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MMus
Composition Major

MUCP 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Major Study (Composition) I, II, III, IV
The Major Study is the focal point of the students musical studies. In addition to the consolidation of
technical and conceptual skills fundamental to the creative process, lessons at the postgraduate
level encourage students to develop a personal style and forge their own distinct artistic identities
while composing in different idioms and contexts. Students receive 1.5 hours of one-to-one tuition
each week, tailored to individual needs. A high level of self-criticism, discipline, and professional
approach to all aspects of composition, and wide knowledge of repertoire, are all expected.
Students also participate in masterclasses conducted by renowned composers and teachers who
offer additional specialized instruction and exposure to a range of creative approaches, as well as
providing an opportunity to establish international professional contacts. The one-to-one tuition is
supported by Composition Studies courses such as Computer Music, Orchestration Workshop, and
Multimedia Project, and a weekly Postgraduate Composers Seminar, allowing students to
participate in active discussions and exchanges of ideas. There are also numerous opportunities for
performances of each students compositions in concerts, workshops, and outreach activities.


MUCP 2005 Lecture Demonstration (Composition)
The lecture demonstration requires composition students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills
towards a synthesis of scholarship and practice. The student must address a specific creative,
aesthetic, and technical aspect of composition with a well-structured and articulate oral presentation
with musical examples from their own works, supported by a PowerPoint presentation or handout.

Students are engaged in supervised research on a topic in composition that they select. They are
responsible for the organisation, rehearsal, and presentation of the lecture, materials, and
performance of the work.

Students receive 12 hours of individual supervision from an advisor assigned by the Music
Graduate Education Committee. It is the students responsibility to maintain regular contact with the
advisor and schedule appointments as necessary. In addition to individual supervision, the
Research Methodology and Bibliography for Music and Postgraduate Music Seminars also support
the Lecture Demonstration.


MUCP 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Postgraduate Composers Seminar I, II, III, IV
This course consists of weekly sessions in which students take turns making presentations on
composition topics of their own choice in a seminar setting. These sessions serve as a forum for
students to discuss and analyse important contemporary works, trends and techniques, and to
present their own compositions to their teachers and peers. Seminars or talks by guest speakers
are also arranged from time to time.

Learning and teaching activities include seminar discussions focused upon composition related
issues, group projects and seminar presentations, audio- and video-recording comparisons, and
guest lecturer attendance.


MUCP 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 Concert Presentation I, II, III, IV
This course gives students practical experience in the organisation of contemporary music concerts,
including planning, scheduling, production, stage management, and recording. Aside from training
students in the skills of teamwork, communication, and leadership, the course fosters close
interaction between composers and performers, and prompts them to reflect self-critically upon the
practical realisation of their creative ideas in performance. Supervised by the Head of Composition,
students participate in professional activities related to concert presentations, as deemed
appropriate by the School. Students may also be asked to help with the preparations for
performances with visiting artists.

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MUCP 2014 Computer Music
This course involves the advanced application of digital methods of data storage, processing, and
control to music with a computer. Topics include the concept of musical acoustics and principles of
electronic music, sound synthesis, computer-aided composition, and interactive processing with
programming languages and music software. Students have the opportunity to apply what they
learn to their own original compositions. Through seminar discussions, the techniques,
compositional processes, and aesthetics of computer music are mastered and appreciated.

Learning and teaching activities include seminar discussions focusing upon the various approaches
in sound synthesis, performance control, musical styles, and programming, short weekly
assignments and studio workshops, and a related composition project with supervision.


MUCP 2015 Composers and Society
This course examines the ever-changing role of composers in society. Contemporary composing
strategies are influenced by the engagement of composers with the surrounding worlds
reproduction, consumption, and evaluation of music, which are in turn shaped by political, economic,
media, and academic forces. Professional practitioners from related fields are also invited to speak.

Learning and teaching activities include seminar discussions upon various topics related to
composers and society, reports/reviews of seminar presentations attended, and self-directed
learning with supervision. In consultation with the lecturer, students submit a timetable for attending
all relevant seminars and a list of relevant reading materials, and they prepare a related topic for
their final critical essay and presentation.


MUCP 2016 Creative Music-making Workshop
This course enables composers to examine how to foster interest in creative musical activities
among young people and those who are not musically trained. Students develop ways of
introducing activities, such as musical games and drills, improvised performances, and musical
events involving mass participation, to demonstrate the fundamental concepts of composition. They
have opportunities to experiment with conventional and nonconventional sound sources, including
modern technology, to produce creative musical results with people who have little or no experience
in composition. The discussions focus upon contemporary musical and pedagogical techniques, as
well as the various cultural and aesthetic idioms appropriate to Hong Kong society. Workshops are
conducted by visiting artists specialising in these areas.

In addition to workshop discussions and guest presentations, students complete short practical
assignments and a creative music project with supervision.


