The Music Program at Dalian University began in 1986, and the School of Music was formally established in 2001. In 2006, it passed the undergraduate pilot program evaluation conducted by the Liaoning Provincial Department of Education, and in 2010, it was recognized as a National Advanced Unit for School Arts Education. The School currently offers three undergraduate majors: Music Performance, Musicology, and Dance Choreography. It also holds a professional master’s degree in music, covering four areas of specialization: Western Orchestral Performance, Vocal Performance, Music Education, and Music Management and Communication. The School enrolls over 600 undergraduate and graduate students and has a faculty of 72 full-time teachers, including 19 doctoral degree holders, 6 professors, 22 associate professors, and 22 graduate supervisors.

The school is dedicated to talent cultivation, having received the Liaoning Provincial Excellent Teaching Achievement Award. It boasts two provincial-level first-class courses, and three faculty members have received the Dalian University "Teaching and Educating Award." The average annual employment rate for graduates over the past three years has reached 90%. Faculty and students have won over 100 awards in national and provincial professional competitions, including the "China Golden Bell Award for Music" and the "China Lotus Award for Dance."

The college has strengthened its discipline development, completing 11 projects funded by the National Arts Fund and 2 projects funded by the National Social Science Fund of China (Arts). It has also received over 30 provincial and ministerial-level research projects and awards. The college regularly invites domestic and international musicians and scholars to conduct open classes, academic lectures, and concerts, creating international academic brands such as the "Northeast Asia Regional Music Culture Dissemination and Exchange" and the "Russian Music Week," contributing to the cultural development of Dalian.

The School of Music emphasizes artistic practice, housing the "Dalian University Symphony Orchestra," the "Dalian University Folk Orchestra," the "Dalian University Choir," and the "Dalian University Dance Troupe." These four troupes serve as important platforms for artistic practice and are also key forces in actively implementing national cultural policies and serving local cultural development. The Symphony Orchestra has consistently achieved excellent results in symphony competitions in France, the United States, and Canada; the Folk Orchestra has been repeatedly commissioned by the Confucius Institute Headquarters and the Ministry of Culture to visit and hold concerts in over twenty countries in Africa, Europe, and the Americas, spreading the spirit of Chinese culture; the Choir was invited by the Macao government to participate in the Macao International Music Festival, receiving widespread acclaim; and the Dance Troupe has won numerous awards in competitions such as the China Dance "Lotus Award" Campus Dance Competition.

The School of Music boasts extensive academic and teaching exchange activities, inviting numerous artists and scholars from home and abroad to lecture, hold masterclasses, and perform concerts. Many faculty members have been invited to participate in international academic conferences and concerts in countries such as the United States, South Korea, Japan, Canada, Germany, Austria, Russia, and Singapore. The School of Music has established friendly cooperative relationships with more than ten institutions, including the Furdwangen University of the Arts in Germany, Stanislaus University, California Baptist University, and Dixie University in the United States, Brandon University in Canada, and the Russian State Pedagogical University.

In the new era, all faculty and students remain united in advancing the development of a first-class school of music within a comprehensive university, contributing to the continued growth of music education in China.