Earn your Music, Theatre, or Dance Degree at ÌÇÐÄapp
Marywood offers all the benefits of larger music and performance programs with greater flexibility. Whatever your goals in the performing arts field—to perform, to teach, to heal, to manage, or some combination of these—you'll have numerous opportunities to practice, learn, and collaborate from Day One. Our distinctive programs in Music, Theatre, and Dance embody the depth and rigor expected of conservatory programs, but in a welcoming atmosphere that embraces an ensemble philosophy and encourages collegiality and growth. Our highly credentialed, nationally and internationally acclaimed faculty are passionate about their craft and connected to their students. In fact, students support one another and work together, rather than competing against one another for performance opportunities. There are opportunities to perform locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.
General Guidelines for All Auditions
During the audition process, there will be opportunities to perform for our audition committee and meet members of our faculty. Additional arrangements may be made to meet with academic advisors and current Marywood music and theatre students.Â
Throughout the academic year, you can attend a performance on the main stage of the Munley Theatre or in the more intimate setting of the Black Box Theatre. Marywood's many Music, Theatre, and Dance Ensembles, large and small, often perform here, including Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Wind Symphony/Ensemble, Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, and more. The building also includes classrooms and private practice rooms for students.
Originally built in 1952 as Assumption Hall (Fine Arts Building/Auditorium), the space was renovated and renamed in 1999 as the Frank E. and Angela Sette LaVerghetta Center for the Performing Arts, in honor of esteemed music alumna Angela Sette LaVerghetta '48, who was a trustee of the University, and her husband, Frank, who also served as a Marywood trustee. The Munley Theatre, which houses the auditorium and main stage, was named in honor of Marywood's 11th President, Sister Anne Munley, IHM, by the Board of Trustees in 2022.
The Sette LaVerghetta Center Theatre is a 1,100-seat main stage theatre and concert hall for all University-related events.
This large performance space contains a proscenium stage, orchestra pit, dressing rooms, box offices, control room, back stage area and the ability to fly scenery. Other features include sound and lighting boards, a 9-foot Steinway grand piano and 7-foot Steinway grand piano (on stage), a Mason & Hamlin grand piano (orchestra pit), and large Allen electronic organ.
Originally built in 1952 as Assumption Hall (Fine Arts Building/Auditorium), the space was renovated and renamed in 1999 as the Frank E. and Angela Sette LaVerghetta Center for the Performing Arts, in honor of esteemed music alumna Angela Sette LaVerghetta '48, who was a trustee of the University, and her husband, Frank, who also served as a Marywood trustee.
The Black Box Theatre, located on the Terrace Level of the Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts, is a laboratory theatre designed with flex staging to accommodate student-directed productions and to support experimental theatre.
The purpose of the Music Therapy Clinic is two-fold, namely, to provide music therapy majors with an educational opportunity for hands on one-on-one clinical experience under the supervision of a board certified-music therapist; and secondly, as an out- reach to those in the community with special needs. Approximately sixteen to twenty clients are served weekly. Among them are individuals of all ages with a variety of challenges, e.g. mental and physical challenges, attention deficit disorders, cerebral-palsy, autism spectrum, closed head injuries, Down syndrome, and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Swartz Center for Spiritual Life is home to the beautiful Marian Chapel, with its two-story stained glass doors that can be opened for special outdoor liturgical celebrations. Masses are held regularly in the Marian Chapel.
The Marian Chapel also offers the Music, Theatre, and Dance Department an intimate 180-seat performing space. Completely renovated in 2007, the Marian Chapel (formerly the IHM Marian Convent), features a Peragallo pipe organ and 7-foot Steinway grand piano.
The information in this handbook is designed to familiarize you with university and department policies specific to the MTD degree programs.
Please save this handbook, as it will provide guidance throughout your studies at Marywood. Bring this handbook to all academic advising sessions.
During the audition process, there will be opportunities to perform for our audition committee and meet members of our faculty. Additional arrangements may be made to meet with academic advisors and current Marywood music and theatre students.Â
ÌÇÐÄapp has established positive, long-standing relationships with the larger area community. Concerts, recitals, guest artist masterclasses, lectures, workshops, and academic and athletic camp programs draw a number of community constituents to campus each year.
