Facilities

From our professional concert hall to the specialist studios in the NOVARS research centre, our facilities do more than help you learn: they open up new possibilities.

The Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama was opened in 2003, following a £6 million investment from the university. As a result, students can take advantage of state-of-the-art equipment and resources, including the Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall, The John Thaw Studio Theatre and the John Casken Lecture Theatre, as well as specialist rehearsal and practice spaces.

In addition, £2.2 million was invested in new electroacoustic composition studios, which opened in 2007 and are the home of the NOVARS Research Centre, a state-of-the-art suite of computer music studios. The (undergraduate) Studio Cluster features Focusrite audio interfaces, Pro-Tools audio production systems, Max interactive sound and music software, GRM Tools and Melda sound processing plug-ins, IRCAM software, Unreal Engine and Mac-based workstations. Additionally, there are three internationally recognised studios dedicated to postgraduate teaching and research.

Alongside an additional undergraduate computer suite in the Martin Harris Centre, a range of practise rooms are available, 13 of which include pianos, as well as an additional dedicated keyboard and percussion room. The department owns a complete set of reproduction Baroque instruments, which are loaned to students participating in the department’s Baroque Orchestra – an opportunity available to only a very small number of music students in the UK.

Beyond the Martin Harris Centre, the University of Manchester Library is a national research library with an extensive collection of scores, sound recordings, books and a huge range of electronic resources. The Alan Gilbert Learning Commons provides a state-of-the-art study space with meeting rooms, presentation facilities and computer facilities.

The Martin Harris Centre is located in the centre of the University campus, close to the Royal Northern College of Music, the University Library and the city centre.