New research from Durham University’s Music & Science Lab suggests that while biology may determine which sounds we perceive as unpleasant, musical preference is culturally acquired.

In April we celebrated our long-standing partnership with the University of Notre Dame in North America.

The Ralph Waggett MA Studentship in History is available thanks to a generous donation from our alumni community. Applications are now open for 2022/23 entry!

Dr Katrin Wehling-Giorgi, from our School of Modern Languages and Cultures, explores aspects of motherhood portrayed in a recent adaptation of Elena Ferrante's The Lost Daughter.

Professor Ita Mac Carthy recently appeared on BBC Radio 4's 'Moving Pictures' to discuss Francesco del Casso's fresco 'April'.

A new study by Dr Kelly Jakubowski and Professor Tuomas Eerola has shown that music evokes fewer, but more emotionally positive, autobiographical memories than other cues.

Our Department of English Studies is celebrating the phenomenal success of two of its own - Sunjeev Sahota and Kayo Chingonyi - following the recognition their work has received from the Booker Prize and the Forward Prize for Poetry respectively. Sunjeev Sahota’s China Room has been longlisted for the Booker Prize and Kayo Chingonyi’s collection of poetry A Blood Condition has been shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Poetry for the Best Collection 2021.

The book A Taste of Barcelona: A History of Catalan Cooking and Eating (Rowman and Littlefield 2019) was presented at the iconic Barcelona fresh food market La Boqueria on June 29, 2021.

At least 58 new Steinway & Sons pianos are to be installed across our campus as we join the All-Steinway Initiative, with an intention to become an All-Steinway University in 2022. Joining the initiative makes a significant statement about our commitment to excellence in music, with the new pianos set to join our existing collection of nine Steinway instruments.

Durham is a uniquely beautiful and historic place to live and study. Now you can explore its past with a new interactive app. 

Music has amazing potential to inspire, motivate and bring people together across cultures.