Find out what it’s like to study at Leeds Conservatoire by coming along to an Open Day.
Both Online and On-Campus Open Days allow you to find out more about our postgraduate courses, meet our teaching staff and see our facilities.
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Kickstart your music career with our Music MA, specialising in composition. This practical postgraduate degree is designed to develop your artform and enhance your musical skills, professional approach, and innovative thinking, equipping you for the dynamic nature of today's music industry.
At Leeds Conservatoire, students take charge of their personal, creative, and intellectual development, maturing into accomplished composers and thoughtful professionals ready to achieve long-lasting success in the music industry.
Your unique passions and talents will be championed and you'll be encouraged to delve deep, experiment, and discover new ideas and approaches to your artistry.
You’ll also gain the confidence to produce your finest work and make your mark in the competitive international music arena.
Alongside developing your music practice as a performer and connecting with your audiences, we also encourage our students to embrace adaptability and explore new perspectives - essential skills for standing out from a crowded field.
Specialist tutors, peers, and industry guests provide invaluable support, constructive critique, and expert insights across a spectrum of disciplines.
You’ll also engage in theoretical and research activities that will place your talent within a range of philosophical, historical, sociological, industrial and critical contexts within your chosen discipline.
As a graduate, you’ll have developed the resilience and creativity needed for enduring success in the ever-evolving landscape of the creative industries.
When you enrol at Leeds Conservatoire you will join a lively community of creative practice. We celebrate creative diversity, fostering collaboration among practitioners from varied stylistic backgrounds to pioneer new musical frontiers.
Through dynamic group sessions, students from diverse stylistic backgrounds will collaborate, sparking innovation and forging lifelong connections, and build foundations for sustainable careers in the industry.
Advance your composition skills with our new postgraduate degree. Our unique partnership with Opera North will provide you with an exceptional opportunity to compose for professional orchestral players and chorus members and work alongside some of the finest musicians in the industry, gaining practical experience and exposure to high-level performance standards.
You'll have the chance to compose for our esteemed ensembles, including the Contemporary Jazz Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra, allowing you to see your compositions come to life, performed by talented peers in a dynamic and supportive environment.
You’ll hone your abilities across genres including orchestral, big band, and film music, while specialising in your chosen field with world-leading tuition and receive tailored feedback from top composers.
As well as collaborating with performers from Classical, Jazz, Musical Theatre, and Pop degrees, you’ll have the chance to develop your production and recording skills with our production students in world-class studios.
Specialist Study modules in trimesters 1 and 2 enables students to consolidate and develop their skills as they work towards achieving greater originality, technical proficiency and creative fluidity in their practice. Students will work towards submitting a performance or portfolio based on their chosen discipline.
In preparation for a performance, public sharing, or portfolio submission, students will, through collaborative investigations with tutors in both one-to-one sessions and taught group sessions, work on improving and refining their practical, creative, and presentational skills.
This work will draw from a range of inspirational sources including influential figures from minority groups. This process involves identifying and addressing technical weaknesses, exploring and analysing a variety of repertoire and/or original material, and developing coherent presentation skills that align with the demands of their chosen idiom.
Concepts in Music modules in trimesters 1 and 2 will facilitate learning by addressing and exploring relevant practical, theoretical and critical frameworks in lectures, group seminars and directed independent study. The module allows students to analyse and interrogate musical systems and approaches that relate to their chosen discipline. The module will also focus on developing skills that relate to all pathways such as, presentation skills, developing social conscience, ethical practice, intellectual property, funding applications, social media, location recording techniques and understanding national arts organisations.
Within the module, students will focus on a diverse range of influential figures, drawing from both global majority and minority group artists.
The programme culminates in the 60-credit Major Project in Music module, in which students will embark on an ambitious, complex, and substantial project supported by small-group supervision.
With a deep understanding of the creative and industrial contexts within which your practice exists, as an alumnus you will be prepared for a career as a musician.
Our postgraduate students have received commissions, performed at regional and international festivals including South by South West, The Reeperbahn Festival, Glastonbury and Live at Leeds, progressed to teaching positions, and created public installations.
Meet our AlumniCourse Type: MA Postgraduate Degree
Duration: 1 year
Study Mode: Full Time
Start date: September
Validated by: University of Hull
Course Key Information Document 2021/22
UCAS Code: MA Music (Composition) – 804F
UCAS Institution Code: L31
Alternatively you can apply directly to Leeds Conservatoire.
OR
All applicants are invited to submit a portfolio, and may be invited to an online interview.
This guide will set out what you will need to submit when applying to one of our MA Music (Composition) courses at Leeds Conservatoire.
Find out more and read our full guidance on our Postgraduate Auditions page.
Find out more about Fees & Funding for Postgraduate study.
Student Loans for Masters level study are available for many Home applicants.
There are also a range of Scholarships & Bursaries available.
Read more on our Postgraduate Fees & Funding page.
Our eclectic community comes from all over the world to write, interpret, discover, explore and reflect upon original and existing forms of music.
Postgraduate students have the opportunity to meet industry guests from across the spectrum, with recent guests including:
Find out what it’s like to study at Leeds Conservatoire by coming along to an Open Day.
Both Online and On-Campus Open Days allow you to find out more about our postgraduate courses, meet our teaching staff and see our facilities.
Find out more
