Program Overview

Introduction to the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music

The Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YST) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has launched a new Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Music Practices, its first doctoral programme and the first of its kind in Asia designed to integrate artistic practice with doctoral research.

Program Overview

The PhD in Music Practices is a landmark shift in how we understand and value artistic work within academia. In this programme, artistic practice is not just a component of research; it stands alongside and in dialogue with it. This opens up new opportunities for students to create and reflect on their work through both thinking and doing, contributing to new knowledge and artistic output in integrated and interdisciplinary ways.

Program Structure

• The programme includes a qualifying examination, comprehensive coursework, and doctoral thesis, which are typical of research-based PhD requirements at NUS and other institutions.
• An artistic component where students are required to present artistic output that is closely linked with their research, demonstrating their ability to integrate music practice and academic inquiry.

Research Areas

• The programme enables creative work and scholarly inquiry not only within music, but also in intersection with other fields like technology, business, or even public health.
• Examples of research areas include:
  • A composer experimenting with artificial intelligence in music composition while researching its ethical implications on creative authorship.
  • A performer investigating the preservation and reinterpretation of musical traditions while creating new works inspired by them.
  • A conductor leading community-based performances while investigating how cultural policy can influence spectatorship among local communities.

Benefits and Opportunities

• Students will have access to a wider range of resources than is typically available at other music conservatoires, with opportunities to attend courses and embark on projects that intersect with contrasting or adjacent fields.
• YST’s extensive resources and partnerships in the global music industry, including membership in several higher music education networks.
• The programme will serve as a talent pipeline for future thought leaders who can contribute to the advancement of music practice and scholarship in Asia and beyond.

Career Prospects

• Graduates will be well-positioned to take on roles in academia, arts education, cultural policy, arts management, and sectors where music intersects with wider social and cultural contexts, bringing expertise from both performance and research to inform their contributions.
• The programme’s strong emphasis on innovation in both artistic practice and research will place them on the cutting edge of artistic innovation as leaders who shape discourse and policy through an interdisciplinary and socially informed perspective.