kathmandu university department of music
In August 1996, Kathmandu University (K.U.) opened a Department of Music in
Bhaktapur, where ethnomusicology (B.A. and M.A.) and practical music (North
Indian classical and Nepalese local traditions) are taught to Nepalese and
foreign students. The then German President, Dr. Roman Herzog, inaugurated the
department during his state visit to Nepal on 29th November 1996. The academic
courses are conducted by an experienced ethnomusicologist from Germany and
lecturers from the U.S. and Nepal. Teaching staff for performance training
includes local musicians and dancers. An exchange of academic teachers and
students has been agreed upon and carried out between Kathmandu University and
the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. SOAS
recognizes the exams passed at the Bhaktapur Department of Music for internal
purposes. Presently, the K.U. Department of Music is the only university
department in South Asia conducting full-fledged course in ethnomusicology. To
date (September 2014), students from thirty five different countries have
studied at the Bhaktapur department.
