Program Overview

The Sacred Music program at UNT is a unique program established to prepare students for music, worship and arts leadership positions in today’s church. It attracts a diverse array of students from a variety of denominational contexts and musical interests - organists, choral directors, vocalists, worship leaders, instrumentalists, and more.

Why earn a degree in Organ Church Music Performance?

The Bachelor of Music with a major in performance and a specialization in orchestral instruments organ with an emphasis in church musicprovides students with the tools necessary to develop their technique and musicianship through the study and performance of music from various periods and genres; to familiarize students with various aspects of the performance profession. Our program also prepares students for continued study in master’s graduate performance degrees at the highest quality institutions and helps especially gifted students prepare for immediate entry upon graduation into the professional arena as performers and teachers. We encourage students to investigate an expanded array of professional opportunities in the field of music and prepare students for professional careers in music through student participation in external performances, lectures/master classes and cultural exchanges.

The program is an interdisciplinary and ecumenical approach is designed to foster critical thinking as students explore, analyze and engage Christian music in a variety of contexts.

Recognizing the existence of several models of professional church music leadership, this program provides a wide range of training in performance, professional, and academic skills. Every course features opportunities to learn from and interact with guest lecturers from the DFW area who are experts in their respective fields.

Faculty instructing courses supported by the organ program include Jesse Eschbach, Paul Leenhouts, Brad Bennight, Michael Conrady and Teaching Fellow Sungyun Kim. See recent successes of our current students and alumni from Hentus van Rooyen, Destin Wernicke, Sungyun Kim, Jonathan Story, Samuel Gaskin and Christoph Hintermüller.