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Official page of the Department of Music, University College Cork.

UCC's Department of Music is committed to the cultivation -- through creativity in teaching, research, composition and performance -- of a dynamic learning community dedicated to an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural understanding of music. The School has long been known as a centre of excellence for both the study and the practice of music. Since the 1980s it has undergone expansion and modernization in several important respects: the broadening of its undergraduate curriculum to encompass potentially all types of music as objects of study; the adoption of an approach to teaching and learning that is not narrowly vocational but which provides students with eminently practical experience of scholarship and creativity (composition and performance); and the expansion of postgraduate studies. Today the School is more active, delivering many more programmes and public events, than at any time in its history.

08/09/2026

Arts Council/UCC Traditional Artist in Residence 2027

Call for Applications

TRADITIONAL ARTIST IN RESIDENCE AT UCC

The Arts Council and University College Cork invite applications from traditional artists of distinction for the role of Traditional Artist in Residence at UCC for the calendar year 2027

The Traditional Artist in Residence, based in the Department of Music, is designed to provide a traditional artist (traditional musician, singer, dancer, story-teller or practitioner of the oral arts such as agallamh beirte and lúibíní) with a unique opportunity to develop their practice in a university environment while offering students the opportunity to engage with a practising artist in a meaningful way during the course of their studies.

Closing Date: 17:30, Thursday 1st October 2026

Maximum Awarded: €30,000 Applicant Type: Individual Artist Contact: [email protected]

Note, applications should be sent [email protected] by 5.30pm on Thursday 1st October 2026. Applications will be accepted by email only.

Check link in bio for full details!!

03/09/2026

UCC Music students and staff are invited to a special session to honour Connie O'Connell and his contribution to Irish Traditional music in The Mills, Baile Mhúirne on Saturday 12th of September at 7.30pm. Connie taught fiddle at the Music Department for over 30 years.

The session is part of the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Cill na Martra branch of Ceoltas Ceoltóirí Éireann of which Connie was a founding member.

01/09/2026

Arts Council/UCC Traditional Artist in Residence 2027
Call for Applications

TRADITIONAL ARTIST IN RESIDENCE AT UCC

The Arts Council and University College Cork invite applications from traditional artists of distinction for the role of Traditional Artist in Residence at UCC for the calendar year 2027.

The Traditional Artist in Residence, based in the Department of Music, is designed to provide a traditional artist (traditional musician, singer, dancer, story-teller or practitioner of the oral arts such as agallamh beirte and lúibíní) with a unique opportunity to develop their practice in a university environment while offering students the opportunity to engage with a practising artist in a meaningful way during the course of their studies.

Closing Date: 17:30, Thursday 1st October 2026

Maximum Awarded: €30,000 Applicant Type: Individual Artist Contact: [email protected]
Note, applications should be sent [email protected] by 5.30pm on Thursday 1st October 2026. Applications will be accepted by email only.
All details available on our website at link in bio or via: https://www.ucc.ie/en/fmt/music/news/arts-councilucc-traditional-artist-in-residence-2027-call-for-applications.html

28/08/2026

Congratulations to Liu Xiaoyao who successfully completed the oral exam stage of her PhD this morning. Xiaoyao's thesis is entitled "Mediating Ethnicity: The Gengma Song and Dance Troupe’s Creative Agency in Contemporary China". Here she is, left to right, with Guo Yanyu (Chair), Alexander Khalil (internal examiner), Yu Hui (on screen, external examiner), Xiaoyao, Lijuan Qian (co-supervisor), and Jonathan Stock (supervisor). If you'd like a taste of the new media and materials Xiaoyao's been studying, search for "Up Gengma" on YouTube (or for
耿马泼水节舞曲--《Up 耿马》)!

21/08/2026

Good luck with your Leaving Cert results everyone! We hope to see you in a couple weeks!!! 🎶 🎧 🎸 🎹 🎤 🎺 🎷 🎻 🪈 🪗 🪘 🥁

10/08/2026

We are delighted to announce that Donnchadh Mac Aodha (Donnchadh Hughes) is the recipient of this year’s Staf Gebruers Award.

The annual prize, sponsored by Tom and Ann Jago, is in honour of Staf Gebruers (1902-70). From 1924, Staf Gebruers was carillonneur, organist and choirmaster of St Colman's Cathedral in Cobh and for almost fifty years played a major role in the musical life of his adoptive town and country.

