Music Courses & Classes in London and Online
We offer a wide range of piano, singing and instrumental workshops from complete beginners to advanced standard, daytime, evening or weekend. We also offer music theory, music tech, history, choirs, orchestra and jazz ensembles.
Choosing your course
Based in the heart of Covent Garden, we have two Model D Steinway pianos, Yamaha acoustic pianos and two suites of digital pianos. Music students have access to practice rooms for the duration of their course and we use the latest versions of Sibelius, Logic and Max/MSP for our music technology courses.
Many of our courses are delivered online. For more information about our live online courses, please see our guide to online learning.
Expert tutors
Our classes are taught by professional performers and practitioners, many of whom also teach at leading London universities and music conservatoires. We also offer advanced piano masterclasses with visiting performers and professors each year. Please refer to individual course outlines for individual staff biographies.
Studying at City Lit
City Lit students have a proud history of learning an instrument or singing from scratch as well as studying more advanced courses such as music theory exams, and preparing for advanced piano diplomas. Many of our jazz students form ensembles together and we frequently organise concerts and recitals in and around Central London.
Find a course
Browse our range of music courses in London and online below to choose your perfect option: both complete beginners and returning students are equally welcome at City Lit.
- Birds in opera and balletCourse start date: Fri 10 Jun 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Pauline GreeneWhat a selection to choose from! Swans, pigeons and bluebirds; birds in the forest, by the stream, in myth and fairy-tale– see how birds have been represented in important rôles on stage.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £109.00 Senior fee £87.00 Concession £66.00 - Bob Dylan: an introduction to his musicCourse start date: Fri 10 Jun 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: David HarrisonExplore the impact that Bob Dylan has had on popular music with a special focus on the 1960s. Through analysis of his songs and a history of the 1960s we will see how his influence extends beyond the American folk music revival.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £109.00 Senior fee £87.00 Concession £66.00 - Introduction to chamber musicCourse start date: Mon 13 Jun 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Pauline GreeneWhat is chamber music and what do we expect from its composers and performers? By looking at a variety of music from around 1750 we will explore some of its defining aspects and delights.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £109.00 Senior fee £87.00 Concession £66.00 - Summer choirCourse start date: Mon 11 Jul 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Richard Hartley WilsonSinging with others is great fun, and has been proven to be good for your health. Join us for this short course and get started over the summer to see how it can benefit you. Suitable for all levels, no audition required.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £48.00 - Classical music: an introductionCourse start date: Tue 12 Jul 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Katy HamiltonAre 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.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £18.00 - Wagner's Ring Cycle: an overviewCourse start date: Thu 14 Jul 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Katy HamiltonWagner’s ‘Ring’ Cycle is a mighty epic lasting many hours, full of armies of characters and multiple plot twists – not to mention the musical labels, or ‘leitmotifs’, that Wagner assigns to various people and ideas throughout. This course is intended for those who are keen to find out about Wagner and the Ring, and navigate the action across its four constituent operas.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £18.00 - Music history book clubCourse start date: Mon 18 Jul 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pauline GreeneThe music history book club meets towards the end of each term to discuss novels and biography with musical themes and references relevant to the music history programme. This term’s book is a biography.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Opera appreciation: an introductionCourse start date: Mon 25 Jul 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pauline GreeneWhat is opera? And how do you approach it? Explore the ostentatious, sometimes overwhelming, world of opera through study of two major works and styles.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £36.00 - Great works: Parry's Songs of FarewellCourse start date: Tue 26 Jul 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Patrick AlliesSongs of Farewell by Hubert Parry (1848-1918) were written in the last 10 years of the composer’s life. This course will explore the personal and historical context of this choral work, and examine how Parry, at the height of his expressive powers, combined moving musical language with poignant texts.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Great works: West Side StoryCourse start date: Tue 2 Aug 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pauline GreeneSixty-five years ago, West Side Story took Broadway by storm, and now a new film is doing the same. Who created it and how, and what impact did it have on musicals – and in films - afterwards?Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £18.00 - Great works: Byrd's Quomodo cantabimusCourse start date: Wed 24 Aug 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Edward BreenExplore the eight-voice motet Quomodo cantabimus (How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land) by William Byrd and learn how it may be interpreted as a reaction to the newly-protestant England in which he lived.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00
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