School of Composition

Immersed in the legacy of Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Alexander Goehr, Sally Beamish and Emily Howard, our School of Composition remains a laboratory of invention. A place where new things happen; where you develop your craft with inspirational tutors and hear your creations come alive on stage.

With a clear focus on helping you develop your own personal style and professional skills, our programmes offer intensive one-to-one training, classes in compositional techniques and electro-acoustic composition, masterclasses with eminent composers, and departmental seminars. You’ll also have the chance to try out your works in progress via our Composer Labs and enjoy live performances of your pieces by our Brand New Orchestra and New Ensembles.

Festivals focussing on the work of living composers and new music provide additional opportunities for student composers to showcase their work, and our relationship with professional industry partners (such as the BBC Philharmonic, BBC Singers, Psappha, the Northern Ballet School, and the Filmmaking and Creative Writing courses at Manchester Metropolitan University) bring real-world experiences and interdisciplinary collaborations.

For more information on the audition process and requirements for the School of Composition, click here.

Further Information

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