About
The Lamont School of Music & Theatre at the University of Denver prepares students to become exceptional performers, creators, educators, scholars, and arts leaders. Through personalized mentorship, interdisciplinary collaboration, and access to world-class facilities, students develop the artistic, intellectual, and entrepreneurial skills needed to thrive in today's performing arts landscape.
Message From the Director
Welcome to the Lamont School of Music & Theatre, where tradition and innovation come together to shape the future of the arts. For more than a century, Lamont has been home to exceptional performers, scholars, composers, and educators. Today, we continue to build on that legacy with a bold vision—one that prepares our students not only to excel in their artistry, but also to lead, collaborate, and inspire in a rapidly changing world.
At Lamont, we intentionally keep our community small, ensuring that each of our 340 students benefits from individualized mentorship, abundant performance opportunities, and access to state-of-the-art facilities in the Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts.
In both music and theatre, we pursue a multidisciplinary, multi-genre approach that builds the world-class artistry, intellectual horsepower, and innovative courage that will allow our students to be the change-makers the world so desperately needs. At Lamont, if you can dream it, you can do it, and our faculty and staff will be there to support you along the way.
Lamont is fortunate to be located in Denver, one of the most vibrant, forward-thinking arts communities in the country. We are already deeply integrated into both the music and theatre culture of Denver, but our commitment is to grow our involvement so that every Lamont student is regularly bringing their art out into the community—and Denver community members are regularly attending our performances at the Newman Center.
At Lamont we are shaping the future of the performing arts, today.
Keep Listening, Keep Dreaming, Keep Changing the World,
Brian Pertl
Director, Lamont School of Music & Theatre
Founded in 1924 by renowned voice teacher Florence Lamont Hinman, the Lamont School of Music began as a private proprietary school in downtown Denver. Lamont flourished under Ms. Hinman's direction, becoming an important cultural fixture in Denver's arts scene throughout the 1920s and '30s.
In 1941, the school merged with the University of Denver and remained under Ms. Hinman's direction until her retirement in 1952. Roger Dexter Fee, one of Ms. Hinman's vocal proteges, was named the school's second director.
Despite its separation from DU's main campus for many years, Lamont was poised for expansion and development. Both followed with the appointment of the school's fifth director, F. Joseph Docksey. In 1988, the Lamont School of Music's enrollment totaled 116 music majors at both the graduate and undergraduate levels; by 2001, enrollment jumped to 256; and by 2007, the school had reached its strategic enrollment cap of 300 music majors.
Students and faculty moved into the state-of-the-art Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts in 2002. In February 2005, the Lamont School of Music was recognized by the city of Denver with the Mayor's Award for Excellence in the Arts.
From 2011 to 2018, Lamont's sixth director Nancy Cochran greatly enhanced fundraising efforts and expanded the faculty and staff. 2018 marked the appointment of Lamont's seventh director, Keith Ward.
Robert & Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts
Lamont's beautiful home
Acclaimed as one of the nation's finest university arts centers, the 180,000 square-foot Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts anchors the southeast corner of the campus. The Newman Center also houses Virginia E. Trevorrow Hall, home of Lamont, as well as a grand concert hall, two recital halls and a theatre. Joy Burns Plaza joins the components of the center.
The Newman Center houses technologically sophisticated studios for teaching, rehearsing and practicing. Each of the performance, rehearsal and practice spaces in the Newman Center is wired to the professional recording studio, allowing us to create professional-quality recordings. The Center also contains a music library, computer lab, costume shop and classrooms.
Support the Lamont School of Music & Theatre
Lamont Society donors support our ensembles, help us purchase instruments, underwrite master classes and performances by guest artists, maintain scholarships, send our ensembles on tour, and provide travel funds to students for summer festivals, competitions, and auditions.
