Music

The Music Department at Dubai College is a vibrant and exciting learning community housed in a modern purpose-built facility featuring a dramatic recital area, fully-equipped recording studio, sound-proofed instrumental teaching rooms, practice rooms and classrooms. Our facilities are furnished with over 80 orchestral instruments, semi-professional concert percussion, 16 pianos and 13 computers with music editing capabilities. The department is staffed by two full-time teachers, one full-time piano teacher/accompanist and nine highly-qualified part-time specialist instrumental tutors.

We currently have over 200 students taking instrumental lessons and around 240 students attending our weekly ensemble practices.

As well as offering Music to A-Level and Music Technology to AS-Level, we support our students’ musical development through a structured and comprehensive co-curricular programme. Around 10 yearly concerts and recitals showcase the successes of these ensembles, and a biennial Glynebourne-style Gala Concert in the gardens of the British Embassy has proved to be one of the highlights of the school calendar. We also work collaboratively with the Drama Department, with whom we have produced shows such as Little Shop of Horrors, Sweet Charity and, most recently, Les Miserables.

To complement our regular activities we present a range of masterclasses and workshops, which in the past have included performances by the BBC Young Musicians, a composition masterclass with American composer David Winkler, and a performance by the acclaimed brass ensemble, Embrassy.

Every year our students attend the prestigious Young Musicians of the Gulf Competition in Bahrain, and last year we were honoured to win the Brass Prize, Plucked Strings Prize, Vocal Prize, Most Promising Musician Under 15, Runner-up Freestyle Ensemble, and finalists awards!

In the Music Department we aim to provide a Music programme which not only caters for the musical development of all ages and abilities, but also provides a focal point, both within the College and the wider community.