About Us

 

Auditions & Open Calls--Fall 25

The Department for the Performing Arts at SUNY Geneseo is home to academic programs and performance opportunities in the disciplines of Dance, Music, Musical Theatre, and Theatre. We offer four degree programs, eleven minors, and a range of certificate programs (SUNY microcredentials). In addition, with approximately 75-100 majors in residence at any given time, our class sizes are small, giving students the opportunity to work closely with our experienced and dedicated faculty. This size also makes us flexible enough to accommodate a range of learners and their individualized learning goals.

Some of our programs include:

  • Both a BA and BFA in Musical Theatre, allowing students to pursue the study of Musical Theatre either in conjunction with a second major in the humanities, sciences, or social science; or as pre-professional training leading to work in the industry.
  • A BA in Music where students choose from a variety of specialized tracks such as music performance, music education, music recording and production, composition, and Jazz and American music.
  • Minors in all disciplines including Dance, Dance History, Theatre, Musical Theatre, and seven different minors in music
  • A variety of microcredentials and certificates. If you're not sure if you want to pursue a major in the performing arts, a certificate program may be the right way to begin honing your technique or to get your feet wet. Certificates can then be stacked to create a major.
  • Concentrations in music, theatre, and dance in conjunction with the Ella Cline Shear School of Education at Geneseo, as well as secondary certification in Music, K-12.

Performances

The Department for the Performing Arts sponsors over fifty theatrical productions, concerts, and recitals every academic year. Our season includes:

  • Our Mainstage Series, offering five annual productions in Theatre, Musical Theatre, and Dance.
  • Our Collegium Series featuring the Geneseo Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, Chamber Singers, and Geneseo Jazz Ensemble, culminating in a large work for choir and orchestra to celebrate the end of each semester!
  • Our Recital Series featuring both Faculty and Guest Artist Recitals, master classes, Friday Afternoon Recitals, and Degree Recitals.

Facilities

Located in the Brodie Fine Arts Center, the DfPA is home to theaters, studios, and classrooms serving each of our primary disciplines. Our main performance venues include:

  • Alice Austin Theater: a fully equipped proscenium theatre with a combination of LED, traditional, and moving light equipment which seats 385 guests. Alice Austin is home to our larger theatrical productions including musical theatre productions, large plays, and dance concerts
  • Robert Sinclair Blackbox Theatre is a performance space able to accommodate 100-150 guests with flexible seating configuration and is used for theatrical productions and chamber musical theatre productions.
  • Doty Recital Hall seats 250 guests and is home to a 9ft Steinway Model D Concert Grand Piano. Doty is the department's primary recital space, used for chamber music, faculty and guest artist recitals, and degree recitals. 

In addition, our technical spaces include a full costume shop and scene shop; a recording studio with mac computer lab; and ten music practice rooms with pianos.

Doty Recital Hall
Doty Recital Hall (above) and Alice Austin Theatre (right)
Alice Austin Theatre

Mission Statement

The Department for the Performing Arts at SUNY Geneseo provides all members of the Geneseo community with opportunities to participate in and study the performing arts disciplines of Dance, Music, Musical Theatre, and Theatre.

Our programs reflect our strong belief that the development of technique and a critical understanding of the arts from historical, theoretical, and socio-cultural perspectives is essential to the growth of the twenty-first century artist and scholar. We value a range of local and global artistic practices across disciplines while also accommodating individualized goals for a community of learners.

We serve the local community and region by offering a full range of performance and events.

3 dancers in red costumes perform a contemporary routine on stage. One dancer reaches toward another, while the third crouches nearby. The dark background emphasizes their expressive poses and coordinated movement.
Group of performers on stage in colorful costumes, posing with arms raised or extended. The backdrop features whimsical painted designs, including an elephant and abstract shapes.
Two cellists perform in an orchestra setting, holding bows and focused on their instruments. A third musician, playing a double bass, is in the background.
Seven performers on stage in various costumes, set against a backdrop of balloons and signs, including a 'One Way' sign on the left and a 'Stop' sign on the right.
Woman in a red dress standing with arms slightly extended, singing on stage with a piano in the background.
Five dancers in red costumes perform on a dimly lit stage. They are arranged in varied poses, with some bending and others standing. The dark background and reflective stage floor highlight their movements.
Person playing a violin in an orchestral setting beside another violinist.
Person in a suit playing a drum set on stage.