NEWS & UPDATES

This year, the Princeton Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk) celebrates its twentieth anniversary. Founded in 2005 as one of the world’s first ensembles of its kind by Dan Trueman, Professor of Music, and Perry Cook, Professor of Computer Science, Emeritus, PLOrk has been both a teaching laboratory and a performing ensemble, shaping the landscape of electronic and computer-mediated music. Since 2013, composer and instrument designer Jeff Snyder, Director of Electronic Music, has lead the ensemble, sustaining its spirit of experimentation while expanding its reach. Under his guidance, generations of students have explored new ways of making music—designing instruments, developing interfaces, and reimagining what performance itself can be.

Oct. 20, 2025, 4:30 pm

Location: Woolworth 102

Get a sneak peek at Music’s Spring 2026 course offerings—just before course shopping opens to the wider university community! Our Acting Chair and Director of Undergraduate Studies will also be available to answer your questions about Music’s degree programs and co-curricular opportunities.

Graduate Composition Open Houses

Learn about Princeton’s graduate program in Composition at our Open Houses, where you can meet faculty, explore current student work, and get an inside look at the creative community that defines our department.

• Nov. 4: Virtual Session
• Dec. 1: In-Person Session

Princeton University Student String Players:

Audition (October 24!) to perform with professional musicians: violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and pianist Conrad Tao. Pre-Registration is required.

Learn more about opportunities to make music and professional development opportunities with Princeton University Concerts (PUC) a part of your Princeton experience!

DAAD Grants Applications due on October 17

German Academic Exchange Service invites Princeton University to nominate two "priority" candidates for a Long-term Research Grant (7 to 12 months) to fund doctoral students to conduct research in Germany.  Students from all disciplines are eligible. 

The campus deadline to apply is Friday, October 17, 2025, by 5:00 p.m. EDT. Information about the campus application process and citizenship requirements for this grant can be found on the Graduate School’s website. Interested students can also contact Elaine M. Willey for details.

GradFUTURES Alum Mentorship Program

Mentorship is an essential part of your graduate student experience. In addition to your faculty advisers, graduate alums can serve as mentors, role models, connectors, and thought partners. The GradFUTURES Graduate Alum Mentorship Program matches current graduate students with alum mentors who may share invaluable insights based on their academic and professional experiences, suggest helpful skills and strategies, connect you to others in their network, and support you in navigating your journey at Princeton and beyond. Our growing network of mentors offers guidance and advice across a broad range of fields.

Faculty & Graduate Student: Update your Music Department Profiles

Make sure your profile in the Music Department’s “People” section is up to date—or create one if you haven’t yet. We’d love to highlight your headshots and bios!

Mendel Library News

Leisure Reading with the Dixon eBooks Collection

Did you know that Princeton University Library has a collection of over 26,000 contemporary ebooks and audiobooks available for borrowing? The Dixon eBooks Collection features recent popular fiction, non-fiction, and leisure-reading titles that span many genres and subjects! Browse the music section to find books about popular artists such as The Beatles, Brian Eno, Taylor Swift, Questlove, Miles Davis, Philip Glass, Seiji Ozawa, etc; and topics ranging from classical and jazz to pop, rock, and hip hop.



For convenient mobile access to this collection, check out the Libby App.

Additionally, you may visit the Dixon Collection housed in the east end of Firestone Library to browse and borrow the physical books within this collection.