Department of Music
Welcome to Music at Durham
We have been consistently rated as one of the top UK music departments in The Complete University Guide and Guardian University League Table.
QS World University Rankings 2027: Durham ranks 85th, up 9 places
Our global reputation for employability reflects the quality and real-world relevance of our education and research. Ranked 85th overall, we are also among the world’s top 50 for Employer Reputation and placed joint 24th for Sustainability.
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The Department of Music is one of the very best UK Music Departments with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our students.
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Durham Arts and Humanities subjects rank among the UK’s best in student-focused Unifresher rankings
Durham University’s Arts and Humanities subjects have performed strongly in the latest Unifresher subject rankings, helping to secure Durham’s position as the UK’s leading Russell Group university in the Unifresher 2027 Rankings.
Durham and Southwestern sign new Master’s pathway agreement
Durham Students Win Prize at RMA Southeast Asia Chapter Conference
John Snijders in Conversation with Artist Graham Dolphin at Dead Dog Gallery
Richard Rijnvos's Aphrodite Featured in New Exhibition at Vane
New Edited Volume Explores Global Perspectives in Musicology
Professor Julian Horton publishes new article on the nineteenth-century violin concerto in Music Theory Spectrum
Durham Music Department's success in Number 1 ranking of the Complete University Guide 2026
The Department of Music is proud to announce again its number one ranking in the Complete University Guide 2026.
Innovation In Teaching And Learning Awards for Music Department Educators
Durham’s Dr Katherine Hambridge speaks on BBC’s Woman’s Hour about girls in cathedral choirs
Durham Students Win Prize at RMA Southeast Asia Chapter Conference
Two current Durham Music PhD students, Ardi Echevarria and Yan Xin Ng, presented papers at the Royal Musical Association's Southeast Asia Chapter conference in 2026 — and both were awarded the Springer Researcher Student Prize. Durham alumnus Matthew Hansel, who completed an MA by Research in 2024, also presented.
John Snijders in Conversation with Artist Graham Dolphin at Dead Dog Gallery
Richard Rijnvos's Aphrodite Featured in New Exhibition at Vane
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We strive to provide innovative, research-led teaching that will assist our students to achieve their full potential as thinking, creative musicians and scholars.
Department of Music
Durham University
Palace Green
Durham
DH1 3RL
UK