ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Institute of Technology is a world leader in science and technology, but the engineering giant is launching a School of Performing Arts this summer.

Luke Vredenburg has been involved with music his entire life.

“We have a dedicated music room in my house,” Vredenburg said. “And it’s like a living room pretty much. Every one of my siblings plays at least two instruments, my mom plays the violin professionally.”

The freshman is one of 950 performing arts scholars at the Rochester Institute of Technology, having received a scholarship to be part of the RIT Philharmonic Orchestra.

“It’s just connecting with other people who are making a product that everyone can connect with and enjoy,” Vredenburg said.

Vredenburg is at RIT to study industrial engineering, and is committed to his field of study.

But nonetheless, he’s glad to hear RIT will be launching a School of Performing Arts on June 1.

“I think it’s going to be great,” Vredenburg said. “I think it’s going to get some new people on campus, and it’s going to overall create a more diverse group of people. Especially for the music program.”

And investments in the performing arts are already underway, with $200 million being used to construct new facilities — and the expected addition of 450 more performing arts scholars next semester.

“It is so incredibly exciting,” Anna Stenport, the College of Liberal Arts dean, said. “This is really another way in which RIT is proving its uniqueness, its distinctiveness.”

RIT is renowned worldwide for its focus on technology. But Stenport says despite RIT’s STEM roots, the university is making this investment for students.

“This program is really meant to give them an opportunity to continue exploring and growing,” Stenport said. “I certainly hope it’ll help the performing arts to be fully integrated in the RIT universe.”

And Vredenburg says creativity and engineering are two sides of the same coin.

“It’s a different part of humanity to me,” he said. “So I think it’s definitely important to connect to both sides of humanity.”

So he’s looking forward to seeing how this helps RIT evolve.

“I definitely love performing arts and think everyone should at least give it a chance in their life,” Vredenburg said. “And try to connect with music, especially.”