Music History Courses in London and Online
City Lit offers an extensive programme of online music history and music appreciation courses with a focus on Western classical music, Folk, Jazz, Rock and Pop. There are new topics each year across a growing range of music styles and traditions.
To find out more about music history classes and to read our year-long selection of courses, please see the blog post Music history: your guide to our programme which lists our full programme of classes ordered by term, and by day of the week. You may then click on each title to read the full course outline.
Our staff are all professional musicians who teach, write, broadcast, lecture and perform widely. In recent years they have worked with BBC Radio 3, Gramophone magazine, Birkbeck (University of London), The Open University, Oxford and Cambridge University Press, Early Music, The Orchestra of the age of Enlightenment, The Wigmore Hall and the Aldeburgh Festival.
Many of our students learn for pleasure but some also come to enhance their careers: recent examples include board members of music charities, marketing and administration professionals from orchestras and gap-year students considering university entrance.
Feel free to browse our programme and do email us at music@citylit.ac.uk with any questions.
- Music history bookclub: Death on the DownbeatCourse start date: Fri 13 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Katy HamiltonThe music history book club meets towards the end of each term to discuss novels and biographies with musical themes and references relevant to the music history programme.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £19.00 - Florence Price: an introduction to her musicCourse start date: Tue 24 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Katy HamiltonFlorence Price is one of the most important African-American composers of the early twentieth century. Come and explore the extraordinary life and musical legacy of this brilliant musician whose works are only just being ‘rediscovered’, 70 years after her death.
Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £104.00 - Great works: Arvo Pärt's PassioCourse start date: Mon 30 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Edward BreenEstonian composer Arvo Pärt (b.1935) is one of the most frequently performed classical composers of our times. Explore his setting of St John’s passion and learn about his compositional techniques.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £29.00 - Great composers: Aaron CoplandCourse start date: Wed 1 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Trish ShawAaron Copland was hailed in the 1930s as the first American composer with an authentic and distinctive musical voice. On the 125th anniversary of his birth, come and discover the evolution of his musical life and works, and his impact on music in America and beyond.
Full fee £39.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £39.00 - Exploring classical music 3Course start date: Mon 20 Apr 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Edward BreenDo you want to know more about Western classical music? Explore selected topics and key works in Romantic music on this informative course. Ideal for people with no specialist knowledge.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £153.00 - Exploring opera 3
Course start date: Tue 21 Apr 2026Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pauline GreeneJoin us to explore the history of opera over three enjoyable terms. In this third term we’ll explore Verdi, Wagner and the early 20th century. Break week: 25-31 May 2026
Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £188.00 - Erik Satie: an introduction to his musicCourse start date: Tue 21 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Edward HendersonExplore the music of Eric Satie and find out how he influenced other composers
Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £104.00 - Music in the Weimar republic Course start date: Tue 21 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Katy HomdenDiscover the colourful landscape of music in Germany between the wars. Break week: 25-31 May 2026
Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £188.00 - Operas in production Course start date: Wed 22 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pauline GreeneLooking at five of the operas coming up in the 2026–27 season, we will discuss their composition, context, controversies and style, and then hear the story of the opera through musical examples. Break week: 25-31 May 2026
Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £188.00 - Exploring classical music 2Course start date: Thu 23 Apr 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Neil LuckDo you want to know more about classical music history? Explore selected topics and key works in Baroque, Classical and early Romantic music on this highly informative 10-week course. Ideal for people with no specialist knowledge. Break week: 16-22 Feb 2026
Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £153.00 - Exploring classical music 4Course start date: Thu 23 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Neil LuckThis course explores key ideas in art music during the twentieth century. Each week’s topic is introduced through study of a seminal musical work. Break Week: 30th Oct 2025 or Break week: 25-31 May 2026
Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £153.00 - Madrigals: a brief historyCourse start date: Thu 23 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Edward BreenDive into the charismatic world of madrigals and discover a world of nuance and reflection. Break week: 25-31 May 2026
Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £188.00 - Music history bookclub: Viva Violetta and VerdiCourse start date: Fri 24 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Edward BreenThe music history book club meets towards the end of each term to discuss novels and biographies with musical themes and references relevant to the music history programme.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £19.00 - Steve Reich: an introduction to his musicCourse start date: Tue 2 Jun 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Edward HendersonExplore the mesmeric music of Steve Reich and find out how he influenced others
Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £104.00 - Classical music: an introduction Course start date: Mon 13 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Edward Breen, Pauline GreeneAre you interested in finding out more about classical music but not sure where to start? This taster course will introduce you to the history of music through a careful choice of works.Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £49.00 Concession £49.00
Can't see a course you want?
Add this category to your waiting list to set up alerts and we will update you when new courses are released online.
Add me to waiting list