#  Creative Practice/Critical Inquiry 

 



**The Ph.D. program in Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry (CPCI)** was developed over the past decade in the Department of Music to integrate a wide range of current music-making practices with research and critical engagement in music studies and associated fields. Founded by Professor Vijay Iyer, the program is intended for creative music-makers with a research orientation and/or an interdisciplinary approach. It is not bound by genre, style, discipline, or aesthetic; the priority is to support outstanding artists as they create their own paths through the university. CPCI students pursue coursework in music-making and music studies and in other departments and disciplines as suits their needs and interests, always with substantial faculty advising.

The CPCI dissertation consists of a creative portfolio and a significant accompanying piece of writing. The balance between these two components, and their substance and methods, are determined and agreed upon by the student and their thesis committee, which typically includes faculty members from both within and outside of music.



 

##  Current CPCI Faculty 

 



  [### Vijay Iyer

 ](/people/vijay-iyer) <vijayiyer@fas.harvard.edu>Franklin D. and Florence Rosenblatt Professor of the Arts

Professor of African and African American Studies 

Director of Graduate Studies (Fall 2025)

Graduate Advisor in Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry

 

 

 

      ![Vijay Iyer](/sites/g/files/omnuum12086/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-07/Vijay%20Iyer.jpg?itok=e3BhkDd4) 

 

 

 

   [### Yvette Jackson

 ](/people/yvette-jackson) [yvette\_jackson@fas.harvard.edu](mailto:yvette_jackson@fas.harvard.edu)Associate Professor of Music

Gardner Cowles Professor of the Humanities 

Member of the Standing Committee on Theatre, Dance, and Media

 

 

 

      ![Yvette Janine Jackson](/sites/g/files/omnuum12086/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-07/Yvette%20Janine%20Jackson.jpg?h=f737cc4d&itok=URygpjCN) 

 

 

 

   [### Claire Chase

 ](/people/claire-chase) <chase@fas.harvard.edu>Professor of the Practice

 

 

 

      ![Claire Chase](/sites/g/files/omnuum12086/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-07/Claire%20Chase.jpeg?itok=vdPT0LoF) 

 

 

 

   [### Yosvany Terry

 ](/people/yosvany-terry) <yosvanyterry@fas.harvard.edu>Senior Lecturer on Music

Director of Harvard Jazz Orchestra

 

 

 

      ![Yosvany Terry](/sites/g/files/omnuum12086/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-07/Yosvany%20Terry.jpg?h=e8719327&itok=ejIfYxgD) 

 

 

 

   [### Jessie Cox

 ](/people/jessie-cox) <jessiecox@fas.harvard.edu>Assistant Professor of Music

 

 

 

      ![Jessie Cox](/sites/g/files/omnuum12086/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-07/Jessie%20Cox.jpg?itok=U6eKt44b) 

 

 

 

  

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