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Courses
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Innovative, research-led teaching
Our new undergraduate course offers research-led teaching in musicology, ethnomusicology, composition and performance, with increased flexibility and choice -
Exciting postgraduate opportunities
We offer a range of taught Master's and research degrees across musicology, ethnomusicology and composition - study here with internationally renowned experts
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Research
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World-leading research
Our staff carry out world-leading research in musicology, ethnomusicology, composition, performance and aesthetics - and bring this research expertise into the classroom -
Research highlights
Read about some of the exciting research projects currently in progress
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Musical life
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Musical Life
Durham offers outstanding opportunities for high-quality music-making, from orchestras and choirs, to new music and gamelan -
Musicon concert series
Our Musicon professional concert series offers a diverse programme of high-quality classical and contemporary music as well as annual festivals of jazz and of Asian music
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Durham offers outstanding opportunities to explore your musical passions. Our innovative, research-led undergraduate course combines a solid foundation of core skills with great flexibility and choice, with an emphasis on the development of independent research skills. Flexible postgraduate opportunities give you the chance to study at a higher level under the supervision of world-leading researchers. The university and city are teeming with musical life, with dozens of high-quality musical ensembles from orchestras and choirs to jazz bands and our beautiful Javanese gamelan.
Our premises are situated on a UNESCO World Heritage Site adjacent to Durham's magnificent medieval Cathedral. These historic buildings house up-to-date technological resources, including unique studios dedicated to composition and audio-visual documentation. Our staff offer expertise in areas including contemporary music (with internationally renowned composers and performers of both acoustic and electroacoustic music), ethnomusicology (we run one of the biggest programmes in Europe), and nineteenth- and twentieth-century music (including aesthetics and critical theory). We attract staff and students the world over and strive to make our department a supportive, friendly and stimulating environment in which all can fully realise their academic and creative potential.
News
- Durham Music student awarded a Licentiate of Trinity College London
- Dr Nick Collins to Join the Music Department
- Professor Tuomas Eerola to join the Music Department
- Durham research student received award for promising young musicologist
- Violin Sonata unearthed by Durham Student to receive first performance at this year’s English Music Festival
- John Snijders joins the Music Department
- Neil Combstock joins the Music Department
- Hayden/Kanno collaboration selected for HCMF 2012 sampler
- Professor Udo Will at the IAS at Durham
- Review of the new CD release cured by Professor Dibble
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Musicon/IAS Commission: Sound Installation by Trevor Wishart
In collaboration with Durham University's Institute of Advanced Study, as part of the Futures 2 project 'New storylines for living with environmental change: citizen's perspectives'.
The internationally renowned maverick of new art form ‘digital opera’, Trevor Wishart returns to County Durham with a specially commissioned installation work. This event is a fruit of the year-long series of public engagement events involving international academics, Durham’s academics, Wishart and people from County Durham. Alongside the project’s underlying ‘nature’ theme, the installation will give artistic expression to the ideas explored during the project and, most importantly, to the creative processes through which our participating public understand, discuss, reflect upon, deliberate and evaluate their own discussions on living with environmental change and on the structure of feeling of different technological options.
Wishart has been actively involved in the project throughout its duration, present at all of the public engagement discussion meetings. In engaging him in this way, the project team ensured that his creative practice adds value not only to the project’s outcomes but also to its processes; in particular it adds texture and vibrancy to the articulation of issues that emerge from public engagement discussions, their understanding and their relationship with each other.
Wishart will feature the voices of people, particularly those he has collected in County Durham over the years. Set in a scenic and friendly environment at the Botanic Garden, this is a rare opportunity for the general public to experience a sense of empowerment and agency through encountering the making of an artwork as a direct outcome of their thoughts, feelings and discussions. The installation will be available for interactive playing for six weeks to the end of July. Children are welcome.
In association with the Centre for Contemporary Performing Arts
Admission free
Explore Musicon Concert series website
Contact karen.nichol@durham.ac.uk for more information about this event.
Download this event in iCalendar format
Making a difference
Durham students, Enya Doyle (Music, Trevelyan College) and Lauren Sloan (Law, Josephine Butler College), become the first ever recipients of national peace awards in recognition of their contribution to peace in Northern Ireland.
What's on Brochure (April-Sept 2013)