Outstanding research at the School of Music

Cardiff University’s School of Music has been recognised by the Government’s Research Excellence Framework 2021 as producing research of outstanding quality with an environment conducive to producing world-leading research.

The strength of the school’s research impact is reflected in a score of 3.75, with 75% considered to be outstanding in terms of reach and significance.

90% of its research environment is considered conducive to producing world-leading or internationally excellent research.

The school makes a vital contribution to the discipline locally, nationally and internationally through research in composition, performance, musicology and ethnomusicology. The breadth of academic expertise is reflected in the REF submission, with impact delivered from standard repertoire operatic performance to culturally important Cuban drumming traditions. The school has a diverse and vibrant research environment that shapes public and scholarly debates.

The REF provides a robust and thorough assessment of the quality of universities’ research in all disciplines. In total, 157 UK universities participated, submitting over 76,000 academic staff.

Professor Kenneth Hamilton, Head of the School of Music, said: “I am especially pleased by the recognition of the outstanding strength of our impact work in the latest REF, and by the number of our research outputs assessed as world leading. I would like to thank all members of the school community for their dedication and hard work, and for their admirable commitment to music scholarship, composition and performance of the highest standard.

“We foster an inclusive, diverse and collaborative research community. Reflective of this, we submitted 100% of our eligible staff to this Unit of Assessment.”

Read more about our REF 2021 submission and our research.

Read more about the impact of our research.