Music Performance
MA
Postgraduate degree
Key facts
- Award
- MA Music Performance
- School/s
- Bath School of Music and Performing Arts
- Campus or location
- Newton Park
- Course length
- One year full 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
Overview
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.
Course structure
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.
Course modules
This course includes or offers the following modules. Please check the programme document (below the main image on this page) for more information.
- Research Methodologies and Context
- Performance 1
- Performance 2
- Opera Studies
- Professional Collaboration
- Major Project
How will I be assessed?
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.
How will I be taught?
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.
Opportunities
Careers
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.
Competitions and awards
There are a number of competitive awards available only to our students.
Masterclass programme
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).
Ensemble activities
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.
2022/23 Academic Year
We’ve made some changes to how we deliver our courses in response to the ongoing COVID situation. This is to enable students to get the most out of their studies and university experience and to facilitate an engaging, participative and interactive learning environment, all while keeping our community safe.
We keep our programmes under constant review, and we’ll make sure to let applicants know if there are significant changes to your programme. You can find out more about how the University has adapted its approach on our COVID advice pages, where you’ll also find support and signposting to useful services.
Facilities and resources
Where the subject is taught
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.
Resources
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.
UK students full time
Course fees
2022/23 entry | £8,065 |
2023/24 entry | Published Jan 2023 |
2024/25 entry | Published Jan 2024 |
International students full time
Course fees
2022/23 entry | £15,600 |
2023/24 entry | Published Jan 2023 |
2024/25 entry | Published Jan 2024 |
Interested in applying?
What we look for in potential students
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.
How do I apply?
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: Maria Garcia
Email m.garcia@bathspa.ac.uk
Credit: Nick Spratling @nick_theofficialphotographer