Overview

Music sits at the intersection of history, performance and creative practice, and studying it in depth builds analytical, technical and expressive skills that carry into a wide range of paths. The BA Music at the University of Bristol offers a personalised route through the subject, taught by leading scholars and professional musicians across composition, performance, musicology and analysis. Students benefit from small-group seminars grounded in current research, professional one-to-one performance tuition, and opportunities such as masterclasses, composition workshops and conducting ensembles. The course suits students with a strong grounding in music who want to develop their own specialism, whether in performance, composition, studio work or scholarly research, within a highly regarded department.

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What You'll Learn

• Music history, spanning historical periods and current musicological research

• Composition, including both acoustic and electro-acoustic approaches

• Performance, supported by professional one-to-one tuition

• Musical analysis and theory

• Studio work, including recording and production techniques

• Specialist history topics shaped by staff research interests in the second year

• Collaborative project work with fellow students

• An extended final-year topic in composition, studio work, performance or a dissertation

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to critically analyse music from a range of historical periods, drawing on current musicological research and scholarly debate. They will be equipped to compose, perform or produce music to a high standard, having developed technical skill through professional tuition, studio work and hands-on creative practice. Through collaborative projects and an extended final-year piece of independent work, students will strengthen their ability to plan, execute and present a substantial creative or research project. Graduates will leave with strong musical, analytical and creative skills, along with the confidence and versatility to pursue further study or a wide range of careers connected to music and the creative industries.