MusM Composition (Instrumental and Vocal music)

Find out what it's like to study at Manchester by visiting us on one of our  open days .

You will need to submit scores (preferably as PDF files) of two or three recent compositions, for a variety of forces or dealing with a variety of musical contexts if possible, and if available, links to recordings of performances of these works.

You can upload the portfolio under the 'CV/Resume' option in the Supporting Documents section at the end of the application form.

Our MusM Composition (Instrumental and Vocal) master's course offers intensive training for composers and provides excellent preparation for doctoral work or a career in the professional world.

With a strong focus on practical music-making and supported by an outstanding programme of workshops and performances by professional musicians, it offers an invaluable opportunity for composers to hone their skills and develop their personal voice.

You will benefit from:

• links to ensembles as an integral part of the course;
• interaction with the music profession, including the BBC Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata;
• opportunities to develop professional skills, for example through collaborating, rehearsing and networking with professional musicians; learning to arrange/orchestrate; undertaking outreach opportunities; and collaborating in the creation of performances;
• flexibility to develop your own compositional and research interests;
• close ties with electroacoustic composers in NOVARS, and the flexibility to combine electroacoustic course units with those for instrumental and vocal composition;
• integration into the active research culture of The University of Manchester, through research seminars, performance workshops and concerts.

We aim to:

• enable you to develop compositional techniques and professional skills appropriate to your creative needs;
• enable you to work with both student and professional performers toward the performance of recently composed prices;
• help you develop an awareness of aesthetic, analytical and technical issues relating to contemporary Western art music;
• encourage you to discuss with clarity and conviction issues relating to contemporary music;
• enable you to compose several works worthy of public performance;
• equip you with skills appropriate to the development of further postgraduate study on MPhil and PhD programmes.

Ensembles  

Our close links with in-house and Manchester-based ensembles allow us to guarantee that every student taking this course will have their music performed and/or workshopped by professional ensembles, including the Quatuor Danel, Psappha, Trio Atem, Distractfold, the Vonnegut Collective and the Manchester Camerata.

The Quatuor Danel enjoys a huge international reputation and their repertoire seemingly knows no limits.

From early Haydn through Beethoven and Schubert, to neglected masterpieces from the Soviet Union, to white-knuckle rides through Ligeti, Xenakis and Lachenmann and premieres of new works by Manchester composers, our intrepid String Quartet-in-Residence regularly scales the summits of chamber music. Their visits to Manchester form a backbone of the University's concert series.  

Psappha is one of this country's leading contemporary music ensembles, specialising in the performance of music by living composers and that of the 20th and 21st centuries.  

The ensemble has an extensive repertoire and a reputation for technical assurance and interpretive flair, and an ever-expanding library of online performances on their YouTube channel. 

Psappha has commissioned and premiered works by a wide range of composers, achieving particular notoriety for their performances of music by Peter Maxwell Davies. 

In addition, MusM students frequently have their work performed by The University of Manchester's new music ensemble. 

Music in Manchester   

Manchester is home to more professional music-making than any UK city outside of London.

There are three professional orchestras, as well as internationally recognised institutions such as the BBC, Bridgewater Hall, Opera North and The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). 

Most taught course units are delivered via weekly seminars and/or tutorials.  

The composition portfolio is supported by one-to-one supervision and is submitted at the beginning of September.  

Each student meets regularly with their supervisor (for full-time students usually on a weekly basis during term-time, less frequently during vacations), allowing for in-depth exploration of ideas and intensive support for the various course units offered.  

Other members of the academic staff are also available for individual consultation during designated office hours.  

Alongside your taught units, you will have access to a range of non-assessed seminars, workshops and training sessions offered by the Graduate School.  

All postgraduate students are expected to undertake their own programme of self-directed learning and skills acquisition.

This may also involve wider reading, language work, computer training and attendance at research seminars in other parts of the University. 

There are no formal examinations. Taught course units - all of which must be satisfactorily completed - are assessed by submission of compositions, coursework essays or other tasks, normally submitted at the end of each semester (January and May).

The Composition Portfolio is created over the entire duration of study and is submitted at the end of the academic year (after the summer vacation). All work is moderated both internally and by the External Examiner. v

You will have access to a wide range of study facilities and cultural assets at Manchester.

The Martin Harris Centre offers students an exceptional home equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.

Alongside teaching rooms and practice rooms, the building houses the Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall (capacity 350, with a stage large enough to accommodate a full symphony orchestra), the John Thaw Studio Theatre, the Lenagan Library and a postgraduate suite consisting of a common room and computer room.

The Lenagan Library is a small reference library housed in the Martin Harris Centre that includes major scores, reference tools and a large collection of recordings, together with listening rooms and a spacious work area.

The Henry Watson Library is located in Manchester's Central Library and is renowned for its Handel and Vivaldi manuscripts, and the library of the nearby Royal Northern College of Music.

Find out more about our facilities .

Our graduates have pursued successful careers in musical and non-musical fields.

Some continue to further study via a PhD before securing an academic position.

Some go on to teach in schools or further education, both in the UK and overseas. 

Other graduates have gone on to work in fields which advanced compositional training has been directly relevant such as: music producing, music composition, audio production, recording studios, entrepreneurships, the creative industries, music publishing, music journalism and performance. 

Careers outside of music have included computer programming, theatre, accountancy, law, social work and human resources. 

The University has its own dedicated  Careers Service  that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate.

At Manchester you will have access to a number of  opportunities to help boost your employability