The FHNW Master of Arts in Specialised Music Performance with a Music Theory Major enables students to achieve academic excellence and a greater depth of specialisation in their chosen field. In addition to the obligatory principal subjects, students can adapt the study programme to their own requirements by choosing from a comprehensive range of elective courses, only some of which are in predetermined combinations (depending on the context). Certain electives are offered by partners of the Basel School of Music, such as the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, the Paul Sacher Foundation and the University of Basel.
Transdisciplinary, independent and cross-class approach
The FHNW Master of Arts in Specialised Music Performance with a Music Theory Major also affords students the space for their own extensive work within large-scale projects, both on and off campus. In doing so, they engage to a significant degree in the overarching and transdisciplinary discourse between different classes. Consequently, the programme opens up a broad spectrum of career prospects that range from teaching music theory as a principal subject at university level to music journalism and research in music practice or theory.
Overview
Students of the FHNW Master of Arts in Specialised Music Performance with a Music Theory Major acquire the ability to receive music theory at the highest level, and to compently write and speak on the subject (e. g. academic teaching in the main subject). They also gain highly specialised theoretical knowledge of different styles of music from different eras, and develop an assured command of their compositional techniques. Students also build on their historical and systematic musicology knowledge.
The FHNW Master of Arts in Specialised Music Performance with a Music Theory Major is aimed at students who already hold a professional qualification in Music Theory or an equivalent qualification and wish to specialise further and achieve the highest level of excellence in their chosen field.
The FHNW Master of Arts in Specialised Music Performance with a Music Theory Major opens up a broad spectrum of career prospects to graduates, ranging from teaching music theory as a principal subject at university level to music journalism and research in music practice or theory with corresponding Ph.D. programmes.
Admission criteria In order to enter the FHNW Master of Arts in Specialized Musical Performance programme with a Music Theory Major, applicants must be awarded a Bachelor in Music/Music and Movement or equivalent as well as they have to have passed the entrance exam and were offered a free place at the Academy (limited places). Applicants who have submitted all the necessary registration documents in time and have passed the first round of the entrance exam will be invited to play a live audition. For further information on the admission criteria, please see the Studienreglement of the Master of Arts FHNW in Specialized Music Performance.
Required skills
Excellent general skills in composition and/or music theory (cf. also the learning outcomes of the MA in Music Pedagogy with a Music Theory Major).
Potential to develop into an independently-minded, artistic personality capable of analysis and reflection.
List of work/or list of theoretical and analytical works and publications.
Particular aptitude for interdisciplinary work (literature, philosophy, historical-sociological context).
Particular aptitude for academic and artistic research-based work.
Language skills We expect students to have very good German language skills at the beginning of the studies. Students who are not German native speakers must present a B1 German language certificate according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) at the beginning of the studies.
Entrance exam The entrance exam is split into several parts:
Procedure Written exam by mail (duration: three hours)
Four-part movement: choral excerpt
Out of a given tone sequence, you must develop two different themes (single or various part, free choice of genre and stylistics)
Analysis of a work which was written between 1700 and 1900
Oral exam (online, approx. 45´)
Analysis of a short movement from the 20th/21st century by online meeting (preparation time one hour)
Oral presentation (10´) about a freely chosen or given topic (one week in advance) by online meeting
Talk with the jury
Dates The entrance exam by mail and the zoom meeting will take place at the end of April. The exact dates may be seen here.
Registration You may apply between 15th December and 15th February. Along with the registration, it is mandatory to submit the following documents:
A short biography
the school leaving qualification, the Bachelor Diploma
In case that the applicant already holds a Master Diploma, we also need a copy of that.
Selection of own works: compositions, editorings, exercise of composition, concepts, digital music programmes, projects, essays, documentations, etc
Announcement of the results The results will be communicated by mail in May.
At Hochschule für Musik Basel, students have the opportunity to participate in various project and ensemble programmes. To the overview of the recurring offers.
