The Research Centre for Performance Practices (ReCePP; (https://research.hud.ac.uk/institutes-centres/recepp/) at the University of Huddersfield (part of the subject area of Music and Music Technology) is pleased to invite applications for the Druce Scholarship in Music Performance for PhD studies starting in September 2021.
As part of a range of PhD scholarships at Huddersfield named to honour significant contributions to British musical life, this scholarship recognises the extraordinary and wide-ranging work of Duncan Druce (1939–2015), a renowned violinist, highly regarded for his involvement in the original Pierrot Players and Fires of London, ensembles set up and directed by composers Harrison Birtwistle and Peter Maxwell Davies to perform and promote their music as well as a range of new music repertoire from the mid-1960s. At the same time, Druce was a pioneer of the early music movement, performing violin as well as the viola d’amore with a number of ensembles including Christopher Hogwood’s Academy of Ancient Music. Druce was also a composer, a musicologist, an expert on the music of Southern India, and famously made a new completion of Mozart’s Requiem which continues to be performed today. He made his home in West Yorkshire and enjoyed a close relationship with the University of Huddersfield, performing and teaching there until his death in 2015.
The scholarship is open to PhD applicants in all areas of music performance and performance studies research, including, but not limited to, the specialisms of our staff: historically informed performance; the practice and culture of Western Classical Music performance 1750–1950; new music performance; improvisation; popular music performance; and electronic music performance. We particularly welcome proposals for practice-based research projects.
Scholarship Details
- Full waiver of tuition fees, plus £7,000 annual stipend.
- Full-time PhD study, three years beginning in September 2021.
- Competitive scholarship open to new UK, EU, and International PhD students.
- Supervision from internationally renowned staff who are active performer-researchers.
- Opportunities for performance, publication, teaching experience, and collaborative projects.
- Access to additional financial support through the Postgraduate Support Fund of the School of Music, Humanities and Media (up to £500 over the duration of the PhD).
- Access to the Teaching Assistant Preparation Programme (TAPP), which can lead to the qualification of Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA).
- The successful candidate is required to be resident in/near Huddersfield for the duration of the scholarship, and will contribute 80 hours’ time per year to performance teaching and support to teaching within the subject area of Music and Music Technology.
Research Environment
With over 100 students representing numerous fields of study and more than 20 nationalities, the music postgraduate community is a vital, diverse, and vibrant part of the life of the University of Huddersfield’s School of Music, Humanities and Media. The successful candidate will join the Research Centre for Performance Practices, which brings together Huddersfield’s world-leading practitioners specialising in practice-research, performance studies, and artistic research across a range of disciplines including music, drama and dance. The fortnightly ReCePP research forum is a space for cross-disciplinary conversations and the sharing of perspectives on performance research. ReCePP also hosts externally-funded projects led by staff as well as regular international conferences.
In addition their affiliation with ReCePP, the successful candidate may also draw on the resources of the Centre for Music, Culture and Identity (CMCI; https://research.hud.ac.uk/institutes-centres/cmci/) and the Centre for Research in New Music (CeReNeM; https://research.hud.ac.uk/institutes-centres/cerenem/). Each of the centres runs a series of events to support the work of research students, including weekly seminars, workshops, masterclasses, concerts, workgroups, colloquia, and fora. The University’s archive, Heritage Quay (http://heritagequay.org/), houses an extensive selection of music-related resources including the British Music Collection (http://britishmusiccollection.org.uk/), a collection of over 40,000 scores, recordings, books, and ephemera, plus the archives of the Society for the Promotion of New Music and the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.
Additional information about staff and facilities is available here: https://research.hud.ac.uk/music/.
To apply: http://www.hud.ac.uk/researchdegrees/howtoapply/.
Closing date: 1 March 2021.
Applications should be accompanied by a research proposal outlining the proposed project/area of study, as well as samples of written work and links to video of performances. Please indicate clearly on the online application form that you are applying for the Druce Scholarship in Music Performance. Shortlisted candidates will normally be invited to interview. Unsuccessful candidates will be automatically considered for any additional internal funding opportunities for which they are eligible.
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