The study of music from the Medieval-Renaissance period encompasses works dating from around 900 to 1530, and up to 1600 in specific cases.
Achieving the highest level of proficiency as an instrumental/vocal soloist is an important goal of this Master’s programme. Given that ensemble playing is integral to medieval and Early Modern music, the study programme also focuses on nurturing excellent ensemble musicianship, allowing students to acquire the skills needed to put their musical knowledge and expertise into practice in ensemble performance and direction.
This specialised Master’s programme requires students to have a thorough foundation in theoretical, practical and contextual subjects and topics that are of direct relevance to medieval and Early Modern Music. They must also be capable of independent study and inquiry. The in-depth study of a specialist subject from the period as well as the writing of a Master’s thesis provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their academic research skills and their ability to apply these in practice.
Overview
The primary goal of this programme is to help to develop an independent artistic personality as well as the ability to combine historic and artistic aspects of Early Music both creatively and with outstanding instrumental/vocal proficiency. Given that career prospects for musicians specialising in the medieval and Renaissance periods is limited to the open ‘music market’ (i.e. concerts, tuition and recordings), it is especially important that students nurture their artistic and intellectual independence, develop a distinctive and creative musical personality and perfect their ability to deliver compelling performances of the highest calibre.
This Master’s programme is aimed at students who hold a very good Bachelor of Arts with a specialisation in medieval-Renaissance music from the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, as well as those who have studied elsewhere but have a solid grounding in the theory and practice of relevant to these eras. The focus of the study programme is European music from Carolingian period until the 16th century.
Career opportunities for medieval-Renaissance music specialists include performance work in concert, festival and Early Music concert series settings. As expert ensemble musicians, they are qualified to play with existing ensembles or establish their own ensemble. A number of graduates opt to pursue a career in academic research within their chosen field of specialisation, while others choose to share their experience and expertise in workshops and masterclasses.
The primary aim of this Master’s programme is to hone the students’ instrumental and vocal proficiency as well as their ability to work as part of an ensemble. Furthermore, independent academic work and the students’ artistic/creative output are fostered through a yearly project, under the supervision of a member of the teaching staff, on a subject specific to medieval-Renaissance music. A Master’s thesis provides proof of the candidate’s capacity to deal with a subject in a scholarly and reflective manner.
The Master’s programme also provides students with extensive ensemble-playing experience, as well as the skills needed to direct such formations.
To be admitted to the Master’s programme, applicants must hold a Bachelor degree in Music (or Music and Movement) or an equivalent qualification.Applicants who have failed any part of their Bachelor degree programme may be provisionally admitted to the Master’s programme under the condition that they successfully resit the relevant exam(s) by the end of the first MA semester. In order to be accepted for study, enough billable ECTS credit points must be available to fulfil all requirements of the diploma programme. For the Master's degree the minimum is 30 ECTS credit points. Applicants must declare any ECTS credits they have acquired from a previous course of study that they had failed to complete.
The admission procedure requires applicants to pass an aptitude test.
The admission procedure breaks down as follows:
Verification that the applicant meets all formal admission criteria
Admission to the aptitude test
Aptitude test (entrance exam)
Decision on admission.
Admission shall be granted for the academic year to which the aptitude test applies. This test may be retaken no more than once per degree programme/major, but no earlier than the next official aptitude test date.
Places on the degree programme are limited; a quota is set for first-year admissions. Based on the framework regulations governing student intake restrictions for Bachelor and Master’s degree programmes at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts (FHNW), the FHNW Academy of Music shall make its final selection based on the level and comparative ranking of the applicants' examination results.
The aptitude tests take place on site in Basel. Persons unable to take an on-site assessment for visa, financial or environmental (long distance travel) reasons may submit a request for an online entrance assessment (video presentation and live interview). This request must be sent to c2NiLmhzbUBmaG53LmNo at the same time as the application (by 31 January), stating the reasons, and must then be approved by the management.
On-site audition
Audition plus interview: Please prepare a programme of 15 to max. 20 minutes with pieces from at least three different stylistic fields. Use the repertoire samples as a guide. The programme must be submitted together with the list of works for the entrance exam on-site. The candidate may choose the first piece. Then, the jury will decide which works to play and is allowed to interrupt the audition at any time. Afterwards, there will be a short conversation about the study objectives and contents as well as the applicant´s prior education, experience and career goals, the preferred professor, etc.
The general section of the entrance exam (theory) takes place on the same day, usually before or after the on-site audition for the main subject (duration: 20 min.):
sing and identify intervals, tone sequences and simple chords
sing and notate a simple tonal melody (e.g.: a tenor)
improvise a continuation to the dictated melody with your voice and, if possible, sing a simple contrapuntal counterpart to it.
answer questions about tonality and the function of the melody in the movement
sight-sing a simple vocal part from modern notation (e.g. from a chanson)
Date
The on-site auditions will take place between mid-March and mid-April. The exact dates may be seen here after the beginning of January.
Registration
You may apply from 15 December until 31 January.
The following documents must be handed in with your application: Curriculum Vitae including motivational letter, school leaving qualification (Matura, Abitur, Baccalauréat, High School-Diploma) and Bachelor Diploma. If the applicant already holds a Master Diploma, please include.
Announcement of the results
The results will be communicated by email in the beginning of May.
