Music research
The Department of Music supports a wide range of research and offers extensive opportunities for doctoral and post-doctoral study across the discipline. Our work is particularly focussed in six areas:
Composition
Our Composition program has eight staff and around 30 research students, marking York as one of the most active departments in the world in new music creation and performance. Our composers publish and record work across a broad range of contemporary idioms.
Musicology and analysis
Musicology and Analysis are integral to research and learning at York, supported by excellent research facilities. Our research students at MA and PhD levels have the opportunity to work alongside, and collaborate with, performers and composers.
Jazz and improvised music
Our Jazz and Improvised Music research is greatly supported by the performance of our University Jazz Orchestra, as well as resident and visiting ensembles. Our members of staff includes experienced performers and composers.
Performance
Our Performance staff performs and records internationally across a wide range of musical repertoire. Our programs allows professional performers as well as performer-composers to conduct practice led research, with submission by portfolio.
Music Technology
York is a leading centre in Music Technology and digital composition. Research is conducted in the outstanding facilities of the music research centre, and applied to the music composition, performance, improvisation and installation outputs by staff, students and visiting musicians.
Ethnomusicology
The Ethnomusicology staff and students at York have access to instruments, recordings and library holdings to support research in Indonesian, Thai and Indian music. Research in these areas is both practice based and scholarly.