Each year, the music unit offers a wide variety of programs and community outreach for the larger community. Target populations include: young school-age children through senior adults, as well as individuals with various disabilities. Approximately 1100-1200 students participate in the music unit’s on-campus outreach programs each year. These programs enhance the cultural, social, and aesthetic life of the wider public community. They also provide intentional, direct curricular connections and co-curricular experiences for Marywood music students.
Large Ensembles
Orchestra - The Marywood Orchestra is one of the most highly-regarded collegiate orchestras in the Northeast Pennsylvania region. The ensemble welcomes music majors, non-majors, and community members. Recent repertoire has included the Dvořák's New World Symphony and Mozart’s The Magic Flute.
Wind Symphony - Marywood’s premiere band ensemble; it typically includes nearly 100 student, faculty, staff, and community instrumentalists. This group focuses on literature requiring large instrumental forces. In recent years, members of the Wind Symphony have embarked on concert tours to Italy and China.
Wind Ensemble - Marywood’s small band ensemble provides opportunities for woodwind, brass, and percussion players to perform challenging pieces best suited to smaller and flexible instrumental forces.
Concert Choir - A large ensemble that performs a wide range of repertoire, from a cappella motets to orchestral masterworks such as the Requiems of Mozart, Verdi, and Brahms. Concert Choir frequently performs with the Northeast Pennsylvania Philharmonic, as well as other orchestras. The choir also performs regularly in the ÌÇÐÄapp Rotunda.
Chamber Singers - A small select choir that performs ambitious repertoire ranging from the Early Renaissance to world premieres. Chamber Singers was featured at the National Convention of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities in 2021 and 2022, and has twice been a national finalist for the American Prize in Choral Performance. This ensemble goes on a concert tour every spring.
Jazz Ambassadors - A jazz ensemble that welcomes student instrumentalists in any major. They perform a variety of jazz repertoire and have invited well-known jazz soloists for master classes and performances.
Tutti Ensemble - The Tutti Ensemble is a student-run program that teaches mentally or physically challenged young adults to play instruments and/or sing. Members of the Tutti Ensemble collaborate with Marywood’s music therapy and music education majors in the preparation of two annual concerts.
Chamber Ensembles
Woodwind Ensemble - Small instrumental winds ensemble; open to woodwind majors and non-majors.
Brass Ensemble - Small instrumental brass ensemble; open to brass majors and non-majors.
Percussion Ensemble - Small instrumental percussion ensemble; open to percussion majors and non-majors.
Chamber Music Ensembles - Small instrumental groups focusing on the performance of classical chamber music repertoire for strings, winds, and piano.
Instrumental Ensembles
Orchestra - Large orchestral ensemble; membership open to music majors, non-majors, and community volunteers. Permission of the Director is required for participation. All string music majors required to participate in orchestra.
Wind Symphony - Marywood’s premiere large instrumental band ensemble. Participation is required of all Marywood Music majors whose major performance medium (as determined by departmental acceptance audition) lies in the winds or percussion area. This group focuses on literature requiring large instrumental forces.
Wind Ensemble - Marywood’s premiere small instrumental ensemble. Participation is required of all Marywood music instrumental majors, but welcomes other Marywood students via audition. The Wind Ensemble consists of woodwind, brass, and percussion players who perform pieces of various instrumentation and styles best suited for smaller and flexible instrumental forces.Â
Jazz Ambassadors - Medium-size instrumental jazz ensemble; membership open to music majors and non-majors.
Tutti Ensemble - A student-run program that assists mentally or physically disabled clients to play music.
Small Music Ensembles
Woodwind Ensemble - Small instrumental winds ensemble; open to woodwind majors and non-majors.
Brass Ensemble - Small instrumental brass ensemble; open to brass majors and non-majors.
Percussion Ensemble - Small instrumental percussion ensemble; open to percussion majors and non-majors.
Chamber Music Ensembles - Small instrumental groups focusing on the performance of classical chamber music repertoire for strings, winds, and piano.
Guitar Ensemble - Open to classical guitar majors and non-majors.
Flute Ensemble - Open to flute majors and non-majors.
Marywood Guitar Ensemble - The Marywood Guitar Ensemble inspires audiences through its excellence in performing a very diverse repertoire, from Renaissance to Reggae. Ensemble members improvise, perform intricate guitar counterpoint, deliver surprising contemporary experimental pieces, and “groove" through rhythms such as waltz, rag, and bossa-nova.
