Musicology
Musicology at the Conservatorium
Musicologists research the history of music. They use diverse primary sources – newspapers, letters, diaries, concert programs, and more – to situate musicians and listeners within rich historical and social contexts.
At the Conservatorium, musicology is an interdisciplinary area with longstanding links to the wider humanities at the University of Melbourne, as well as with the Grainger Museum and Lyrebird Press. It sponsors a distinguished speaker series and organises weekly postgraduate seminars. It is also closely allied with Ethnomusicology and popular music studies. Today this area includes a graduate specialist program with an undergraduate pathway.
Study Musicology
Undergraduate Bachelor of Music students can apply to major in musicology, taking a guided program of specialised study that leads to a written dissertation on a topic of their choosing. Our students develop knowledge and expertise that provides a basis for independent critical enquiry and research-based writing, as well as the ability to understand and present complex concepts. Graduate student study options include the Graduate Diploma (by coursework) and research higher degrees (MMus and PhD).
Undergraduate students from other areas of the University can learn about Western art music and popular music styles through related breadth study subjects such as Music and Politics, Music and Film, and Rock Music.
Musicology courses
Undergraduate
Visit the University of Melbourne course site to find out more on undergraduate courses
Graduate
Visit the University of Melbourne course site to find out more on graduate courses
Our people
Musicological Society of Australia Conference 2020
Want to know more?
Get information on the courses you’re interested in, or ask our team a question.
Conservatorium events
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Australian Wind Quintet perform Gounod, Klughardt and Coleman
Tuesday 25 August 2026 7:30pm - 8:40pmCelebrate an exciting moment in Melbourne’s musical community with the Australian Wind Quintet in a vibrant concert marking the commencement of new flute lecturer Catherine Gregory at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. The program features Gounod’s charming Petite Symphonie, performed alo...- Event
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Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Concert Band #3 2026
Wednesday 26 August 2026 7:00pm - 9:00pmThe Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Concert Band returns to the Kenneth Myer Auditorium for its third concert of the year with a program highlighting contemporary wind band music and Australian composers. The ensemble continues its consortium premiere project with Holly Harrison’s latest wo...- Event
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Musical inquiry in a digital age
Thursday 27 August 2026 6:00pm - 7:30pmPlease join us for a Macgeorge Fellow lecture by Professor Richard Freedman (John C. Whitehead ’43 Professor of Humanities at Haverford College). This talk inaugurates a series of five workshops, culminating in a digital humanities study day. Musical Inquiry in a Digital Age What does the...- Event
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The bride revisited
Thursday 27 August 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pmJoin us for a semi-staged recital interweaving Robert Schumann’s Frauenliebe und Leben with Cheryl Frances-Hoad’s One Life Stand. Placing two women in dialogue across nearly two centuries, the performance reimagines a familiar song cycle through contemporary perspectives on love, memory, loss, re...- Event
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Melba Hall 13: Wind Symphony
Monday 31 August 2026 1:10pm - 2:00pmThe much-loved Melba Hall Lunch Hour Concert Series returns for Semester 2 2026. Each week will feature a different instrument or area, performed by undergraduate and postgraduate students of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and facilitated by academic staff. Join us for an intimate ...- Event
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Jazz & Improvisation staff and students in concert #2 2026
Tuesday 1 September 2026 7:30pm - 8:30pmThe Jazz & Improvisation department celebrate the rich diversity and brilliance of the Australian jazz and improvised music community in this concert, featuring many of their staff and students performing a wide range of repertoire side by side. This recital is presented as part of the Ha...- Event
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MCM Philharmonic Orchestra: Beethoven’s 1st and 8th
Wednesday 2 September 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pmLudwig van Beethoven’s Symphonies No. 1 and No. 8 frame an extraordinary journey through his orchestral writing. Composed more than a decade apart, they reveal both his deep respect for the Classical tradition and his unmistakable originality. The First Symphony (1800) pays tribute to the ele...- Event
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Xerxes
2 September 2026 - 5 September 2026Presented by the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Opera Performance and VCA Design & Production Stage Direction by Jane Davidson Music Direction by Donald Nicolson Handel’s Xerxes (composed in 1738) is where love triangles, mistaken identities and bold disguises collide. Featuring ...- Event
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Southbank Series: In Full Flight
Saturday 5 September 2026 7:30pm - 9:00pmThe second concert in the Southbank Series draws together four composers across three centuries, each with a distinct voice. Program Igor Stravinsky Danses Concertantes Carl Nielsen Flute ConcertoLisa-Maree Amos, Section Principal Flute Paul Stanhope ApolloLudwig van Beethoven Sympho...- Event
