Extend your solo performance skills and potential as a versatile singer.
Year of entry: 2020
This practitioner-led MA pathway is designed to help you discover and establish your unique, authentic voice and sense of artistry. It will foster your initiative and creativity by sustaining and developing your vocal technique, knowledge and repertoire - likely to include opera, musical theatre, art song and contemporary classical.
Intensive individual teaching combines with collaborative peer learning sessions and performance classes that encourage curiosity and diversity, enriching your potential as a distinctive musician.
This course is led by Susan Young, who has considerable experience as both a dedicated teacher and an active performer with industry knowledge and insight. Her current and former students can be found in international opera companies, young artist programmes, West End musicals and award-winning consorts.
Susan is a once-in-a-lifetime singing teacher who gets your best possible sound out of you. She is a superb technician who gives you the tools to find your way around your own voice. Her knowledge of a vast range of repertoire and of the current working industry is invaluable.Brianna, MA Music
From a range of choirs to student-run opera and theatre groups, jazz to folk, gospel to contemporary classical, almost every kind of music is performed and celebrated. Opportunities exist for you to forge new and exciting connections with other singers, instrumentalists and composers.
You'll have access to practice rooms, recording studios, two professional concert halls, the dedicated John Paynter Music Library and a weekly concert series featuring internationally renowned artists.
Throughout the year, you'll work individually and collaboratively to develop and hone your solo performance skills within a supportive environment. Seminars/workshops and performance classes will cover a range of relevant topics, including technique, reflective practice, text, language, imagination and voice/body integration. Repertoire is likely to include opera, musical theatre, art song and contemporary classical.
All pathways for the MA Music follow the same structure. We place an emphasis on independence and creativity - you will have the freedom to study the areas that interest you, in consultation with your supervisor.
Over the year, you’ll take four modules:
In addition to these modules, we strongly encourage you to participate in department ensembles such as Chamber Choir, University Choir and The 24, and to attend weekly research seminars, performance classes and other seminars relevant to your studies.
You’ll receive 30 hours of private vocal tuition spread evenly throughout the year, tailored to your needs.
You’ll take Project I and Project II (30 credits each) in the Autumn and Spring Terms respectively.
In these modules, you’ll attend weekly seminars and performance classes related to your pathway, which will help you to engage deeply with texts and characterisation and explore strategies to build recital programmes and creative projects.
Throughout these modules you’ll receive advice, support and feedback from your academic supervisor. You’ll have the freedom to work on areas that interest you - our courses our designed to allow maximum flexibility and independence.
During the Summer Term and summer vacation, you will work on Project III (100 credits), a detailed individual project to curate and perform an extended recital. In addition, matters concerning creative career strategy will be discussed in a short series of forums.
Critical Reflection in Musical Practice (20 credits) runs throughout the year. In this module you’ll develop sophisticated ways to think and write about music. In Autumn Term, your classes will introduce some of the skills needed for postgraduate-level research, and in Spring Term, you'll explore musicological theories that will allow you to develop critical and reflective approaches to your performance.
Please note, modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
Students on a Tier 4 Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
UK/EU or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK/EU or international student.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
A full list of department scholarships, awards, and bursaries can be found on the department website.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
Your teaching will largely take the form of weekly seminars, performance classes, solo voice lessons and tutorials. Our holistic approach aims to respond to different learning styles.
You will have regular meetings with your supervisor, who will advise you and help develop your ideas as you progress through your studies.
We encourage you to get involved with our lively departmental community, from our composers, instrumentalists and accompanists to our ensembles, weekly workshops, performance classes and research seminars.
We have a range of outstanding facilities, including the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall and dozens of teaching rooms and practice facilities. All spaces are designed to be flexible and are used for projects, seminars, ensemble rehearsals and recordings. Discover our facilities.
You will be based in the Department of Music on Campus West. Almost all of your teaching will take place within the department.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
You’ll develop three concert programmes for assessment throughout the course, supplemented by individual commentaries. The first two recitals will be based on repertoire agreed with the course tutor, while the third focuses more on independent choice.
This course is beneficial to students wishing to gain vital skills and insight for performing their repertoire professionally, enabling them to be competitive, versatile and responsive to the demands of life as a creative artist in the 21st century. It may prepare them for further study in fields such as opera or education or enrich current professionals looking for continuing development.
Recent graduates taught by Susan Young have been employed by:
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:1 or equivalent in Music or another relevant discipline. We will also consider your application if you have a 2:2 honours degree and relevant professional experience. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Qualification | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.0, minimum 5.5 in each component |
| PTE Academic | 55, minimum 51 in each component |
| C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency | 169, minimum 162 in each component |
| TOEFL | 79, minimum 17 in Listening, 18 in Reading, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing |
| Trinity ISE III | Pass in all components |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
We recognise the difficulties in taking English language tests due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We have taken the decision to relax the English language requirements published above by 0.5 IELTS (or equivalent).
We are closely monitoring the situation as it evolves and are considering further options to support offer-holders in meeting their English language conditions. Further information about our responses to COVID-19.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current IELTS scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
You can apply and send all your documentation electronically through our online system. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start it, save it and finish it later.
Please attach a short video file/link with at least two contrasting pieces with your application as evidence of your previous work in performance. You should aim to include repertoire you might wish to study on the course.
Please also provide a short written statement on your aims and objectives in taking this course.
After application, you will be called for interview or audition. For students outside the UK, this can be through Skype (or similar) if necessary.
You are encouraged to contact Susan Young (susan.young@york.ac.uk) at the beginning of the process to discuss your application.
Please indicate clearly in the written title of your application which MA Music pathway you wish to apply for.
View our other MA Music pathways:
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