The University of Glasgow hosts Scotland’s leading centre for music research.
Based in the UK's first UNESCO City of Music, our world-class expertise includes specialist knowledge in:
- popular music studies
- historical and cultural musicology
- performance and performance studies
- composition
- sound art & audiovisual practices
We offer a wide range of degree programmes that will suit you whether you're seeking a career as a musician, would like to work in the music industries or arts and cultural sector, or if you're interested in the links music has with contemporary culture, history, creativity and the digital world.
By studying with us, you will benefit from opportunities to take work placements within Glasgow's legendary music scene; learn from award-winning professional musicians and musical scholars, and get the chance to pursue your musical interests through researching, performing, composing, and exploring musical technology.
Subject league tables
6th in UK: Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide [Music]
4th in UK: Guardian University Guide [Music]
6th in UK: Complete University Guide [Music]
As an undergraduate student, you can get involved in a huge range of music making, in university groups and around the city. Performance students access a wide variety of practice facilities and give recitals in the University Concert Hall.
Music staff produce a wide range of research. This includes scholarly articles and books on music, as well as editions, performances and award-winning recordings of historically informed performance practice.
Music is home to a fine consort of viols, baroque strings, recorders, crumhorns and other instruments, all available to students.
Each year Music postgraduate work is showcased to a public audience through the student-run festival and conference, Sound Thought, which has taken place at popular arts and club venue The Arches in Glasgow city centre.
Composing is central to our research culture and to our teaching. Students can pursue their own individual compositional interests with the support of staff composers through small group and individual teaching, contextual lectures, and improvisation workshops. Students have the opportunity to workshop their pieces with professional ensembles.
The Concert Hall is in the University’s impressive main building, designed by George Gilbert Scott in the late 19th century. It houses two Steinway Model D grand pianos, an 1840s Broadwood grand piano, a Mozart-era fortepiano, two chamber organs, 2 harpsichords, an extensive range of percussion and other instruments and the University's sound diffusion system.
Sonic Arts is a key theme in our research as well as our undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Students can get creative with software, build their own interactive performance systems, produce their own experimental film and soundtrack, and learn about audio technologies.
The University's studios provide a space for creative practice in sonic arts, composition and recording.
Historical and cultural musicology research and teaching engages with all periods and genres.
Practical music making in the University Memorial Chapel is closely allied to practice within Music.
Music Events
Music hosts a varied programme of performances and research events throughout the year including a series of colloquia on behalf of the Royal Musical Association.