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About Us

We are a vibrant, welcoming community, hosting and supporting enriching experiences.

Durham is one of the leading university music departments in the UK, which not only offers innovative undergraduate and postgraduate courses, but also carries out leading research in musicology, analysis, music technology, music psychology, ethnomusicology, composition world and performance. Look at the department through the eyes of staff and students in the video clips below and explore the website to find out more about the exciting and dynamic life of the Durham University music department.
Meet our People
Mixing deck controls
5 student sit around a table with laptops

World-leading status affirmed in QS World University Rankings 2024

Durham is now ranked 78th in the world top 100 universities. We are also ranked joint 30th in a new category of Sustainability, and 50th in the Employer Reputation category.

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A selection of some of our videos

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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. Our undergraduate programme mixes foundational courses with a strong emphasis on developing independent research skills and increasing choice and flexibility as you progress. Our postgraduate programme offers opportunities for higher-level study with world-leading researchers.

Durham enjoys a rich musical life: The University boasts numerous choirs, orchestras, opera, jazz and early-music ensembles, and the Department runs its own annual concert series, which attracts soloists from around the World.

The Music Department is located within the historic UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising the magnificent 11th-century Cathedral and Castle. We have a distinguished tradition of scholarship stretching back to the nineteenth century, but we pride ourselves on remaining a dynamic centre of creative and intellectual innovation.