Masters Degrees in Opera, United Kingdom

Key Features:

• Fully mentored programme, tailored to each individual’s specific skills and experience
• Training in acting methodologies, rehearsal techniques, principal singing languages and movement
• Exploration of different operatic forms, styles and conventions
• Collaborating across the various creative disciplines involved in operatic productions
• Investigation of artistic relationships, including the design process and the conductor’s role
• Involvement with a range of operatic productions and projects
• Directing in-house opera scenes projects
• Observation of professional practice, both in RWCMD and at Welsh National Opera
• Fully-negotiated industry placement in a professional UK opera company, focusing on the role of staff director and associated areas of expertise

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This programme provides extensive training relevant to the requirements and demands of professional opera companies, addressing important employability issues that will become increasingly significant in the coming decade.

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Your programme of study

University of Aberdeen has been a creative hub of musicians since the Middle Ages. Music at Aberdeen was introduced by Bishop Elphinstone who founded the university in 1495. Since this time the University has provided the world with a wealth of global performers and composers of note, some of whom are in the current classical and other music charts and sought after globally with a packed diary. If you want to develop your musical interests at Master's level  as a new graduate or returner, or if you want to improve and challenge your musical skills as part of your professional development the Mmus Music is an ideal programme of study for you. You are taught by known world renowned performers and composers within the music world including Professor Paul Mealor, and you are encouraged to start performing immediately to then start to specialise and find out what you most enjoy. If you are a highly creative individual with lots of talent this programme will ensure you progress and deepen your creative specialism.

Find out more about music at Aberdeen:

• Music Panel
• Groups and Ensembles

You can study orchestration and composing for choirs, and renaissance music, words and music, contemporary opera. These areas may help you advance your musical career within teaching, performing, advising and working for specific musical productions as a freelancer. Classical areas are also very useful for more contemporary approaches to musical creativity. You may decide to write music for choirs and help them perform your works or you may decide to work internationally within opera companies.  With Words and Music you can study any composers and genres to then go on to work in the West End, a specific niche area of music or as an individual performer.

You develop your skills in composition, musicology and performance with further specialising to allow you to continue to develop research in the department. Career progression includes global musical outlets across the musical creative industries such as freelance performance work, composition, collaborations and more.

Courses listed for the programme

Semester 1

• Music Research Skills

Optional

• Renaissance Counterpoint
• Vocalisation

Semester 2

• Music Research Seminar Series

Optional

• Words and Music
• Contemporary European Opera
• Electroacoustic Composition: the Voice and the Machine

Semester 3

• Extended Project

Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page

Why study at Aberdeen?

• You get expert tuition across the musical spectrum from voice to instrumental areas, drawing from well known composers and researchers in their field such s Royal Wedding composer Professor Paul Mealor
•  You can join a Symphony Orchestra, Choral Society, Chapel Choir, String Ensemble, Viol Consort, Recorder Consort, New Music Group, Baroque Ensemble, Concert Band, Big Band, Chamber Group and many others

Where you study

• University of Aberdeen
• Full Time and Part Time
• 12 Months or 24 Months
• September

International Student Fees 2017/2018

Find out about fees

*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.

Scholarships

View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page

Living in Aberdeen

Find out more about:

Your Accommodation

• Catered Accommodation
• Self-Catering     

Campus Facilities

• University of Aberdeen: A Global Community
• University of Aberdeen: We are international
• Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
• Student Support
• Clubs and Societies
• Review

Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs

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Your programme of study

Do you see yourself on the stage singing beautiful arias, being the female lead in opera, singing lieder, folk songs and other types of music? Are you already performing and you want to refine those skills to gain even more work, techniques and ability? University of Aberdeen provides you with that platform to experiment, improve your level, the genres of music you perform and your technique to allow you to progress your music career. Whilst you progress there are plenty of opportunities to perform by yourself and with others and plenty of experiences to enjoy on campus and further afield.

If you are a performer who would like to fine tune your skills or you would like to research other types of music to enable you to perform to wider audiences Vocal Music can help you towards that goal. The programme is also aimed at choral music and musicologists in this genre to enable and enrich performance.  Vocal music has started to become popular again within society and composers have been able to bring their skills within the mainstream musical area. World renowned composer Paul Mealor at Aberdeen provided a range of contemporary musical composition aimed at choral music performance, some of which was performed by modern choirs under direction of Gareth Malone and special composition for the Royal Wedding in 2011.  His work has also been popularised on Classic FM.

