The purpose of the Department of Music at Kathmandu University is to:
Give the musical traditions of Nepal a chance for survival by means of study, practice, documentation, preservation, communication, appreciation, and creative development,
Provide the public and private sectors with students competent in music performance, music studies as well as modern recording media, in order to work in areas concerned with performance, training, preservation and presentation of culture, research, publication, media work, tourism, consultation, international presentation, cultural politics, etc.,
Preserve the traditional repertoire to latest scientific standards,
Encourage and involve traditional musicians and dancers by assisting them to preserve their intangible heritage.
In order to achieve this, the department has been designed to work in six different areas:
- Academic courses (Diploma Course, B.Mus., M.Mus.)
- Practical music classes
- Performance (concert tours)
- Preservation (sound archive and collection of musical instruments)
- Research
- Publication and communication (literature, CDs, documentary films, online publications)
The British Council, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London collaborated with the K.U. Department of Music, in supporting the academic programme during the initial years. Recently, the Department has collaborated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology Boston, ERASMUS MUNDUS and Mahidol University Thailand.