Graduate Destinations
Many of our graduates work as teachers, composers, arts administrators, performers or go on to further study, whilst others work in a range of other careers which value the skills provided by a music degree. A degree from the University of Leeds is highly respected and will provide you with an excellent foundation for your professional life.
Our students…
…include the winners of the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival Young Composers’ Competition and the BBC Young Folk Awards.
…have reached the finals of the national Musicians’ Benevolent Fund Songwriting Awards for two consecutive years.
...have broken into the Music Week Commercial Pop Top 30 charts and been voted number 1 in the Club Chart Breakers listings.
Mario de Sa (BA Music, 2006) works in the Concerts Department of the London Symphony Orchestra, primarily in the planning, organisation and implementation of the orchestra’s numerous tours around the world.
Juliet Read (BA Popular and World Musics, 2006) undertook work placements at Universal Music and Warner Music leading to a Marketing Assistant role at 14th Floor Records (a Warner Music subsidiary). Working on acts including Biffy Clyro, The Wombats, David Gray, Nerina Pallot and Damien Rice, she was offered a position as the in-house TV Promotions assistant for the external company who did the promotions for 14th Floor Records.
Natalie Ellis (BA Music, 2007) undertook a 6-week internship with Manchester Camerata after completing her studies at Leeds. After this she was successful in getting the position of Projects Assistant in the Education department of the Royal Opera House, later becoming the Education Officer. She helps to organise and run education projects in ballet, opera and orchestra.
Katie Pearce (BA Music, 2001) is Music Officer for the Leeds International Concert Series based at Leeds Town Hall.
Ilan Eshkeri (BA Music and English, 1999) is working as a composer and orchestrator in the film industry and has collaborated with Hans Zimmer on Black Hawk Down, Ed Shearmur on Reign of Fire and Michael Kamen on Open Range. More recently he composed the scores to Stardust, Hannibal Rising, The Young Victoria, and Ninja Assassin.
Simon Bell (BMus, 1998) is Assistant Director of Music at Winchester Cathedral. He previously worked at Southwell Minster, St. Albans Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, where he performed at the funeral of Her Majesty the Queen Mother. As a solo recitalist, he has played throughout the country, and has broadcast for BBC radio and ITV as an accompanist.
Janna Mills (BA Music, 2003) has gained a soprano position in the National Chamber Choir of Ireland, one of Ireland's leading professional choirs.
Rebel Sketchy aka Dave Gammie (BA Popular and World Musics, 2005), is now signed to the Playback Project Label and has released three CD recordings of original music - one of which achieved the number one slot in the Dance charts.
Sam Richardson (BA, 2004) has trained successfully as an airline pilot.