Composition at Melbourne Conservatorium of Music builds on craft and tradition whilst fostering the next generation of voices in new music.
Study Composition at Melbourne Conservatorium
The Composition major focuses on developing the art and craft of writing music for live performance. Instruction is grounded in the Western notated art music tradition, whilst engaging in dialogue with other contemporary musical practices. We encourage composition in a variety of styles.
Through an immersive and practical curriculum, the Composition major is built around projects that span an array of compositional contexts and forms. Guidance and tutelage is offered through weekly seminar and regular group and individual lessons. Workshops and masterclasses offer further enrichment. Students also take core music theory and history subjects, music electives and complementary breadth subjects.
Throughout your degree, you’ll develop skills in instrumental and vocal writing, instrumentation and orchestration, electro-acoustic music, professional score presentation, rehearsal protocol and concert management, helping you to consolidate the necessary skillset for compositional career paths.
Alternatively, if you are interested in creative music and sound for a range of contemporary media contexts, visit Melbourne Conservatorium’s Interactive Composition page. Interactive Composition focuses on commercially driven cross-art modes of composition which may include writing music for events, film, television, animation, theatre, music theatre, dance, pop song, advertising, video gaming, online, installation art and sound design.
Composition study options
Prospective students can apply for first year intake. An alternative pathway is via second year entry from another major within the BMus.
Undergraduate students from other areas of the University can learn about composition through related subjects such as Composition Studies, Instrumentation and Arranging, Music Language 1, 2, and 3. Many of these subjects are available as electives for students in other music majors, and as Breadth for students in other University of Melbourne faculties.
Graduate student study options in Composition include Graduate Diploma (by coursework) and research degrees (Master of Music (Research) or PhD).
Composition courses
Our people
We cultivate a dynamic creative environment which starts with Melbourne Conservatorium’s own musicians and ensembles, radiates out to the local community, and on to national programs and performance opportunities through international workshops, residencies and concerts.
The Composition program has strong links with the wider musical community, notably the Australian National Academy Music (ANAM), Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Melbourne Recital Centre. Longstanding opportunities for our current students include:
- Annual composer readings with the University of Melbourne Orchestra and the University of Melbourne Wind Symphony.
- Opportunities to collaborate with Melbourne Conservatorium of Music ensembles, such as Big Band, Percussion Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Saxophone Ensemble.
- In-house workshops with professional artists and ensembles such as Ensemble Liaison, Syzygy Ensemble, and with Conservatorium performance staff.
- Recurrent opportunities with the wider community, such as Choral@Melbourne, Melbourne Recital Centre’s Marshall McGuire Emerging Composer Commissions, and Artology-Melbourne Youth Orchestra Commission.
- MCM Guitar Perspectives Commissions builds new repertoire for guitar, composed and performed by our graduate students through a special commission.
Watch the full MCM Guitar Perspectives Comissions playlist
Inside the Program: Composition Seminar
Composition Seminar is held weekly, and features visiting national and international guest composers alongside workshops and masterclasses. Past guests have included Liza Lim, John Psathas, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Joshua Hyde, Peggy Polias, Biddy Connor, Annie Hsieh, Steve Mackey, Lachlan Skipworth, Cathy Likhuta, Anne Cawrse, Mark Applebaum, Martin Bresnick, Brett Dean, Andrew Ford, Ensemble Contrechamps, Peggy Polias, Barbara Hannigan, Gordon Kerry, Stephen Lias, Steve Reich, Andrew Schultz, Carl Vine, Anne Boyd, Joshua Hyde, Leilehua Lanzilotti.
Merit-based funding, scholarships, awards and other opportunities available to Conservatorium composition students.
- Dorian Le Gallienne Prize for Composition (biennial). see past winners
- Stephen Giugni Award for Original Composition
The Faculty of Fine Arts and Music and the Conservatorium offer funding to graduate students (MMus (Research) and PhD). Funding is dedicated to activities related to the research project, or for the purposes of recording works for the composition folio.
For established composers, the Conservatorium administers the Albert H Maggs Composition Award, Australia’s second largest national prize for composition. See past winners here.
Studios
Three digital music studios, equipped with industry-informed software and hardware, as well as a grand Disklavier, enable realisation of music and sound projects throughout your studies.
The Conservatorium’s IgniteLAB is a music career and entrepreneurship program which, through specialist training and resources equips musicians with industry skills to navigate their emerging career.
Our graduating students have a record of sustained success in securing opportunities within the wider music industry. Our composers are selected to write orchestral works for both the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Cybec 21st Century Australian Composers Program, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (TSO) Composer School, and Melbourne Youth Orchestra (with Artology); and chamber works for a variety of ensembles, including for Rubiks Collective, Forest Collective, and the ANAM Set. Our composers consistently feature in national development programs, including those offered by Omega Ensemble Co-Lab program, Flinders Quartet Ascend and Emerge programs, Ensemble Offspring’s Hatched Academy.
Want to know more?
Get information on the courses you’re interested in, or ask our team a question.
Showcase
Conservatorium Events
-
Unimelb Piano Society’s End-of-Semester Recital
Thursday 22 October 2026 7:00pm - 9:00pmCome along for an incredible night of music with Unimelb Piano Society’s End-of-Semester Recital! Unimelb Piano Society is an UMSU (Student Union) associated club, with its members comprising of student and amateur pianists across faculties and disciplines. Program J.S. Bach The We... -
Tiento
Thursday 22 October 2026 7:30pm - 9:00pmThe MCM’s Leading Edge Guitar Ensemble Presents a diverse program of music for guitars by Bensa, Brouwer, Guinga, Piazzolla, Bonfa, De Vries and Murray. Nicole Brady’s new piece Tiento, commissioned by Peter and Rasika Crowley, will be premiered by PhD guitarist Chrystian Dozza. Program O... -
World Music Concert - Spring
Friday 23 October 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pmEach semester University of Melbourne students learn musical traditions from around the world with our World Music Ensembles. At this year-end concert, celebrate their achievements at a concert featuring the Chinese Music Ensemble, African Music and Dance Ensemble, and World Music Choir.