PhD Music student Rita Ueda has been awarded the prestigious title of 2022 Laureate for the Azrieli Commission for Canadian Music. Offered by the Azrieli Foundation, this is the most coveted title for composers in Canada.

New research led by Dr Kelly Jakubowski suggests that preferences for synchrony in groove-based music may be universal, whereas preferences for isochrony are more culturally dependent.

The recent Wordle spinoff, Heardle, challenges players to identify popular songs from short music clips. Dr Kelly Jakubowski from Music explains the science behind why people love this new game.

The Music Department is proud to announce that we are now part of the largest All-Steinway School in the nation.

On 9 April 2022 the NTR ZaterdagMatinee will present the world première of Richard Rijnvos' "Amérique du Sud".

We are pleased to announce that the Music Department is involved in the Sutton Trust summer schools scheme, which is designed to give bright students from under-represented backgrounds an experience of studying at a leading university.

It is with great sadness that the Music Department shares the news of the death of Emeritus Professor Peter Manning.

New research from Durham University’s Music & Science Lab suggests that while biology may determine which sounds we perceive as unpleasant, musical preference is culturally acquired.

A new study by Dr Kelly Jakubowski and Professor Tuomas Eerola has shown that music evokes fewer, but more emotionally positive, autobiographical memories than other cues.

Rita Ueda (PhD research student in composition) has been awarded the 2022 Azrieli Music Prize for Canadian Music with a portfolio that includes as the spring blossoms awaken through the snow for intercultural orchestra, supervised by Prof. Richard Rijnvos and Dr James Weeks.

(Durham - 3 November 2021)  On 13 November 2021 Slagwerk Den Haag and the Residentie Orchestra will perform the world première of Richard Rijnvos' Afrique. 

On 6 November 2021 Ensemble Musikfabrik (Cologne) performed the world première of Richard Rijnvos' Riflesso sull’incontro.