BMus (Hons) Music – Composition
Learn the skills that will help you to become a composer of a wide variety of music – from full-scale orchestral work to abstract electronic music.
Find out more
Composition
To help you prepare for your interview, please read the following guidance notes carefully.
For entry in September 2025, all candidates will be required to submit a portfolio in support of their application and attend an online interview. Once you submit your UCAS Conservatoires application, you should submit your recorded portfolio via Acceptd by Friday 25 October 2024.
Your portfolio
- Portfolios should be submitted via Acceptd by: Friday 25 October 2024.
- The BMus (Hons) & MMus composition programmes include tuition in both acoustic and electronic composition.
- The portfolio should contain THREE contrasting works.
- Your work, regardless of whether it is written for acoustic instruments, voices or electronic media, should have an accompanying score or explanatory notes as well as a recording.
- The style is not really the important thing – though we prefer to see work that is original and personal, not copying another composer ‐ because we want to know whether you have the potential to develop into an original and authentic creative artist.
- If you opt to submit electronic music, you should submit recordings of your work along with an accompanying description of the resources employed, as well as graphic scores, sketches, screenshots, routing plans and other notations, detailing your starting points, aims and methods.
- When submitting scores, please think about layout and presentation, and make sure the scores are performable by real people. Pay attention to detail, including considered harmonic language, clear rhythmic notation, coherent articulation, dynamics and phrasing. Check all accidentals to ensure they make sense. Please ensure you submit a PDF.
- If you compose a piece using pencil and paper, that is OK – send a PDF – as long as it is clear.
- We want to know about your creative processes, how each recording was achieved, who was involved, and whether the notated scores were created before or after the recording was made.
- Please note that a portfolio without any scores or without recordings is unlikely to be considered.
BMus (Hons) Music – Composition
Learn the skills that will help you to become a composer of a wide variety of music – from full-scale orchestral work to abstract electronic music.
Find out more
MMus Composition
Explore diverse compositional approaches and styles, with numerous opportunities to work on our drama productions and collaborate with industry professionals.
Find out more
