Oxford Brookes University announces it will cease music programs in 2026.
What’s Up: Oxford Brookes University, a public university in Oxford, UK, has announced plans to shutter its music department by 2026. Course lecturers will teach their final cohorts of students before being laid off. Affected staff members urged others to contact the university’s vice chancellor to request a 12-month extension on the decision.
Refresher: Like many musical institutions, the Oxford Brookes music program experienced financial difficulties following the pandemic. Their more recent challenges have included dwindling enrollment numbers and a discontinuation of the university’s combined honours degree programs.
The university’s decision has been criticized as short-sighted. Staff had recently begun redeveloping programs, which they were not given a full opportunity to work towards due to administrative financial concerns.
Digging Deeper: Oxford, a historic city of culture and academia, will suffer many musical losses with this closure. The university’s music program has operated since 1979 and has been home to numerous legendary performers, lecturers and researchers. They will also close the Oxford Opera Society, the city of Oxford’s main opera presenter.
