Since its foundation in 1964 the Department of Music at King’s College London has been driven by the innovative research and compositional creativity of its staff.
Western Societies have never spent more time creating and listening to music than today.
We in the King's Music Department make full use of music's uniquely interdisciplinary and international role. We approach this exciting medium of communication with the rigour and intellectual commitment of a discipline developed over thousands of years. Our work is situated at the intersection of the creative arts, humanities and social sciences. Performance is also an integral part of some of our work.
Our research projects range historically from the emergence of trouvère song in 12th-century France to issues of race in 20th-century Jazz. Geographically, our research encompasses Europe, North America, the Eastern Indian Ocean and Brazil. Methodologically, we draw from music studies, history, sociology, cultural, race, gender, and media studies, as well as ethnographic fieldwork and textual criticism.
Our composers’ works are performed to international audiences. George Benjamin's opera Written on Skin has received more performances than any other contemporary opera.