About us
In tune with the Classical and Popular Worlds.
Our staff and students come from a variety of performance and non-performance backgrounds and share interests that span classical, popular, world and film music.
Long-established as a classical music department, we created the Institute of Popular Music in 1988, becoming the first department in the UK to introduce dedicated, specialist popular music studies and research.
Today many of our programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels allow students to mix genres. This is not only popular and enriching but also rare in the higher education world.
Vibrant community
Based in newly refurbished surroundings that offer great facilities, we have a vibrant community of performers, historians, composers, theorists and industry specialists.
Together they are responsible for a prodigious creative output, from groundbreaking research papers to compelling productions and compositions. These ensure our voice is heard locally and internationally.
Liverpool is of course a famous music city, with a fascinating cultural heritage and an active classical and popular music scene. Whatever your musical interests, this is a marvellous place to be.
Music on campus
Liverpool is a city full of music. The Campus is bursting with the musical activities of students of all instrumental and vocal abilities. Anyone can enjoy music at the University of Liverpool.
Get involved
Whether or not you are a Music student, you can play in the University Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra and a range of smaller ensembles, or sing in a large number of classical and popular vocal ensembles, including both auditioned and all-comer choirs. Our orchestras generate at least six concerts a term, the Chamber Orchestra in particular performs in the local and international outreach projects, at local schools and colleges and various campus functions, undertakes an annual continental tour and takes paying gigs around the country.
Liverpool University Music Society (LUMS) develops ensemble musicianship in all standards of musicians; Band Society allows students to form bands and play at the best venues in the city. Then there’s jazz and swing enthusiasts, the Flute Choir, the Brass Band, the University Singers, and the Chamber Choir. LUMS also offer the ‘Band Society’ as an exchange for pop musicians to form bands.
But of course, as Liverpool students you are encouraged to innovate, to form new societies or reshape existing ones, and help to make your mark on the constantly changing musical life of both the campus and the city.
The Department of Music hosts many events open to the public, with a regular lunch-time concert series and research colloquia.
A musical heritage
For decades Music has been the soundtrack to Liverpool life. With Liverpool recently being named as the UNESCO City of Music, it is a very exciting time to be a Musician, living and studying within the City. Our department of Music is well connected with the Liverpool Music scene, past and present. Our team of academic staff boast a number of internationally known musicians, who are actively engaged in groundbreaking research.