Critical and Experimental Composition MMus at University of Leeds

This course gives you opportunities to develop your compositional creativity and technical fluency to an advanced level under the guidance of our expert staff, all experienced and active composers. The diversity of our composition staff enables us to support a broad range of critical and experimental approaches to acoustic and electroacoustic composition, and to the intersections of these aesthetics.

Throughout the year you’ll take a combination of core modules that allow you to develop your skills as a musician and composer. You’ll develop your academic skills, including research and presentation skills, as well as studying the principles of composition and different professional contexts. You’ll also develop an awareness of broader topics in the study of music through exploration of aesthetic theory to help you understand and develop your compositional voice.

Your major project will be a portfolio of original compositions, and you can pursue optional modules in other areas of music such as musicology, music psychology, performance or electronic and computer music. There are opportunities to try out new work, both formally and informally, and the School of Music’s contemporary music ensemble, LSTwo, often includes student compositions in its repertoire. The School enjoys a significant reputation for performance studies and a lively and full concert diary – much of which will provide useful material for study by students on this course.

We have a variety of excellent facilities to support your learning, including rehearsal, performance and practice spaces, a lab for studying the psychology of music and studios for sound recording, software development and computer music composition.

We also have good working relationships with a range of prestigious arts organisations: we host BBC Radio 3 concerts, Leeds Lieder and the Leeds International Piano Competition, as well as enjoying a close partnership with Opera North and many others in a city with a thriving music and cultural scene.