Music Performance
MA
Postgraduate degree
- Award
- MA Music Performance
- School/s
- Bath School of Music and Performing Arts
- Campus or location
- Newton Park
- Course length
- One year full-time or two years part-time.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for our postgraduate courses vary. We're generally looking for a good honours degree or equivalent.
Some courses also require an interview or the submission of a portfolio of work.
Please contact our admissions team for more information: admissions@bathspa.ac.uk.
A course for performers interested in live or recorded performance within classical or jazz styles.
- One-to-one tuition with expert tutors, plus weekly performance classes and workshops.
- Wide range of ensemble opportunities, working and performing with other students.
- Excellent facilities at Newton Park Campus – Michael Tippett Centre, library and IT resources.
You’ll receive one-to-one instrumental or vocal tuition from our team of experienced tutors as part of a series of performance modules. The course culminates with a final project, where you’ll prepare a performance, normally a high-profile public recital. Alongside your solo work, you’ll develop your research, collaborative, ensemble, and publicity skills.
The course runs full-time for one year (three trimesters).
What you'll learn
This course gives you, as an instrumental/vocal performer, the skills and opportunities to develop your individual and ensemble skills to a high level. You’ll undertake four modules over two trimesters and a double module in your third trimester (final recital).
You may explore areas of your own interest, which may relate to staff specialisms, such as opera, early music and music of the Georgian period, and romantic and early twentieth-century music, or piano skills and improvisation.
Trimester one
In Performance One, you’ll develop your performance skills and technique, and extend your repertoire. Alongside this, the Research Methodologies and Context module gives you a thorough grounding in research methodology. Your development as a performer is supported by regular one-to-one lessons with a specialist teacher.
Trimester two
The second trimester extends your development as a performer. The Performance Two module develops performance skills and repertoire while furthering your understanding of performance history and practice. You’ll also explore strategies for marketing yourself.
You’ll have a choice of modules at this stage and the opportunity to work with peers and across subject boundaries in the Professional Collaboration module. Alternatively, you could study an Intercultural Musicology module that allows you to study genres across different cultures, or to join an Opera Studies module that culminates in a public performance of an opera or opera excerpts.
Trimester three
The third trimester involves a Major Project, for which you’ll prepare a programme for a substantial public performance. The content and structure of this project is to be negotiated with course tutors.
This course includes or offers the following modules. Please check the programme document for more information on which modules are core, required or optional.
- Research Methodologies and Context
- Performance 1
- Performance 2
- Opera Studies
- Professional Collaboration
- Major Project
You’ll complete individual assignments for each module. Performance-based modules (Performance One, Opera Studies and Major Project) are assessed through performance on your instrument or voice, reflective commentaries on your process, or a lecture recital in the case of Performance Two. Intercultural Musicology, along with Research Methodologies and Context modules, will be be assessed on written submissions.
Modules are usually taught through one-to-one lessons, seminars and practical workshops. These are supported by individual tutorials and online activity within the Virtual Learning Environment.
The Major Project involves student-directed work, with supporting tutorials and instrumental/vocal lessons. We encourage you to make full use of library and IT resources, and time will be scheduled in studios and workstations labs for independent study, as appropriate.
To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.
Opportunities
Previous graduate destinations include:
- Doctoral studies at Durham University
- Freelance repetiteur and keyboard/continuo specialist
- Choir Director and Piano/Vocal Tutor
- Marines Conductor
- Opera Studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
- Freelance classical and early music singer.
Our graduates work in a wide range of performance-related areas such as:
- Orchestral performance
- Opera
- Conducting
- Choral direction
- Chamber music
- Accompaniment
- Session work
- Music promotion
- Record labels
- Broadcast media
- Instrumental teaching
- Group teaching
- Community music projects
- University lecturing.
There are a number of competitive awards available only to our students.
There is a well-established masterclass programme at Bath Spa University. Previous visitors have included:
- Dame Emma Kirkby (voice)
- Isobel Buchanan (voice)
- Stefano Parrino (flute)
- Badke Quartet (strings)
- Florian Uhlig (piano)
- Professor Colin Lawson (clarinet)
- Andy Sheppard (saxophone)
- Ensemble Bash (percussion)
- Madeleine Mitchell (violin).
You’ll be part of a vibrant Department of Music, with a wide range of ensemble activities. These include opera, concerto and concerto performances in important venues in and around Bath – such as Bath Abbey.
Develop a wealth of indispensable digital skills that you can take into your future career. One of only three Adobe Creative Campuses in the UK, we provide all Bath Spa students with access to the full Adobe Creative Suite, giving you the tools to communicate creatively, whatever your course or chosen professional field.
Facilities and resources
You'll be taught at Newton Park campus, with access to facilities such as the Michael Tippett Centre. We encourage you to make full use of library and IT resources, and time will be scheduled in studios, workstations, and labs for independent study, as appropriate.
You’ll have access to a fully-equipped concert hall, full range of studio/rehearsal and teaching spaces, a range of instruments including western and non-western instruments (gamelan), music labs and state-of-the-art IT facilities.
Fees
Please note: Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland are not generally eligible for the UK (Home) fee status. Please refer to the international student rate. Irish citizens and those granted Settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme are eligible for UK (Home) fee status. There are also other circumstances where this may apply: See UKCISA for more information.
Course fees
2023/24 entry | £8,430 |
2024/25 entry | Published Jan 2024 |
2026/27 entry | Published Jan 2025 |
Fees shown below are for part time study over two years, although some courses may be available over longer periods.
2023/24 Entry
Course fees
Year 1 | £4,215 |
Year 2 | £4,215 |
2024/25 Entry
Course fees
Year 1 | Published Jan 2024 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2025 |
2026/27 Entry
Course fees
Year 1 | Published Jan 2025 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2026 |
Course fees
2023/24 entry | £16,305 |
2024/25 entry | Published Jan 2024 |
2026/27 entry | Published Jan 2025 |
Interested in applying?
We offer places based on your quality, commitment, and ability to benefit from the course. Usually, but not invariably, you’ll have a first degree. We invite individuals with a range of academic disciplines to apply.
There are a number of open days and events each year that enable you to meet staff and view the facilities. There are no formal interviews; places are based on the submissions of the relevant forms and recordings.
Ready to apply? Click the "apply now" button in the centre of this page.
Need more guidance? Head to our how to apply webpages.
Want to apply for this year?
Many of our postgraduate courses have a limited number of student spaces. To avoid the disappointment of the course being full, we recommend that you apply now.
Late applications (generally those made after 31 July) will only be considered if places remain on the course.
Need more information or still have questions? Contact us to discuss your situation.
Course leader: Matt Dicken
Email m.dicken@bathspa.ac.uk
Credit: Nick Spratling @nick_theofficialphotographer