Strings
Welcome to the String Area of ISU's School of Music! The ISU School of Music welcomes all string players interested in pursuing music as a major, minor, or non-major. For those interested in music majoring, ISU offers scholarships and degrees in performance, music education, music business, liberal arts, and a music minor. For those students pursuing degrees outside of music, we also offer scholarships to qualified students to play in the orchestra and take lessons. Our string faculty represents decades of professional experience as orchestral performers, chamber musicians, soloists, and educators. Our Director of String Activities is Dr. Yunjung Lee, who conducts the orchestra and teaches violin, viola, and chamber music. Dr. Kurt Fowler teaches cello plus a variety of academic courses and also coordinates ISU's Contemporary Music Festival. Mr. Todd Gallagher teaches bass and jazz combo. And, Mr. Derek Johnson teaches guitar and guitar ensembles. Contact information can be found below.
The School of Music at Indiana State University began offering the Sycamore String Quartet Program Scholarship in the fall semester of 2018. This scholarship is valued at $36,000 over eight semesters, approximately equivalent to full in-state tuition. Each year, students who are accepted into the program form a new Sycamore String Ensemble, receive weekly coaching from the ISU string faculty, serve in leadership roles in the ISU Symphony Orchestra, and take applied lessons. Acceptance is by audition and is open to any incoming freshman, regardless of major. Please visit the ISU Scholarship page for further information about this scholarship, including the rules and regulations. Also visit the undergraduate audition page for audition details.
Other string scholarships include the Creative and Performing Fine Arts Scholarship, another 4-year scholarship offered to qualified students by audition.
To be eligible for all of ISU's academic scholarships, interested students need to be admitted to the university by December 1. To be eligible for ISU's music scholarships, interested students need to apply to the university by February 1 and audition for the School of Music by March 1. The best financial option for incoming students is to take advantage of both academic and music scholarships.
Please visit the undergraduate audition page for-audition details or contact Dr. Yunjung Lee with questions.
The ISU Symphony Orchestra is a full orchestra of the best instrumental students in the School of Music. The orchestra performs 4–6 times each year and rehearses Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 – 5:30. The orchestra is open by audition to both music majors and non-music majors alike. The orchestra performs a wide variety of repertoire including symphonies, concertos, operatic repertoire, and masterworks with choir. The orchestra frequently collaborates with faculty soloists and guest artists and has worked with many living composers during our regular season and as a part of the annual Contemporary Music Festival. Each year the orchestra also features student soloists as winners of the annual Paul W. Hagan Concerto/Aria Competition. Recent repertoire highlights include Dvorak Symphony No. 8, Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, Gershwin’s An American in Paris, Joan Tower’s Piano Concerto, Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, Beethoven Symphony No. 7, and many others.
Winds, Brass, Percussion
Sycamore Band ensembles are open to ALL students on campus, regardless of major. While some groups (Wind Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, Marching Sycamores Drumline, Sycamore Color Guard) require an audition, others are open to all (Marching Sycamores woodwinds and brass, Sycamore Basketball Band woodwinds and brass, Concert Band).