On behalf of all of us here in the Department of Music at UCC, we would like to congratulate Donnchadh most sincerely on this wonderful achievement!

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

29/07/2026

Thinking of joining the UCC Choir or Concert Band?

We are currently seeking new members... Whether you are a UCC student, staff, alumni, or a friend of the college, we invite you to join us! Head to the UCC website to see the brand new UCC Choir & Concert Band webpage, with all the information you need and a link to our application forms!🎶🎤🎷

The University College Cork Choir is a long‑established and much‑loved ensemble within the cultural life of University College Cork. Formed in 2012, the choir comprises of students from the School of Music and Theatre as well as staff from across the university, the choir has become a firm favourite in UCC’s FUAIM concert series, performing regularly both on and off campus. Its reputation is built on a distinctive blend of musical excellence, community spirit, and artistic curiosity, which has made it one of the university’s most recognisable performing groups.

The UCC Concert Band is a vibrant and inclusive ensemble bringing together students, staff, alumni and members of the wider community to make music at the heart of university life. Established in 2024, the band has quickly become a key contributor to UCC’s cultural and public‑facing activity, performing regularly at university events and collaborative concerts.

28/07/2026

An exciting fundraiser concert directed by UCC Music lecturer Dr. Eva McMullan-Glossop happening in Crosshaven next month!🎶

Mundy, Paddy Casey and The Oars Unite for Special Crosshaven Fundraiser 🎵

Crosshaven, Co. Cork is set for an unforgettable night of Irish music as Mundy, Paddy Casey and acclaimed Cork band The Oars come together for a special fundraising concert in the Basketball Hall at Coláiste Muire, Crosshaven, on Friday, August 22nd, 6:30pm.

Organised by Dr Eva McMullan and the Crosshaven Community Choir, Sing Out the Summer will raise funds towards the development of the school's basketball hall, a facility that will benefit both the students of Coláiste Muire and the wider Crosshaven community for generations to come.

Adding to the occasion, KC from Cork's RedFM will serve as Master of Ceremonies, bringing his trademark warmth and humour to what promises to be a memorable evening of exceptional music and community spirit.

The concert will feature headline performances from two of Ireland's most celebrated singer-songwriters, Mundy and Paddy Casey, whose musical friendship spans more than three decades.

Opening the evening will be The Oars, one of Ireland's most exciting live bands. Renowned for their soaring harmonies, exceptional musicianship and electrifying performances, they have earned a reputation as one of the country's finest original acts.

Tickets are now available through Powertik 🎟️

13/07/2026

UCC Music staff and postgraduate student to present at SARC ITM Symposium 🎶📚

UCC Department of Music lecturer and MA Irish Traditional Music programme coordinator Dr. Jack Talty, and MA Experimental Sound Practice student Colleen Freeman will present and participate in panels at Irish Traditional Music and its Edges on 24th July. The symposium is organised and hosted by Queen's University Belfast's Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC).

About SARC:

This symposium is a knowledge exchange, performance and discussion day, highlighting practices, considerations, and communities on the fringes of the tradition.

While experimentation and development has always been a feature of traditional music, there are a remarkable number of recent examples of creative work that clearly exist on the boundaries of what is understood as Irish traditional music. Artists are combining standard approaches with new technologies, improvisation, other art forms and other genres of music.

Dr. Jack Talty will chair the paper session 'Edges of Place' and participate in the Plenary Discussion (in partnership with BelfastTrad).

Colleen Freeman will present her work 'Is Maith an Scéalaí an Aimsir: Rain, Embodiment, and Sonic Agency' as part of the concert closing the symposium.

For a full programme and list of presenters, visit the Symposium page on Queen's University Belfast's website.

06/07/2026

Call for Commissions - Celebrating the Bicentenary of Isabella Honan 🎶

The Honan Trust UCC invites expressions of interest for the creation of a new commemorative musical work to mark the bicentenary of the birth of Isabella Honan (1826–2026), a figure whose legacy continues to shape cultural and educational life in Cork. We welcome proposals for either a vocal or instrumental composition that thoughtfully reflect Isabella Honan’s contribution to Irish cultural heritage, the university, the values of the Trust, and the significance of this milestone anniversary.

For more information head to the UCC website.

Address

SundaysWell Road
Cork

Website

http://www.music.ucc.ie/

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