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Music Performance MMus

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    Overview

    This course is designed to enable you to pursue music performance at an advanced level, allowing you to specialise in particular areas and genres of music performance as well as develop your skills as a rounded and expert performer. You will do so as part of a vibrant, stimulating and energetic community for music performance at the University of Huddersfield.

    As well as advancing your technical skills and confidence as a performer, you will work to gain a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the repertoire you perform, develop your intellectual and creative skills required for a high level of performance, and apply research skills with a view to making an original contribution to the professional context of music performance.

    You may choose to specialise in the following areas, reflecting and drawing upon the expertise within Music and Music Technology at the University of Huddersfield:

    • Brass Band performance
    • Choral Conducting
    • Conducting (1 place per year)
    • Historically Informed Performance
    • Improvisation
    • New Music Performance
    • Organ Studies
    • Piano Accompaniment
    • Popular Music performance

    Alternatively, you may also select to pursue a broad programme of study within classical music.

    Staff teaching on the MMus Music Performance are themselves active as performers, as soloists and ensemble members, giving regular live concerts and releasing recordings to international critical acclaim. We offer expert instrumental/vocal tuition appropriate to the specialisms from tutors who are experienced and highly regarded in their fields.

    Performing Arts at the University of Huddersfield has an international reputation, and hosts one of the largest postgraduate music communities in the UK. You will benefit from our regular research seminars and workshops, and will be a member of the Centre for Research in Music and its Technologies (CRMT) which provides a focus for popular music research in the department.

    The University presents regular concerts throughout the academic year, hosting a wide variety of professional performers across a range of genres and styles. Additionally the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and Electric Spring offer performances given by leading practitioners within the field of new music.

    Key Information

    Entry requirements

    You are required to have a minimum of a 2:2 honours degree from a recognised University or equivalent institution. Your application materials (or previous qualifications ) and live audition (or documentation of your performance) should be able to demonstrate a strong understanding of performance and instrumental/vocal/other technique. Auditions should comprise of two contrasting pieces, one of which should relate to the your proposed specialism in performance.

    If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.5 overall with no element lower than 6.0, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

    Start dates

    22 September 2025

    Duration

    1 year full-time
    2 years part-time

    Course Detail

    Researching Music

    On this module you will be introduced to a range of significant and contemporary scholarship relating to the study of music, including that pertaining to music production, composition and sonic arts, and all kinds of performance. You will learn about diverse approaches to music research, and receive training in managing research professionally and ethically. Central to the module is the development of research skills appropriate to postgraduate level work and to your own research interests and creative practices. Attendance at research seminars will offer diverse models for your own research in performance, musicology, or creative music production.

    Performance 1

    On this module, you will explore and perform a range of repertoire and skills appropriate to your instrument/voice or specialist route. You will identify areas of performance that are innovative, or which explore a particular dimension of the specialism, such as ensemble performance, performance utilising particular techniques or approaches to  style, use of electronics, and many others. Example performance specialisms might include: Historically Informed Performance, New Music Performance, Brass Band Performance, Popular Music Performance, and more. You will identify appropriate research questions relevant to your specialism and design a recital which addresses  one or more of these.

    Performance in Context

    On this module you will examine recent and current scholarship relating to music performance and performance studies. You will compare the key texts and methodologies in the field as well as more specialism-specific texts and approaches. You will apply methods and approaches learned about through research to your practice and will articulate the ways in which practice and research impact upon the other, such that your practice informs your understanding and discussion, and your research conditions and develops your practice.

    Performance 2

    This module is worth 60 credits in total (therefore comprising one-third of your degree) and along with Performance 1, it is the primary context within which you will develop your performance skills, focusing upon repertoire appropriate to your specialism. You will give three recitals in total, the final one of which will represent the culmination of your research and development as a performer.

    Teaching takes a number of different forms on this course, and you will benefit from a lively curriculum taught by leading performers and academics in their field.

    You will receive 26 hours of individual tuition across the duration of the course from expert instrumental/vocal tutors appropriate to your chosen specialism. Supporting these will be a series of performance workshops led by members of the performance team, held in our concert halls and supported by members of the technical team and our pianist-in-residence and Head of Keyboard. You will also benefit from concerts, masterclasses and workshops from visiting guest performers through the year.

    Other classes will take the form of seminar groups and tutorials, in which you will work alongside other performance postgraduates in exploring and developing research techniques appropriate to performance and wider research concerns and topics which address how performance and research connect. These will be led by members of the performance and musicology teams.

    In addition, you will attend regular seminars and colloquia featuring guest and local speakers about a range of research topics and activities that will provide you with good models and cause for further explorations in your studies. These are part of the department’s wider research activity and you will benefit from being a part of the active research community at Huddersfield.

    Assessed performances will be assessed by a combination of external specialists and internal staff, and feedback on each will be directed toward your improvement and development in future performances.

    Other assessments will be a combination of written work and review of literature and methods appropriate to performance and your specialism. All these have formative tasks in which you will be able to prepare well for the main assessment and receive support and feedback aimed at maximising your scholarship.

    All your work is moderated and subject to second marking and external examining.

    Your module specification/course handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria applying to your course.

    Huddersfield is the UK's only university where 100% of the permanent teaching staff are fellows of the Higher Education Academy.*

    *permanent staff, after probation: some recently appointed colleagues will only obtain recognition in the months after their arrival in Huddersfield, once they have started teaching.

    1. Triple proof of teaching excellence: our staff rank in the top three in England for the proportion who hold doctorates, who have higher degrees, and hold teaching qualifications (HESA 2024). So, you’ll learn from some of the best, helping you to be the best.

    2. We are first in the country for National Teaching Fellowships, which mark the UK’s best lecturers in Higher Education, winning a total of 22 since 2008 (2023 data).

    3. We won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award, recognising the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers (Higher Education Academy, 2017).

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    St. Paul's Hall
    Spatialisation and Interactive Research Lab
    Richard Steinitz Building
    Phipps Hall
    Student in the library
    Students using our group work facilities

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    Important information

    We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

    Changes to a course you have applied for

    If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

    Cancellation of a course you have applied for

    Although we always try and run all of the course we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will contact you to discuss other suitable courses with us we can transfer your application to. If we notify you that the course you have applied to has been withdrawn or combined, and you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

    Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

    We will always try to deliver your course and other services as described. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below:

    Changes to option modules

    Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have a range of options to choose from and we will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

    Major changes

    We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change in this context is a change that materially changes the services available to you; or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

    For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

    Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but this may not always be the case. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation with affected students. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

    Termination of course

    In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include transferring to a suitable replacement course for which you are qualified, being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered, or claiming an interim award and exiting the University. If you do not wish to take up any of the options that are made available to you, then you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the course without liability to the University for future tuition fees and you will be entitled to a refund of all course fees paid to date. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

    When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and disciplinary procedure, fees and finance and compliance with visa requirements (where relevant). It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to abide by them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to. You should read these carefully before you enrol. Please note that this information is subject to change and you are advised to check our website regularly for any changes before you enrol at the University. A person who is not party to this agreement shall not have any rights under or in connection with it. Only you and the University shall have any right to enforce or rely on the agreement.

    The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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