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Clarinet Mega Day 2026
Sunday 6 September 2026 9:30am - 7:00pmWe’re inviting clarinet players of all ages and abilities to come experience a day at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music! This jam-packed day will provide participants with the opportunity to engage in masterclasses, rehearsals, panel discussions, meet with like-minded musicians and perform so...- Event
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Melba Hall 14: String Ensemble
Monday 7 September 2026 1:10pm - 2:00pmThe much-loved Melba Hall Lunch Hour Concert Series returns for Semester 2 2026. Each week will feature a different instrument or area, performed by undergraduate and postgraduate students of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and facilitated by academic staff. Join us for an intimate ...- Event
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Lyrebird Brass: the timeless and the new
Tuesday 8 September 2026 7:30pm - 8:30pmJoin us for an extraordinary musical journey bridging centuries and styles. The program opens with elegant compositions by French Baroque master Jean-Philippe Rameau arranged here for brass quintet, followed by From Clans of Land and Sea by ANU Professor Chris Sainsbury, a prominent First Nat...- Event
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Get Up 2026
29 July 2026 - 9 September 2026Jazz and Improvisation students lead jam sessions. All music students welcome. Get Up Schedule 29 July 2026, 7PM - Lionel Lounge 19 August 2026, 7PM - Lionel’s Lounge 9 September 2026, 7PM - Lionel’s Lounge Venue This jam session takes place in Lionel’s Lounge. Please ente...- Event
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Melba Hall 15: Brass Chamber Music
Monday 14 September 2026 1:10pm - 2:00pmThe much-loved Melba Hall Lunch Hour Concert Series returns for Semester 2 2026. Each week will feature a different instrument or area, performed by undergraduate and postgraduate students of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and facilitated by academic staff. Join us for an intimate ...- Event
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Echoes of song
Tuesday 15 September 2026 7:30pm - 9:00pmThis recital explores the cello as a singer without words. From Chopin’s deeply lyrical Etude op. 25 no. 7, originally written for piano, to Schubert’s beloved Arpeggione Sonata, a work renowned for its beautiful song-like qualities, this program highlights the instrument’s unique ability to embo...- Event
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Melba Hall 16: Cello Ensemble
Monday 21 September 2026 1:10pm - 2:00pmThe much-loved Melba Hall Lunch Hour Concert Series returns for Semester 2 2026. Each week will feature a different instrument or area, performed by undergraduate and postgraduate students of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and facilitated by academic staff. Join us for an intimate ...- Event
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Bach and Shostakovich
Tuesday 22 September 2026 7:30pm - 9:00pmContrast and transformation: Bach’s Goldberg Variations unfold in a new form, with variations shared between the solo piano original and Dmitry Sitkovetsky’s string trio transcription. This interplay of textures reveals unexpected colours in one of music’s most iconic works. Completing the progra...- Event
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Tablature: Europe, 1300-1750
Wednesday 23 September 2026 6:00pm - 7:30pmPlease join us to launch the new book, Tablature: Europe, 1300–1750, co-edited by University of Melbourne Professorial Fellow John Griffiths, as well as David Dolata and Philippe Vendrix. The book will be launched by Macgeorge Visiting Fellow Professor Richard Freedman (Haverford College). Ta...- Event
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A plaine and easie introduction to digital music scholarship in five simple sessions
27 August 2026 - 24 September 2026Please join us for a series of Thursday afternoon workshops with Macgeorge Fellow Richard Freedman (John C. Whitehead ’43 Professor of Humanities at Haverford College). These hands-on workshops are designed for anyone interested in learning more about digital approaches to the study of music....- Event
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A plaine and easie introduction to digital music scholarship in five simple sessions
27 August 2026 - 24 September 2026Please join us for a series of Thursday afternoon workshops with Macgeorge Fellow Richard Freedman (John C. Whitehead ’43 Professor of Humanities at Haverford College). These hands-on workshops are designed for anyone interested in learning more about digital approaches to the study of music....- Event
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A plaine and easie introduction to digital music scholarship in five simple sessions
27 August 2026 - 24 September 2026Please join us for a series of Thursday afternoon workshops with Macgeorge Fellow Richard Freedman (John C. Whitehead ’43 Professor of Humanities at Haverford College). These hands-on workshops are designed for anyone interested in learning more about digital approaches to the study of music....- Event
View event -
A plaine and easie introduction to digital music scholarship in five simple sessions
27 August 2026 - 24 September 2026Please join us for a series of Thursday afternoon workshops with Macgeorge Fellow Richard Freedman (John C. Whitehead ’43 Professor of Humanities at Haverford College). These hands-on workshops are designed for anyone interested in learning more about digital approaches to the study of music....- Event
