About Music at Newcastle University
About us
Music has been an essential part of Newcastle University since 1890. Our tradition began with the founding of what was then Durham University's first choir and grew with the formal establishment of the Music Department in the 1920s.
The growth of the department lead to the creation of our first honours degree in 1948, establishing a foundation for generations of innovation and excellence in music studies.
Since then we've continued to create new paths, having launched England’s first degree in Folk and Traditional Music and been the first Russell Group university to introduce a Popular and Contemporary Music degree.
Excellence and Innovation
Today, our internationally recognised research is at the heart of what we do, informing our teaching and engagement and developing the next generation of musicians and thinkers.
Music is essential to our cultural and social life, which is why we approach music from creative, historical, and social perspectives to better understand its richness and complexity.
The department continues to be defined by inspirational teaching from practising musicians and researchers, supported by a strong programme of performance tutoring. We prepare our students with the knowledge and skills needed for a successful career in a constantly changing world.
About Newcastle
Newcastle's music scene is as diverse and vibrant as the city itself.
Its grassroots movement in and around the city is a hub of gigs, DJ-nights, underground scenes, and collaboration - all championing local talent and encouraging experimentation.
It hosts activities such as:
- legendary folk music sessions
- pub rock
- amateur orchestras and choirs open to students
- live Jazz
- various other forms of contemporary music
- many small-scale venues
Newcastle also regularly hosts major global artists in its arena and stadium. Meanwhile institutions like The Glasshouse International Centre for Music provide a prestigious platform for classical, folk, jazz, and The Royal Northern Sinfonia, with many of its members teaching in our music department.
Newcastle University, its staff and students are at the heart of Newcastle's music scene, collaborating with multiple venues and musicians, firmly embedded in a huge range of activities.
Our facilities
Our facilities have been designed to support a hive of musical activity.
At the heart of this are three distinct campus venues, each tailored for specific artistic needs: The multi-purpose King's Hall, The Recital Room, and The Band Room.
We have two professional recording studios, multiple digital workstations, and twenty-five practice rooms. These include acoustic pianos, dedicated drum rooms, and a DJ suite.
You can borrow from our extensive collection, including everything from orchestral percussion and professional microphones to world music instruments like Indian tablas.
We also have a specialised collection of early music instruments, including a harpsichord, fortepiano, lutes, and a baroque string quartet, providing unparalleled resources for artistic exploration.
Our staff
Our staff teach composition, performance, and diverse musicological approaches in classical, popular, folk, jazz, contemporary, and world musics, exploring the connections between genres as well as their differences.
Current staff specialisms include:
- the folk and traditional musics of the UK, Scandinavia, and North America European
- classical music from the fifteenth century to the present day
- pop music
- music and audiovisual media
- underground and DIY music cultures
- music and politics
- world musics
- digital music cultures
- music in education
- the role of music in the wider community
Our research impact and engagement
The increase in both the quality and intensity of our research has been achieved through the collective excellence of our researchers and in collaboration with our students and our external partners. The richness of our music research culture and music projects comes from our openness to all forms of music and many ways of approaching it. Our research takes effect through many forms, including:
- books and journal articles
- compositions
- performances and improvisations
- exhibitions and installations
- conference presentations
- public, industry and policy engagement
Explore Music at Newcastle University
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Careers and graduates
Undergraduate
Telephone: +44 (0)191 208 6736/5336
Email: music@ncl.ac.uk
Undergraduate admissions enquiries: musicadmissions@ncl.ac.uk
Postgraduate
Telephone: +44 (0)191 208 6736
Email: louise.driver@newcastle.ac.uk
