Singapore has become the first Asian country where students can take a music PhD that combines artistic practice with academic research as universities seek to support cultural ambitions.

The National University of Singapore’s Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music will offer the degree, which, according to its dean, Peter Tornquist, “is the first of its kind in Asia to emphasise the combination of scholarly inquiry and artistic expertise in a single PhD, in contrast to most international PhD programmes that are purely practice-based or research-based”.

The new programme “was designed and launched to bring artistic practice into closer dialogue with academic research in music education, offering an integrated, cross-disciplinary approach that reflects the evolving landscape of music and higher education in Asia,” he told ����Vlog.

Tornquist said that conventional music PhD programmes, “usually focus either on research-based or practice-based work that are specific to the fields of performance, music education, music theory, musicology or ethnomusicology”.

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In contrast, YST’s PhD in music practices “emphasises forward-looking, interdisciplinary research that builds on each candidate’s artistic work and engages critically with the wider body of knowledge in their respective fields”.

Unlike many practice-based doctorates in Europe or Australia, YST’s model requires both a written thesis and an artistic output that inform each other.

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Tornquist noted that YST’s position within NUS allows PhD students to “attend courses and embark on projects that intersect with contrasting or adjacent fields such as computer science, public health, law, business, social sciences and more across NUS”.

He added: “Such an approach enables creative work and scholarly inquiry not only within music, but also in intersection with other fields like technology, business, or even public health.

“A composer might experiment with artificial intelligence in music composition while researching its ethical implications on creative authorship; a performer could investigate the preservation and reinterpretation of musical traditions while creating new works inspired by them; or a conductor might lead community-based performances while investigating how cultural policy can influence spectatorship among local communities.”

Applications for the inaugural intake are open until 31 October 2025, with a small, highly selective cohort expected.

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The PhD is self-funded, although YST will offer a limited number of scholarships covering tuition fees for outstanding candidates.

Singapore has also been increasing its support for the creative sector: government statistics show that funding for arts and heritage rose from S$420 million (£243 million) in 2016 to S$502 million in 2022, signalling a renewed policy emphasis on cultural investment.

Tornquist said: “As the music scene in Singapore and Asia matures, YST believes that pushing the conventional boundaries of music will advance Singapore’s vision for a dynamic and sustainable arts ecosystem, place Singapore at the forefront of arts-related research in Asia and spotlight Southeast Asian perspectives in global music scholarship.”

He added that graduates “will be well positioned to take on roles in academia, arts education, cultural policy, arts management and sectors where music intersects with wider social and cultural contexts, bringing expertise from both performance and research to inform their contributions”.

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“The PhD will serve as a talent pipeline for future thought leaders who can contribute to the advancement of music practice and scholarship in Asia and beyond,” he said.

tash.mosheim@timeshighereducation.com