Marywood Contemporary Music Ensemble - The Marywood Contemporary Music Ensemble is an undergraduate instrumental ensemble that performs and promotes works by twentieth-century composers, non-traditional offerings, world music repertoire, and Marywood students’ own original compositions.
Theatre Ensemble
For main-stage and student-directed productions; consists of all theatre degree students as well as non-majors who wish to be involved in public performance. There are three main-stage productions each year, including Children's Theatre.
Community-focused Ensembles:
Celebrations - Includes Junior and Senior Wind Band Celebrations (held annually for wind, brass, and percussion students in middle and high school) and String Celebration (held annually for string students in middle and high school; features a Senior Orchestra, Junior Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra)
String Project - An after-school, pre-collegiate string program for students ages 7-18. Participants take small-group lessons in violin, viola, cello, and double bass; participate in orchestra; and perform in concerts. String Project participants are divided into three levels; beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Students are assigned to a group based on experience.
- The Northeastern Youth Wind Ensemble operates under the auspices of the Conn-Selmer Division of Education, headed by Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser and is hosted by ÌÇÐÄapp. Through this unique relationship, high school age performers work directly with esteemed conductors, educators, composers, and guest performing artists, thus providing an opportunity to experience music in a unique, rewarding, instructive and constructive environment. The Northeastern Youth Wind Ensemble membership, chosen through a process that currently involves director recommendations, is composed of wind and percussion performers from the public, private, parochial and home schools in the Northeastern Pennsylvania area and beyond. All members must be actively involved in their school music program and must be recommended by their music teacher.
Interested in taking music lessons with experienced performers? The Marywood Music Conservatory is proud to offer a wide selection of the finest lessons in the region. Lessons range from beginner to advanced and are available to adults and children 8 years of age and older.
Music Celebrations
Includes the annual Junior and Senior Wind Band and Orchestra Celebrations for middle school and high school students. It has been a goal to bring the finest clinicians and conductors to each event and provide memorable experiences for the Marywood students and music students from many schools in the area. The level of participation and status of the events continue to grow.Â
String Project
An after-school, pre-collegiate string program for students ages 7-18. Participants take small-group lessons in violin, viola, cello, double bass, and guitar; participate in orchestra; and perform in concerts. String Project participants are divided into three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Students are assigned to a group based on experience. Marywood String Project won the 2010 ASTA String Project of the Year Award.
Join us for an exciting and fun week-long summer camp! With tracks for band, orchestra, and choir students – All music students have and opportunity to learn and grow!
Northeastern Youth Wind Ensemble
The Northeastern Youth Wind Ensemble operates under the auspices of the Conn-Selmer Division of Education, headed by Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser and is hosted by ÌÇÐÄapp. Through this unique relationship, high school age performers work directly with esteemed conductors, educators, composers, and guest performing artists, thus providing an opportunity to experience music in a unique, rewarding, instructive and constructive environment.
Latest News from the MTD Department
Marywood Alumnus Walt Kosar to Perform at Nation’s Top-Ranked Musikfest
Walt Kosar, a graduate of ÌÇÐÄapp, will perform an original instrumental set at Musikfest on August 1. The festival was recently named the #1 music festival in the country by USA Today.
Dr. Rick Hoffenberg Making Carnegie Hall Conducting Debut
On Saturday, May 9, 2026, Dr. Rick Hoffenberg, Associate Professor of Music and Co-Director of the Insalaco School of Visual & Performing Arts, will make his Carnegie Hall (New York City, N.Y.) conducting debut.
Date/Time:Apr 23/7:00 PM Location: Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts Room 98 Black Box Theater
Jocelyn Hittle Senior Capstone
Saturday
Apr 25
7:30 PM
Recital Showcase
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Recital Showcase
Date/Time:Apr 25/7:30 PM Location: Swartz Center Marian Chapel
Recital Showcase
Sunday
Apr 26
2:00 PM
Chamber Singers Concert
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Chamber Singers Concert
Date/Time:Apr 26/2:00 PM Location: Swartz Center Marian Chapel
The spring Chamber Singers concert will feature "Komm, Jesu, Komm," J. S. Bach's gorgeous motet for double chorus, and "Phos Hilaron," a dramatic piece for unaccompanied choir by the young English composer Owain Park. Also on the program are several other sacred and secular pieces, as well as a set of spirituals.
