Eastman School of Music Announces New Major in Music Creation and Technology led by Dennis DeSantis

Monday, May 4 - Eastman School of Music, of the University of Rochester, announces the launch of a newly conceived Bachelor of Music (BM) degree in Music Creation and Technology.

This new major is designed for students whose musical practice is grounded in electronic and digital technologies, fostering both artistic and technical fluency in areas such as electronic music production and performance, sound design, recording and editing, DJing, and the development of software and hardware. The program will blend hands-on experimentation with engagement in a variety of musical styles and practices.

In addition to technical coursework, the curriculum addresses the cultural, historical, and social contexts of music technology. Students learn to analyze and interpret electronic music from multiple perspectives, collaborate effectively in creative and professional environments, and contribute to inclusive artistic communities.

Guided by a vision to develop technologically curious musicians into leaders in their field, the program prepares graduates to navigate-and shape-music's ever-evolving landscape.

The new program in Music Creation and Technology will be led by Associate Professor of Music and Technology Dennis DeSantis '05E (DMA), who is currently recruiting for the program's inaugural class, commencing study in fall 2027. "This program invites students to explore new ways of creating and experiencing music with technology," shares DeSantis. "Students will make music using a range of modern tools, while also learning to think critically about those tools and to make new ones that push at the boundaries of what's currently possible."

DeSantis is a composer, percussionist, sound designer, author, and former Head of Music Learning at Ableton, one of the world's leading music software companies. At Ableton, he led the creation of the interactive websites Learning Music and Learning Synths , and contributed to the design of Ableton products Live and Push. He is the author of Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers, a widely used resource in music production education.

"Dennis's broad experience across the music industry-alongside his work as a performer, composer, and educator-makes him especially well-suited to lead this program," states Kate Sheeran, Joan and Martin Messinger Dean at Eastman. "With this major, Eastman is taking a progressive approach to the intersection of music and technology, positioning our students to engage thoughtfully in a rapidly evolving field and to lead the future of musical innovation."

The Music Creation and Technology program will be housed in a newly constructed, state-of-the-art collaborative center spanning 6,000 square feet of repurposed and modernized space on campus. The facility will consist of labs, creative spaces, classrooms, teaching studios, and a recording studio.

This program is part of the recently established Department of Sound Arts and Engineering-an interdisciplinary academic branch between the Eastman School of Music and the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences-and represents an expansion of Eastman's Beal Institute .

For more information about this program, and to learn about applying for its first class of students, visit Eastman's website .

Current high school students who are interested in learning more about music creation are invited to apply to the Eastman Summer Music Production Institute . This week-long summer intensive, running July 19-24, 2026, provides clear insight to the collegiate program, giving prospective students the chance to experience life at Eastman and work directly with DeSantis prior to applying. The deadline for Summer applications is May 31, 2026.

###

About Dennis DeSantis '05E (DMA):

Dennis DeSantis is a composer, percussionist, sound designer, author, and educator working across concert halls, clubs, studios, and classrooms. His work explores the boundaries between musical worlds, blending classical training with deep involvement in electronic music technologies and cultures.

He was formerly Head of Music Learning at Ableton, where he led development of the interactive platforms Learning Music and Learning Synths, contributed to the design of Live and Push, and served as a curator and moderator for the Loop conference. He is the author of Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers, a resource widely used in music production courses worldwide.

His electronic music has appeared on labels such as Ghostly, Cocoon, and Global Underground, with performances across North America, Europe, and Japan. As a concert composer, he has been commissioned by Alarm Will Sound, eighth blackbird, Sō Percussion, and the Prism Saxophone Quartet, with performances at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Notable projects include an arrangement of Autechre's music for chamber orchestra and an opera with electronics for the Staatsoper Stuttgart. He received a GRAMMY certificate in 2008 for his work on eighth blackbird's strange imaginary animals.

DeSantis holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in composition from the Eastman School of Music, as well as degrees from Yale University and Western Michigan University.

About Eastman School of Music:

The Eastman School of Music was founded in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman (1854-1932), founder of Eastman Kodak Company. It was the first professional school of the University of Rochester. Mr. Eastman's dream was that his school would provide a broad education in the liberal arts as well as superb musical training.

More than 900 students are enrolled in the Collegiate Division of the Eastman School of Music-about 500 undergraduates and 400 graduate students. They come from almost every state, and approximately 23 percent are from other countries. They are taught by a faculty comprising more than 170 highly regarded performers, composers, conductors, scholars and educators. They are Pulitzer Prize winners, GRAMMY winners, Emmy winners, Guggenheim fellows, ASCAP Award recipients, published authors, recording artists and acclaimed musicians who have performed in the world's greatest concert halls. Each year, Eastman's students, faculty members and guest artists present more than 1,000 concerts to the Rochester community. Additionally, over 1,700 members of the Rochester community, from young children through senior citizens, are enrolled in the Eastman Community Music School.

About the University of Rochester:

The University of Rochester is one of the nation's leading private research universities, one of only 62-member institutions in the Association of American Universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives undergraduates exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by the Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.