Performance Studies conceive the performing experience as a cultural phenomenon that is relational and process-oriented (Schechner, 2002, 2020). Within this paradigm, Phillip Auslander (2006) introduced the construct musical persona to denote an artistic identity shaped by the musical-social context in which it is displayed. The musical persona, then, is negotiated considering the priorities and expectations of each performance situation (Auslander, 2021), fueled by the human desire to build an identity (Miksza et al., 2019).This study, conducted at an Argentine university, aims to describe the development of the musical persona at the undergraduate level. In the first phase, completed in 2024, we interviewed 10 vocal and instrumental performance professors to gain insight into the development of performative identity among their students. We focused on the preparation for public performances, especially the graduation recital, which represents the culmination of a key formative period. The pedagogical strategies employed to make these performances representative of a musical persona were examined. Findings reveal interesting creative resources in performance courses, offering opportunities for students' personal exploration, with a concern for diversifying the social experience of performance. Educators also reported the challenges of accompanying the inevitable growth crises associated with identity development, along with the mediation resources they employ.In the second part, currently underway, we have interviewed 30 music performance students who graduated between 2022 and 2025. We collected their perceptions of acquiring interpretive tools during their degree, as well as their experiences in assembling public performances, particularly the graduation recital, which they consider a highly visible presentation of the musical self. The theoretical framework primarily draws on the work of Auslander, his followers, and critics over the past 20 years (Marshall et al., 2015; Fairchild et al., 2019; Hansen, 2019; López-Cano, 2025, among others). After semi-structured interviews, Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, designed to understand individuals' personal perceptions of their experiences (Smith, 2017), was chosen as a flexible analytical approach, suitable for relatively homogeneous groups. The goal is to deepen understanding of the complex and dynamic process of building a musical persona at the undergraduate level, viewed from both sides of the pedagogical endeavor. Findings can help to rethink the place given to the musical persona development in academic settings. Recognizing its importance involves granting agency to students, supporting them with genuine pedagogical resources to help explore their sense of self, possible repertoires/genres, and the social scenarios available for the unfolding of their musical personas.