Sunday
Apr 26
7:00 PM
Percussion Ensemble Concert
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Percussion Ensemble Concert
Date/Time:Apr 26/7:00 PM Location: Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts Room 100 Theatre (Auditorium)
The spring concert by the ÌÇÐÄapp Percussion Ensemble, Steven Mathiesen, Director, will feature works written by student performers, Emily Spencer & Benjamin Werle, as well as music from the early, mid-20th, and 21st century.
Monday
Apr 27
7:30 PM
Orchestra Concert
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Orchestra Concert
Date/Time:Apr 27/7:30 PM Location: Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts Room 100 Theatre (Auditorium)
The Marywood Orchestra concert will open with one of the most famous pieces of Latin repertoire, Danzón No. 2 by Arturo Márquez, bursting with color, energy, and irresistible dance rhythms. The program will continue with selections from the operas Don Giovanni by Mozart and Lakmé by Delibes, with students taking on significant roles that bring these timeless works to life.The evening will conclude with the programmatic masterpiece “A Night on Bald Mountain” by Mussorgsky, a thrilling, imaginative work familiar from Walt Disney movies and sure to capture the audience’s imagination and leave them inspired.
Friday
May 1
7:00 PM
Planets, Moons, Star Wars
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Planets, Moons, Star Wars
Date/Time:May 1/7:00 PM Location: Off Campus Event
The ÌÇÐÄapp Concert Choir once again joins forces with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic at the Scranton Cultural Center to present a major concert work. The Choral Suite from The Moons Symphony by Amanda Lee Falkenberg will receive its world premiere performance on this program. Inspired by our solar system, Falkenberg uses the orchestra and chorus to vividly depict the wonders of the cosmos. Also on the program are Holst's iconic work The Planets and selections from Star Wars.
Get your Tickets:
Saturday
May 2
7:00 PM
Wyoming Seminary Civic Orchestra Concert
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Wyoming Seminary Civic Orchestra Concert
Date/Time:May 2/7:00 PM Location: Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts Room 100 Theatre (Auditorium)
The spring Wyoming Seminary Civic Orchestra concert will feature Gustav Mahler's glorious Symphony No. 4. In contrast to most Mahler works, the Symphony No. 4 is known for its sunny character, childlike innocence, and incorporation of folk themes. The performance will feature soprano Jennifer Cowgill as soloist in the last movement. Admission is free.
Sunday
May 3
11:00 AM
Ariel Corrigan-Mills Senior Recital
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Ariel Corrigan-Mills Senior Recital
Date/Time:May 3/11:00 AM Location: Swartz Center Marian Chapel
Ariel Corrigan-Mills Senior Recital
Sunday
May 3
1:00 PM
Gail Clark Junior Recital
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Gail Clark Junior Recital
Date/Time:May 3/1:00 PM Location: Swartz Center Marian Chapel
Gail Clark Junior Recital
Sunday
May 3
1:00 PM
Marywood Players 24 Hours Theater
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Marywood Players 24 Hours Theater
Date/Time:May 3/1:00 PM Location: Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts Room 98 Black Box Theater
Marywood Players 24 Hour Theater Performance
Sunday
May 3
3:30 PM
Dominique Ferraro Senior Recital
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Dominique Ferraro Senior Recital
Date/Time:May 3/3:30 PM Location: Swartz Center Marian Chapel
Dominique Ferraro Senior Recital
Monday
May 4
6:30 PM
String Project Concert
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String Project Concert
Date/Time:May 4/6:30 PM Location: Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts Room 100 Theatre (Auditorium)
Join us for the Marywood String Project’s Spring Gala Concert, where talented young string players, ages 4–18, will take the stage in a joyful celebration of music. This event is free and open to the public.
Wednesday
May 6
7:00 PM
String Ensemble Concert
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String Ensemble Concert
Date/Time:May 6/7:00 PM Location: Swartz Center Marian Chapel
The Marywood String Ensemble presents a vibrant and varied program for its Spring Concert, featuring Hindemith’s Five Pieces for String Orchestra, Barber’s deeply moving Adagio, and the colorful Five Greek Dances by Nikos Skalkottas.