MUCP 2017 Contemporary Compositional Techniques
This course develops students creative skills with both familiar and unfamiliar compositional
theories and techniques, combined with a study of innovative scores and recordings. A wide range
of compositional issues are discussed in the ongoing analytical and compositional work of the
students. Students compose short pieces in various contemporary styles, using modal, polytonal,
atonal, serial, minimal, and aleatoric techniques. Selected pieces by representative contemporary
composers are studied and used as references or models.


MUCP 2018 Functional Music Composition
This course provides students with practical training in writing service music for specific functions,
such as for educational purposes, worship, the broadcasting industry, film, and television. Lectures
and workshops are conducted by visiting musicians who are specialists in these areas.

Learning and teaching activities seminar discussions focus upon the various approaches and skills
in functional music production, production workshops with short practical assignments, and a
related functional music composition project with supervision.


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MUCP 2019 Musical Genre and Innovation
This course encourages students to delve into the deeper issues relating to musical genre, such as
its changing definition, function, and relationship to form and style; its connection to other theories
of genre in film, literature, and painting; and the relationship between the creation of new musical
genres and the composers search for new means of expression. Students are encouraged to
formulate their own questions during discussions, which are often accompanied by an analysis of
works selected by the students themselves. There are also opportunities for students to apply the
concepts studied to composition.

Learning and teaching activities include seminar discussions, short analytical assignments and
course reserve readings, group projects and seminar presentations, experimental composition
workshops, and the possibility of undertaking a related composition project with supervision.


MUCP 2020 Multimedia Project
This course provides students with both theoretical and practical preparation for producing musical
compositions in combination with other art forms, such as dance, video, and theatre. It focuses on
integrating sound, visual elements, and interactivity into works that reach their audience as
multimedia performances. Each student is responsible for designing an interdisciplinary project of at
least 10 minutes in length. The student will be working closely with the Schools of Dance, Drama,
Theatre and Entertainment Arts, and Film and Television, or outside organizations, as the creative
director of the entire project. The project should be presented in a live performance or on videotape
for assessment at the end of the semester.

Learning and teaching activities include seminar discussions focused upon the principles,
techniques, and variables manipulated in multimedia projects; workshops on media techniques and
specialised topics arranged periodically, as appropriate; and self-directed learning with supervision.


MUCP 2021 Orchestration Workshop
This course provides opportunities for students to examine how orchestration can express and
enhance musical forms. Students examine orchestral works in the standard repertoire to develop an
understanding of the instrumentation in Western and Chinese orchestras, orchestral genres and
forms, possibilities of textures, tone colours, and unconventional uses of orchestral instruments.

Learning and teaching activities include self-directed learning with supervision. In consultation with
their advisor, students prepare a list of orchestral repertoire to be studied, with additional lists of
reading and listening materials. The final orchestral composition project forms part of the Major
Study lessons. There are also orchestral workshops arranged at the end of the semester, with the
students compositions played and recorded by the Academy Symphony Orchestra. Students
discuss their scores with the resident conductor and receive feedback about how their creative
ideas might be best realised, with practical suggestions made regarding their notation and
orchestration. During a rehearsal session, students share their creative and performance ideas with
the orchestral players and an invited audience.


MUCP 2022 Time, Space, and Spatiality in Music
This course encourages students to examine the concepts of musical time, space (created by the
traditional parameters of elements such as pitch and texture), and spatiality (the actual arrangement
of sound sources in performance). The course traces the development ofspatial music from the use
of antiphonal choirs in the late Renaissance, to present day avant-garde multichannel loudspeaker
music and sound installation projects. Students are encouraged to formulate their own questions
during discussions, which are often accompanied by an analysis of works selected by the students
themselves. There are also opportunities for students to apply the concepts studied to composition.

Learning and teaching activities include seminar discussions, short analytical assignments and
course reserve readings, group projects and seminar presentations, experimental composition
workshops, and the possibility of undertaking a related composition project with supervision.


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MUIS 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Independent Study I, II, III, IV
Students may seek approval from the School of Music Graduate Education Committee to undertake
a research or performance project for academic credit on an independent study basis. Such
projects cannot be completed as part of an existing course, but they can be completed by the
student working independently with guidance from an academic staff member. A student may also
apply for substituting independent study project(s) for one (or more) of the Performance or
Academic Studies courses in order to fulfil the credit requirements of the curriculum.

Permission to undertake an independent study project is a privilege granted to students who have
previously demonstrated their ability to work with limited supervision. The student wishing to
undertake the project must submit a form for Independent Study and secure approval of the
proposal from the potential advisor of the project. The proposal is then submitted to the Music
Graduate Education Committee for final approval. The number of credits is based on the scope and
intellectual rigour of the project. The project normally leads to a final paper, lecture demonstration,
or performance by the student.

Students prepare a list of reading, listening materials, and/or performance repertoire, in consultation
with their advisor. Students must make individual appointments with their advisor to assist them in
preparing the paper, lecture demonstration, or performance. The student must outline the format
and length/duration of the final project presentation in their proposal. The project will be graded by
the advisor.