An innovative Masters Degree programme specialising in vocal and choral music, led by the distinguished Royal Wedding composer Professor Paul Mealor intended for composers, musicologists, performers and other interested parties in choral music

Courses listed for the programme

Semester 1

Compulsory

• Music Research Skills

Optional

• Renaisssance Counterpoint
• Vocalstration

Semester 2

• Music Research Seminar Series

Optional

• Words and Music
• Contemporary European Opera
• Electroacoustic Composition: the Voice and the Machine

Semester 3

• Extended Project Module

Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page

Why study at Aberdeen?

•  You are mentored and taught by world renowned and UK known musicologists Professor Paul Mealor, Dr Frauke Jurgensen, Dr David Smith, Dr Edward Campbell and others
• You can perform and take part in any musical genre whilst you study at Aberdeen including Dunedin Consort, Juice and Caledonian Voices plus many choirs and groups spanning the ages of music
• You are situated in beautiful 'Old Aberdeen' home to a chapel choir, nearby cathedral and contemporary library with stunning view

Where you study

• University of Aberdeen
• 12 Months Full Time or 24 Months Part Time
• September start

International Student Fees 2017/2018

Find out about fees

*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.

Scholarships

View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page

Living in Aberdeen

Find out more about:

Your Accommodation

• Catered Accommodation
• Self-Catering     

Campus Facilities

• University of Aberdeen: A Global Community
• University of Aberdeen: We are international
• Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
• Student Support
• Clubs and Societies
• Review

Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs

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The Wales International Academy of Voice (WIAV) is established to address a perceived change in vocal and musical standards in current-day performance, particularly in opera. WIAV concentrates heavily on issues of vocal technique and style in operatic repertoire from the baroque onwards, as well as in art song repertoire.

Course Overview

The course is based on individual, bespoke tuition provided by a team of distinguished coaches, including Dennis O’Neill, the Academy Director, Nuccia Focile, Jane Samuel, and a number of visiting consultants, such as Dame Kiri te Kanawa (WIAV’s honorary president), Ryland Davies, Anne Murray, Richard Bonynge, Joseph Rouleau, and so on. There are also master classes, group teaching classes and participation in public events and professional placement.

Key Features

The programme provides the highest possible level of tuition for singers, either already in the profession or about to enter it. WIAV targets those students who have normally completed a postgraduate course (or equivalent) at a conservatoire. The programme is inherently vocational, essentially practical and designed to enhance already established abilities.

Assessment

Part 1
-80% Recital
-20% Academic Interview (Vivas)
-One Portfolio Module

Part 2
-70% Recital
-20% Process portfolio
-10% Action Plan

Career Opportunities

Graduates from the programme will have significantly enhanced employment prospects. This is demonstrated by the destinations of graduates from pre-cursor progress and WIAV alumni.

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Collaborative Piano is offered as an MMus or a Postgraduate Diploma programme.

Key Features

- Advanced tuition in collaborative piano from leading professionals
- Wide range of ensemble opportunities
- Specialist performance classes usually in the company of students from a range of related disciplines
- Attendance at vocal language classes and vocal coaching sessions
- Advanced training in chamber music
- Mentoring scheme with leading professionals

Key Features of all Postgraduate Programmes

- Advanced principal study tuition from professional musicians
- Training in career development, self-promotion, event management and sustainable technique
- International masterclass series
- Fully integrated performances by international artists
- Performance Practice training supported by seminars, tutorials and symposia
- Training in performance analysis and presentation (MMus only)
- Advanced research and specialist performance analysis training (MMus only)
- Established work placement schemes
- Optional training in advanced teaching skills and arts management
- Opportunities to study abroad at a partner conservatoire

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Course content

The programme expects to attract entrants who have a background in the subject or a related subject area, acquired through previous study (a bachelor's degree with honours or equivalent) and entrants who have acquired experience through work or other means that enables staff responsible for admissions to be confident of the candidate's ability to succeed in the programme. 

Course will included a diverse curriculum including music industry analysis, business and enterprise, innovation in the music industry, professional skills development and a commercial project. 

Our facilities

Facilities include professional recording studios, Pro Tools suite, creative suite, rehearsal rooms, showcase rooms and lecture rooms. 

Where can this take you

Music industry employment, self employment or running your own business. 

Indicative modules

• Music industry analysis
• Business and enterprise
• Innovation in the music industry
• Professional skills development
• Commercial project

Teaching and assessment

A mixture of critical analysis, academic writing, performance, production and business planning. Final assessment will be a self directed commercial project. 

This course is taught at Platform One on the Isle of Wight or Waterbear in Brighton

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