Salford Music Research Centre

Welcome to the Salford Music Research Centre (SMRC) at the University of Salford.

The SMRC is a vibrant research centre that supports research activities across the fields of musicology, composition, performance and music technology. Drawing on the expertise of 12 academic researchers from music, alongside colleagues working in Media and Performance, the SMRC engages in an array of international activities, from world leading multi-disciplinary research projects to critically acclaimed books, compositions, performances and recordings.

Our academic members and postgraduate students produce high quality research and actively engage and collaborate with regional communities, national organisations and international research networks. The SMRC aims to raise the profile of music research within the School as well as facilitating new projects that have an impact on music in everyday life. SMRC researchers seek to dismantle the traditional boundaries between art and popular culture and have developed a range of innovative projects that generate new insights into music, break new ground in terms of scholarship, and provide leadership within their respective research fields.
 
Our researchers situate music at the heart of the cultural and creative industries and thrive in a school where music, media and performance meaningfully intersect. With this in mind, the SMRC also seeks to work across boundaries, supporting a dynamic interdisciplinary research culture for music. The SMRC’s work within the creative industries is typified by our participation in the cultural activities of Media CityUK where we have developed close relationships with media organisations including the BBC and artistic groups such as PSAPPHA, the ensemble in residence for Media CityUK and the University of Salford.
 
SMRC researchers actively engage with music as a Knowledge Exchange activity and are used to collaborating with groups and organisations to reach different audiences. Recent and ongoing projects include collaborations with a number of leading musical artists and creative organisations such as:

• BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
• Elbow
• The Black Dyke Band
• London Jazz Festival
• Music Centre Netherlands
• The Halle Orchestra
• BBC Radio 3
• Europe Jazz Network
• Manchester International Festival
• Un-Convention
• Rotterdam Film Festival. 

Contact us

Professor Tony Whyton
Centre Director
E t.whyton@salford.ac.uk
T +44 (0) 161 295 7245