Program Overview

Music Performance BMus(Hons)

The Music Performance BMus(Hons) degree is designed for all types of instrumentalists, including pop, musical performance, and classical singers who want to benefit from expert individual tuition. Students will have the chance to play in groups and ensembles, with up to two-thirds of their second and final years being assessed through performance activities.

Why Study Music Performance BMus(Hons)

• Students will study in state-of-the-art professional standard facilities, with access to a range of rehearsal spaces, recording studios, two dedicated concert halls, and a large selection of equipment and instruments for use.
• They will be taught by leading academics, many of whom are also professional performers with active international careers as soloists and ensemble members.
• Up to 20 hours of individual tuition per year on their main study is provided by the team of expert instrumental and vocal tutors, supplemented by masterclasses and workshops by visiting professionals.

Awards and Accolades

• Music is ranked 20th globally and 6th in the UK (QS World University Subject Rankings 2024).
• The University won the Queen's Anniversary Prize for its ‘world-leading work to promote, produce and present contemporary music to an international audience.

Course Structure

Year 1

• Core modules:
  • Specialist Performance: Develop technical skills and musical insight to prepare for solo and ensemble performance at intermediate and honours level.
  • Performance Skills 1: Gain hands-on experience of a variety of key musical skills, including improvisation, aural awareness, ensemble performance, and evaluating performances.
  • Music, Culture and Society: Develop research, source-handling, evaluation, and critical-thinking skills and apply these to repertoires, cultures, and issues appropriate to the degree course.
  • Technology for Musicians: Take a hands-on approach to various aspects of using technology as a musician, including music notation and Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software, video and sound recording techniques.
  • Understanding Music: Explore the building blocks of music in all its forms, developing an understanding of how music ‘works’ through the use of key theoretical principles.
  • Composition 1: Develop compositional abilities through the exploration of a range of compositional techniques, with particular reference to acquiring a better understanding of rhythm, timbre, melody/contour, harmony, texture, form, and notation.

Year 2

• Core modules:
  • Solo Performance: Work closely with an individual instrumental/vocal tutor to develop technical skills and musical insight to prepare for a solo recital and advanced solo performance at honours level.
  • Performance Skills 2: Choose one practical option from an array of ensembles, bands, and approaches to performance, coached towards assessed performances that are open to the public.
  • Inside the Music Business: Introduce students to a range of issues relevant to the current music industry, from copyright, contracts, and economics through to the role of the media in marketing, reviewing, and representing music.
  • Projects in Musical Cultures (Extended): Add breadth to expertise by choosing an additional topic to explore from a range on offer, using research to underpin and inspire both scholarly and artistic activity.

Year 3 - Optional Placement Year

• Students have the opportunity to take an optional one-year work placement after their second year, in the UK or abroad.

Final Year

• Core modules:
  • Advanced Solo Performance: Continue to develop technical skills and musical insight as an advanced solo performer, participating in masterclasses and workshops to increase understanding of a range of musical performance contexts and issues.
  • Performance Skills 3: Choose one practical option from an array of ensembles, bands, and approaches to performance, coached towards assessed performances that are open to the public.
  • Music Industry and Professional Skills: Complete a work-related project, such as documented placement work, researching and building a professional work-related website, or releasing music commercially with associated promotion.
  • Independent Project: Devise and work on an individual project, choosing its format and assessment method, to explore an area of music that is important to the student.

Teaching and Assessment

• An average of 25.1% of study time is spent with tutors in lectures, seminars, workshops, etc.
• Assessment takes various forms, including written and oral examinations, dissertations, essays, seminar papers, analyses, practical projects, composition folios, performance recitals, learning journals, and peer assessment.

Facilities

• The University has fantastic equipment and facilities available for students to use throughout their studies, including recording studios, lighting rigs, and an electronics lab.

Career Support

• The University provides professional help, support, and guidance, including industry-supported workshops, careers fairs, and one-to-one guidance sessions.

Fees and Finance

• The maximum fees for UK-based students on undergraduate courses in 2025/26 will be £9,535 per year for full-time students.
• Tuition fees will cover the cost of study at the University, as well as charges for registration, tuition, supervision, and examinations.

Accreditations and Professional Links

• The University of Huddersfield is a corporate member of the Independent Society of Musicians (ISM), the UK's professional body for musicians and a nationally recognised subject association for music.