Life after Luther...

The Luther College music department prepares students for lifelong careers in educating, performing, conducting, composing, and even more. Through our rigorous academic program and hands-on performance opportunities, students are called to actively engage in transformative experiences that prepare them for life after Luther. 

One of the most popular paths for music majors, Luther graduates who studied music education excel in their teaching careers at all levels: elementary, middle school, high school, and collegiate. Luther’s music education majors achieve almost 100 percent placement after graduation, a testament to the program’s credibility and reputation. Luther’s alumni can be found teaching at schools and universities all over the United States and around the world.

As performers, Luther alumni can be found in many professional areas. Our alumni have appeared with opera houses and orchestras around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Paris Opera, Opera Australia, the Royal Opera House, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Minnesota Orchestra. They have performed in national touring productions of The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, and Fiddler on the Roof and participated in young artist programs at the San Francisco Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Seattle Opera, and Santa Fe Opera. In addition to being noteworthy performers, many of these alumni also serve as outstanding voice teachers in colleges, universities, and private studios around the country.

Additionally, many students go on to pursue graduate study in music performance and secure positions in acclaimed orchestras and bands around the world. These include the Dubai Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Opera Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Symphony Orchestra, Sun Symphony Orchestra, Winona Symphony Orchestra, and the Burning River Brass Band.

Recent graduates often pursue further degrees in performance, conducting, composition, and more. Among other prestigious music schools, Luther graduates have attended the San Francisco Conservatory, Northwestern University, Yale University, Cincinnati Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, and Juilliard School of Music. Graduates have also attended state universities in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Texas, Wisconsin, and more.

Throughout the music department at Luther, there are opportunities for students to cultivate experiences in any music career that interests them. Other career fields that Luther music graduates have excelled in include music therapy, church music, music criticism, librarianship, instrument repair, composition and publishing, piano and organ tuning, arts administration, radio, and television.