band Activities at WPI in 2020. He directs the Concert Band, coaches chamber ensembles, and teaches conducting, music theory and aural skills, and performance practice. The WPI Concert Band pe [...]

Douglas Olsen

Assistant Teaching Professor and Director of Jazz Activities,

Humanities and Arts - HUA

Douglas Olsen has been a free-lance trumpeter for over 25 years performing jazz and world music. He has played solo and/or lead trumpet with many national acts including Scary Pockets, Aretha Franklin, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, USAF Band of Liberty, the Smithsonian Masterworks Jazz [...]

Joshua Rohde

Associate Professor of Teaching and Director of Choral Activities,

Humanities and Arts - HUA

Dr. Joshua W. Rohde is the Director of Choral Activities at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he conducts all four of the university’s choral ensembles—Alden Voices, Glee Club, Festival Chorus, and the Chamber Choir. At WPI, he overhauled the choral curriculum to create a pr [...]