View event -
A plaine and easie introduction to digital music scholarship in five simple sessions
27 August 2026 - 24 September 2026Please join us for a series of Thursday afternoon workshops with Macgeorge Fellow Richard Freedman (John C. Whitehead ’43 Professor of Humanities at Haverford College). These hands-on workshops are designed for anyone interested in learning more about digital approaches to the study of music....- Event
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A day of digital learning: perspectives from across disciplines
Thursday 1 October 2026 9:00am - 5:00pmThis colloquium brings together scholars, data-science specialists, librarians and archivists from across the Melbourne University community for a day-long series of conversations about the futures of digital scholarship in the humanities: from the scholar’s desktop, to the undergraduate classroo...- Event
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Melba Hall 17: Guitar Showcase
Monday 5 October 2026 1:10pm - 2:00pmThe much-loved Melba Hall Lunch Hour Concert Series returns for Semester 2 2026. Each week will feature a different instrument or area, performed by undergraduate and postgraduate students of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and facilitated by academic staff. Join us for an intimate ...- Event
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Masters & Apprentices: the music of Kris Davis
Tuesday 6 October 2026 7:30pm - 8:30pmThe Jazz & Improvisation department celebrate the music of Canadian jazz pianist and composer, Kris Davis. This special project large ensemble features J&I third-year and Honours students alongside their director Andrea Keller. Previous directors have included Melissa Aldana (Chile/US...- Event
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Melba Hall 18: Chamber Choir
Monday 12 October 2026 1:10pm - 2:00pmThe much-loved Melba Hall Lunch Hour Concert Series returns for Semester 2 2026. Each week will feature a different instrument or area, performed by undergraduate and postgraduate students of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and facilitated by academic staff. Join us for an intimate ...- Event
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Canticles, rivers and horns: a homage to Britten
Tuesday 13 October 2026 7:30pm - 8:30pmJoin tenor Michael Petruccelli, pianist Andrea Katz, and horn player Carla Blackwood as they mark the 50th anniversary of Benjamin Britten’s passing. This special program pairs Britten’s deeply expressive 20th-century masterpieces with the timeless lyricism of his favorite composer, Franz Sch...- Event
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Melba Hall 19: Chamber Competition Finals
Monday 19 October 2026 1:10pm - 2:00pmThe much-loved Melba Hall Lunch Hour Concert Series returns for Semester 2 2026. Each week will feature a different instrument or area, performed by undergraduate and postgraduate students of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and facilitated by academic staff. Join us for an intimate ...- Event
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Dedications
Tuesday 20 October 2026 7:30pm - 8:30pmThe Sutherland Trio (Caroline Almonte, Molly Kadarauch and Elizabeth Sellars) together with their friends Danielle and Luca Arcaro perform an all-Australian program of works connected to the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music community. Featuring two world premieres, ‘Songs for Manny’ by Ella Mace...- Event
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Keyboard Festival 2026: Dmitri Shostakovich’s Complete Preludes and Fugues Opus 87
31 October 2026 - 1 November 2026The Keyboard Area staff of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music invites pianists and music lovers alike for a rare opportunity to hear the complete 24 Preludes and Fugues of Dmitri Shostakovich at the 2026 Keyboard Festival. Among the most distinguished pianists in Australia, these performan...- Event
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Keyboard Festival 2026: Dmitri Shostakovich’s Complete Preludes and Fugues Opus 87
31 October 2026 - 1 November 2026The Keyboard Area staff of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music invites pianists and music lovers alike for a rare opportunity to hear the complete 24 Preludes and Fugues of Dmitri Shostakovich at the 2026 Keyboard Festival. Among the most distinguished pianists in Australia, these performan...- Event
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News
Joining the band: How new music technologies are helping students with disability access music education
25 August 2022
Dr Anthea Skinner is a musicologist with a lived experience of disability. Inspired by her own experiences growing up, Dr Skinner has launched the Adaptive Music Bridging Prog...
- Research
- Musicology
- Staff stories
Four new faces at the Melbourne Conservatorium in 2020
23 December 2019
2020 promises to be an exciting year at the Melbourne Conservatorium, with milestone anniversaries, an incredible array of public performances, and teaching, research and musi...
- Melbourne Conservatorium of Music
- Musicology
- Staff stories
- Jazz and Improvisation
- Music Performance
Five questions for Dr Erin Helyard, Senior Lecturer (Historical Performance and Musicology), University of Melbourne
27 November 2018
As part of our ongoing Staff Stories, Dr Erin Helyard discusses conducting, his favourite writers and the trait he most deplores in others.As told to Kelly Southworth....
- Staff stories
- Early Music Studio
- Musicology
- Melbourne Conservatorium of Music