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California Institute of the Arts

Welcome to The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts

Innovation across an unrivaled diversity of styles is a hallmark of The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts, where musicians are empowered to expand the boundaries of received practice and to develop distinctive artistic voices that will stand out in the musical crowd.

  • 100% of our faculty

    are working musicians, composers, and technicians

  • 5:1 student-faculty ratio

    in The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts

  • 17% international students

    in The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts

Connect with us!

At CalArts, students and world-class faculty work together in a vigorous performance culture in which opportunities for collaborations with musicians, filmmakers, animators, dancers, theater directors, actors, and writers flourish.

Our programs combine a stylistically open approach to creativity with rigorous technical instruction, individualized mentoring, and professional-development training. 

CalArts’ emphasis on exploration and creative risk-taking sets us apart from other music programs and conservatories. Students are encouraged to break away from conventional norms and experiment with new sounds, genres, and technologies. With access to state-of-the-art facilities and a vibrant, multidisciplinary community, you are free to pursue innovative projects that defy categorization. This open-minded approach fosters a culture of fearless artistic discovery, where boundaries between disciplines blur and new musical expressions emerge.

Programs

Find your metier match in The Herb Alpert School of Music’s assorted academic offerings.

  • Composition and Experimental Sound Practices

    A lone person sits at a table on a stage surrounded by musical instruments and technology, a screen projection behind her. A small audience watches.

  • Experimental Pop and Electronic Music Production

    A woman sings into a microphone while holding one arm outstretched. Light from a projector streams toward her in a darkened space.

  • Instrumental Arts

    A young woman in a white dress stands at a microphone. Next to her is a large harp wrapped in flowers.

  • Jazz

    Three musicians performing on stage with a guitar, double bass, and drum kit.

  • Performer-Composer

    A woman in a flower crown sings intensely into a microphone, bathed in pink light.

  • VoiceArts

    Three students on stage in costume at CalArts

  • World Music

    A dancer in a red shirt and colorful shorts performs with a dark prop in hand, while seated musicians in vibrant attire play in the background.

Music events

See all Calarts events

  • Exhibition School of Music

    Interviews taken throughout 2025; San Francisco Bay Area / CalArts campus. Documentation of individuals; a…

    Sun, Oct 4 / 12:00 PM - Sat, Oct 10 / 9:00 PM

    CalArts Campus

  • Performance School of Music

    These two established sound-making duos join together as a new quartet in two experiments for…

    Mon, Oct 5 / 1:00 PM - 9:30 PM

    CalArts Campus

  • Lecture / Reading School of Music

    Visiting Artist Adam Benjamin joins the Jazz Forum class!

    Mon, Oct 5 / 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

    CalArts Campus

  • Lecture / Reading School of Music

    Visiting artist Spencer Hartling joins the ExPop Collectives class!

    Mon, Oct 5 / 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

    CalArts Campus

  • Lecture / Reading School of Music

    Visiting artist Mick Jenkins joins the Hip Hop Lab Practicum class!

    Thu, Oct 8 / 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

    CalArts Campus

  • Exhibition School of Music

    a body of water formed by the flowing together of two or more streams, rivers…

    Mon, Oct 12 / 12:00 PM - Fri, Oct 16 / 9:00 PM

    CalArts Campus

Where the wild things play

“I am interested in how the wild beast lives in the jungle, not in the zoo.”

The Wild Beast

The composer Morton Feldman used the term “Wild Beast” as a metaphor for the ineffable generative force in art—making it the ideal name for CalArts’ iconic music pavilion. The pavilion houses a highly flexible performance and rehearsal space for our students and faculty, as well as an outstanding venue for public concerts. 

Wild Beast outdoor stage at CalArts

Music News

See more CalArts news from 24700

Music is always in the air at CalArts.

Watch and Listen

Interested in hearing some of the music of the students of CalArts? From our legendary 32 years of jazz recordings with Capitol Records to streaming many live performances on Youtube, The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts shares many performances and projects for audiences to enjoy. 

Interested in applying to the School of Music?

View our step-by-step application guide to learn more.

Start your application