Our 24 university partners from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland will be joining us online and presenting their degree programs in breakout rooms.

On November 24, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (CET), interested students can get to know up to five university locations/institutes in 15-minute rounds via Zoom, talk to lecturers personally, and ask their questions.

artsandsciences.csuohio.edu/music/boulez...

The event will celebrate Pierre Boulez’s centenary with a scholarly conference, two concerts, an exhibit showing a series of his manuscripts, a panel discussion with former musicians and friends of Boulez, and a U.S. premiere of a new documentary on Boulez. Please see for additional information:

We urge the Government in the strongest terms to reverse its decision to end the initial teacher training bursary for music in 2026-27 and to redouble its commitment to encouraging and facilitating prospective music teachers’ entry into the profession.

The Royal Musical Association

The Society for Music Analysis

The British Forum for Ethnomusicology

Conservatoires UK

We urge the Government in the strongest terms to reverse its decision to end the initial teacher training bursary for music in 2026-27 and to redouble its commitment to encouraging and facilitating prospective music teachers’ entry into the profession.

Indeed, the health of the nation benefits from such a system, with proven links (for example) between music pedagogical experiences and positive mental health, as well as between physical and mental illness and the benefits of music therapy.

The health of the UK music industry as a whole depends on the existence of a robust music education system, with deeply committed and highly motivated teachers from primary through tertiary education and beyond.

We at the Royal Musical Association, the Society for Music Analysis, the British Forum for Ethnomusicology, and Conservatoires UK wholeheartedly agree.

(...) and a backward step in the pursuit of equal access to Key Stage 4 and 5 music, including GCSE and A level, for all students.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Music Education has criticised the decision to eliminate the music bursaries as detrimental both to recruitment to the profession and to teacher morale (...)

The Government’s decision to cut Initial Teacher Training bursaries for music is, therefore, completely at odds with a principled position and a practical pedagogical and cultural reality.

At the General Election in July 2024, the Labour Party made a pledge to boost teacher numbers, and several prominent Labour politicians (including Keir Starmer) explained the importance and impact of music education on their formative development.

Indeed, it suggests that these bursaries should be increased financially, rather than reduced, or – worse still, as currently proposed – eliminated entirely.

Ofqual statistics also reveal that GCSE and A-level applicant numbers have decreased by 40% and 48% respectively since 2008. This state of affairs confirms that there should be no let-up in support for attracting music teacher trainees through the bursary scheme.

(...) and total music teaching hours went down by 5634 over the same period.