Lied performance

Experience Lied, for some the highest of all art forms, in all its facets and uncover hidden treasures as an individual or as an existing Lied duo: top-class lecturers will accompany you on your two-year singing, playing and designing journey through the centuries.

• A course of study for singers, pianists or existing duos
• Two years dedicated to the core subject of Lied
• Building up a broad repertoire – defining focal points – discovering new things

Learning outcomes

This study course offers lied duos, singers and pianists the opportunity to prepare themselves intensively for an artistic career in this field during the two-year graduate programme. The focussed Lied interpretations make equally high demands on both partners.

Given the high degree of specialisation required, as a rule the FHNW Master of Arts in Specialized Music Performance follows on from an MA in Music Pedagogy or an MA in Music Performance. The core competencies acquired prior to this programme are here pursued to a level that matches the highest international standards; those skills are consolidated in the specific disciplines listed below so that exceptional standards may be achieved on the national and international concert stage and at competitions.

Career prospects

Graduates of this programme pursue careers as professional lied singers or accompanists on concert stages, at recitals or in concert series specialising in chamber music.
They are able to rehearse and perform at a very high level, with different partners and in different styles and languages. Emphasis is placed on developing one’s own musical and staging ideas in this specialist musical discipline. The programme requires students both to master a broad lied repertoire and specialise in specific Areas.

Target audience

This study course is aimed at lied duos, singers and pianists wishing to receive intensive and specialised training in this discipline.

Study variant available:
The combined master's program – Lied Performance and education in music pedagogy

The BA and MA degree programs at the Basel Academy of Music are based on modules.

The legally binding structure provides an initial guide to the content and weighting of the subjects on the degree programme.
The detailed content and modalities of the individual subjects can be found in the module descriptions.
The study regulations come into force together with the study and examination regulations of the Basel Academy of Music FHNW and form the legal framework.

In order to enter the FHNW Master of Arts in Specialized Music Performance programme with the Major Lied Performance, applicants must be awarded a Bachelor in Music or Music and Movement respectively equivalent as well as they must have passed the entrance exam and were offered a free place at the Academy (limited places).
For further information on the admission criteria, please see the Study regulation of the Master of Arts FHNW in Specialized Music Performance.

Required skills

• Master’s-level instrumental/vocal proficiency.
• Mastery of a broad repertoire and practical experience in lied performance.
• Particular aptitude for interdisciplinary work (literature, philosophy, historical-sociological context) and for the literary dimension of the lied genre.
• Ample empowerment of the pianists of sight-reading, accompaniment and transposition and correpitation skills.
• Ability to meet the highest musical standards as a duo (intuition, communications skills and outstanding instrumental resp. vocal proficiency).

Good knowledge of the German language, as well as sufficient active knowledge of at least two other discipline-related languages.

Entrance Exam

At Hochschule für Musik Basel, students have the opportunity to participate in various project and ensemble programmes.
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Teaching staff

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Basel Academy of Music

An international institute of higher education and research