About

The University of Queensland School of Music is creative, high-performing and strongly engaged. Its tight-knit community of staff and students generate world-class teaching, performance and research outcomes, while enriching the community at UQ and beyond.

At the heart of the School of Music’s vision is a passion for music’s intrinsic value as art. Our community is motivated by a belief that music is an inherently positive and powerful contributor to human flourishing, and our activities reflect the capacity for music-making to model a better world. Music fosters connections and bonds through the powerful experience of interacting with another person’s feelings and perspectives. These contributions inform our values, which also reflect UQ’s values of Creativity, Excellence, Truth, Integrity, Courage, Respect and Inclusivity.

The School’s teaching programs include undergraduate and postgraduate offerings that prepare students for professions in music performance, composition, technology, teaching, academia and a wide range of careers in which musical knowledge, background and capability is valued. Student outcomes and satisfaction reflect well on our teaching and programs at all levels, with outstanding graduates in music professions around Australia and overseas. The School’s commitment to Work Integrated Learning and employability is distinguished by high levels of participation in collaborative side-by-side staff-and-student learning, research and performance activities. Of special interest is the range of dual degrees available to students, who value the ability to study music alongside other disciplines on the St Lucia campus. Our teaching philosophy reflects this openness to intellectual diversity within music education.

The School of Music’s research performance is characterised by excellence and quality over many decades, consistently performing at world-class levels in terms of recognition, impact and engagement. Our research profile is distinctive for high-quality discovery and music creation. We aspire to excellence across discipline-specific, interdisciplinary and artistic spheres through engagement and collaboration with our local, national and global partners. The School’s research output arises from traditional and non-traditional activity in approximately equal amounts, with musicology, music education and the psychology of music sitting alongside creative works and artistic outputs in composition and performance. There is overlap and collaboration between disciplines throughout and beyond the School. The School’s researchers attract funding, lead academic bodies, edit major journals and receive international recognition for their work.

Public engagement constitutes a significant component of the School’s activity. The School has demonstrated leadership in working with Indigenous musicians to create innovative learning, performance and engagement opportunities for students that also contribute to UQ achieving the goals of its Reconciliation Action Plan. We create a rich and vibrant culture that allows all areas of the School to connect to the community. Each year, many performances and events are presented in venues on campus, around Brisbane and beyond, including international tours. The School makes a significant contribution to UQ’s public and cultural engagement profile, and it has potential to lead through the University’s recently announced Queensland Commitment by building on our strong regional connections.