Department of Music

General information

The official page of one of leading centres in the UK for the study of Music.

We are rated as the top UK music department in the Complete University Guide 2018, and consistently appear in the top three across other leading rankings (including #1 The Sunday Times University League Table 2017, #3 Research Excellence Framework 2014).

The Department has internationally recognised research expertise in a wide variety of topics including musicology, theory and analysis, ethnomusicology, music psychology, performance, composition, and music technology.

We strive to provide innovative, research-led teaching that will assist our students to achieve their full potential as thinking, creative musicians and scholars.

Our undergraduate programme mixes foundational courses with a strong emphasis on developing independent research skills and increasing choice and flexibility as you progress.

Our postgraduate programme offers opportunities for higher-level study with world-leading researchers.

Durham enjoys a rich musical life: the University boasts numerous choirs, orchestras, opera, jazz and early-music ensembles, and the Department runs its own annual concert series, which attracts soloists from around the World.

The Music Department is located within the historic UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising the magnificent 11th century Cathedral and Castle.

We have a distinguished tradition of scholarship stretching back to the nineteenth century, but we pride ourselves on remaining a dynamic centre of creative and intellectual innovation.