Friday
May 8
6:00 PM
Evening Of Strings Concert
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Evening Of Strings Concert
Date/Time:May 8/6:00 PM Location: Swartz Center Marian Chapel
Marywood’s string students present An Evening of Strings, featuring solo performances by student musicians. Admission is free and all are welcome.
Saturday
May 9
8:30 PM
Carnegie Hall Concert: New England Symphonic Ensemble
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Carnegie Hall Concert: New England Symphonic Ensemble
Date/Time:May 9/8:30 PM Location: Off Campus Event
On Saturday, May 9, 2026, Dr. Rick Hoffenberg will make his Carnegie Hall conducting debut in a performance of Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, a three-movement piece for vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra. The performers will include the all-professional New England Symphonic Ensemble and a chorus of over one hundred singers, including three Marywood faculty members and twenty current and former Marywood students. The concert is being sponsored by MidAmerica Productions.
Tickets can be purchased at:
Sunday
May 10
2:00 PM
Lia Schwenk Senior Recital
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Lia Schwenk Senior Recital
Date/Time:May 10/2:00 PM Location: Swartz Center Marian Chapel
Lia Schwenk Senior Recital
Monday
May 18
1:45 PM
Marywood Chambers Singers Tour: NYC
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Marywood Chambers Singers Tour: NYC
Date/Time:May 18/1:45 PM Location: Off Campus Event
Marywood Chamber Singers Tour: NYC
The ÌÇÐÄapp Chamber Singers will embark on its annual concert tour with a concert at the famed Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York City on Monday, May 18.
26-member choir will perform a program of unaccompanied sacred and secular music in each of the five venues where they are performing concerts. All performances are open to the public and free of charge.
Tuesday
May 19
7:00 PM
Marywood Chamber Singers Tour: Norwich, CT
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Marywood Chamber Singers Tour: Norwich, CT
Date/Time:May 19/7:00 PM Location: Off Campus Event
Marywood Chamber Singers Tour: Norwich, CT
The ÌÇÐÄapp Chamber Singers will continue on its annual concert tour with a concert at the famed Cathedral of St. Patrick in Norwich, CT on Tuesday, May 19.
26-member choir will perform a program of unaccompanied sacred and secular music in each of the five venues where they are performing concerts. All performances are open to the public and free of charge.
Thursday
May 21
7:00 PM
Marywood Chamber Singer Tour: Cambridge, MA
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Marywood Chamber Singer Tour: Cambridge, MA
Date/Time:May 21/7:00 PM Location: Off Campus Event
Marywood Chamber Singers Tour: Cambridge, MA
The ÌÇÐÄapp Chamber Singers will continue on its annual concert tour with a concert at the famed Saint Paul's Parish in Cambridge, MA onThursday, May 21.
26-member choir will perform a program of unaccompanied sacred and secular music in each of the five venues where they are performing concerts. All performances are open to the public and free of charge.
Saturday
May 23
2:00 PM
Marywood Chamber Singers Tour: Woolwich, ME
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Marywood Chamber Singers Tour: Woolwich, ME
Date/Time:May 23/2:00 PM Location: Off Campus Event
Marywood Chamber Singers Tour: Woolwich, ME
The ÌÇÐÄapp Chamber Singers will continue on its annual concert tour with a concert at the famed Day's Ferry Congregational Church in Woolwich, ME on Saturday, May 23.
26-member choir will perform a program of unaccompanied sacred and secular music in each of the five venues where they are performing concerts. All performances are open to the public and free of charge.
Sunday
May 24
2:30 PM
Marywood Chamber Singers Tour: Cape Elizabeth, ME
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Marywood Chamber Singers Tour: Cape Elizabeth, ME
Date/Time:May 24/2:30 PM Location: Off Campus Event
Marywood Chamber Singers Tour: Cape Elizabeth, ME
The ÌÇÐÄapp Chamber Singers will continue on its annual concert tour with a concert at the famed St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Woolwich, ME on Saturday, May 23.
26-member choir will perform a program of unaccompanied sacred and secular music in each of the five venues where they are performing concerts. All performances are open to the public and free of charge.
Sunday
Jul 19
12:00 PM
Summer Music Academy
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Summer Music Academy
Date/Time:Jul 19/12:00 PM Location: Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts Room 100 Theatre (Auditorium)
Join us for an exciting and fun week-long summer camp! With tracks for band, orchestra, and choir students – All music students have and opportunity to learn and grow!