European music studies contribute to the Medieval and Early Modern Studies Centre through research into music prior to the nineteenth century including historical performance practice.

Led by Emeritus Professor David Tunley, research and performances in French and Spanish baroque are complemented by studies in musical iconography.

Baroque research 

• The research of Professor David Tunley, a distinguished scholar of the French Baroque period, has included work on the eighteenth century French Cantata.
• The School's fine collection of historical instruments, including an original “Kirkman” harpsichord, string and woodwind instruments and other keyboard instruments, is one of the most important collections in the southern hemisphere, providing crucial resources for historical performance practice research.
• Assoc/Professor Suzanne Wijsman has studied musical iconography in the medieval Hebrew illuminated manuscript Bodleian MS Opp. 776, a fifteenth century manuscript with numerous illustrations of musicians.

Baroque performance 

• French Baroque was the focus of a partnership with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to produce a series of five recordings.  Winthrop Professor Paul Wright and Assoc/Professor Suzanne Wijsman were involved in this Australian Research Council-funded project. 
• Honorary Research Fellow Peter Moore, has been a long-standing member of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, exploring performance practice techniques and researching Baroque repertoire.
• Winthrop Professor Paul Wright was founding artistic director of the Perth-based Juniper Chamber Orchestra, which focuses largely on the Baroque and Classical periods.
• Winthrop Professor Jane Davidson's collaborative research with Andrew Lawrence-King and Anthrony Trippett on Spanish Baroque works, the operas La púrpura de la rosa and Celos aun del aire matan, and the Oratorio sacro al nacimiento de Christo Señor Nuestro, has led to premiere performances of these early eighteenth century works which she has directed.