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Centre for Music and Science

The Centre for Music and Science (CMS) provides a home for research linking the field of music with psychology, acoustics, computer science, and neuroscience. It is inherently multidisciplinary, though perhaps the chief specialism of the centre is music cognition. Through dedicated studio facilities, the CMS supports technology-based teaching and graduate and staff research that requires technological resources. The centre is a base for collaborative research with other departments in Cambridge and with those in outside institutions.

The Faculty of Music added the CMS as a purpose built wing in 2003 with the assistance of an award of £1.3 million from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and of funds from the University and Colleges. The site comprises a fully sound-isolated Recording Studio (consisting of a Control Room and Recording Room, both linked to the Concert Hall and Recital Room), a Computer Room and a Research Room.

The CMS was led from its inception in 2003 by Ian Cross, now Emeritus Professor of Music and Science. In 2011 Ian was joined in the CMS by Sarah Hawkins, now Emeritus Professor of Speech and Music Science. Ian and Sarah supervised a great number of students and research fellows during their time, many of whom can now be found in research and teaching institutions all over the world. Ian retired in September 2021, and now the CMS is now directed by Peter Harrison, an alumnus of Cambridge with particular expertise in computational music cognition.

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Latest news

Lottie Anstee receives PhD scholarship from Goldsmiths

21 February 2024

We are very pleased to hear that Lottie Anstee, former undergraduate student at the Centre for Music and Science, has just received a PhD scholarship from Goldsmiths, University of London. Lottie will be starting the PhD in September, working with Lauren Stewart and Katie Rose Sanfilippo. The project concerns developing a...

Xiaoxuan Wang secures PhD position at the Digital and Cognitive Musicology Lab at EPFL, Switzerland

2 February 2024

We are delighted for Xiaoxuan Wang, MPhil student at our Centre for Music and Science in 2022-23, who has just accepted a PhD position at the Digital and Cognitive Musicology Lab (DCML) at EPFL, Switzerland. The DCML is run by Martin Rohrmeier, himself an alumnus of the Centre for Music and Science. The current plan is to...