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      MA Wind orchestra conducting

      Studying Music...
      Studying at Base...
      Master of Arts in S...
      Wind orche...

      Wind orchestra conducting

      Laying the foundations for a career in wind orchestra conducting

      Key data

      Degree
      Master of Arts FHNW in Spezialisierter Musikalischer Performance, Studienrichtung Blasorchesterdirektion
      ECTS points
      120
      Study start
      Beginning of September
      Studying mode
      Full time
      Duration
      4 semesters
      Teaching language
      German/English
      Place
      Campus Musik-Akademie Basel
      Stay abroad
      Possible, not curricular
      Application fee
      200 CHF
      Semester fee
      750 CHF (CH) | 1000 CHF (EU/EFTA) | 1250 CHF (Not-EU/Not-EFTA) More Fees

      You may apply between 15th December and 15th February.

      Go to information eventsApply now

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      The FHNW Master of Arts in Specialised Music Performance Wind Orchestra Conducting is aimed at students with a Bachelor or Master’s degree in Music who wish to pursue a career as a wind orchestra, wind ensemble or brass band conductor. To be eligible for this graduate programme, prospective students must have previous instrument training. The programme prepares students for the challenging role of leading wind orchestras, both professional and amateur. Students acquire a comprehensive grounding in the art of conducting and its related disciplines, with a particular focus on honing their ability to communicate with clarity and precision to the performers their interpretation of the score.

      Acquiring the art of musical leadership

      When learning to conduct, hands-on training with an orchestra is an imperative. The FHNW Master of Arts in Specialised Music Performance with a Wind Orchestra Conducting Minor provides students with thorough instruction in the psychologically and technically challenging art of musical leadership, and opens up many different and exciting career opportunities to them in the fields of musical performance and education.

      The combined master's program – Wind Orchestra Conducting and training in instrumental pedagogy

      The Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy programme allows Students who already hold a master's degree in Musical Performance with an instrumental/vocal major to combine artistic specialization in Wind Orchestra Conducting and pedagogical training in their own instrument. This dual profile considerably expands their career opportunities.

      Overview MA Specialized Performance Wind Orchestra Conducting

      Learning outcomes

      The FHNW Master of Arts in Specialised Music Performance Wind Orchestra Conducting builds on the knowledge students have already acquired in their previous music pedagogy or music performance studies at Master’s level. Students will leverage their existing instrumental proficiency and experience of ensemble work to expand their conducting repertoire and hone their instrument-playing and score-reading abilities.

      Target audience

      The FHNW Master of Arts in Specialised Music Performance with a Wind Orchestra Conducting is aimed at students who hold a Bachelor degree in Music and who wish to specialise in wind orchestra conducting.

      Career prospects

      Holders of a FHNW Master of Arts in Specialised Music Performance with a Wind Orchestra Conducting are qualified to lead wind orchestras, brass bands and wind ensembles, whether amateur, semi-professional or professional.

      Structure / Module descriptions

      Structure

      Structure MA SP Klassik Wind Orchestra Conducting in German

      Module descriptions

      Below please find the link with all the information on the module descriptions of several FHNW universities.

      • At the top right, switch the language settings to English.
      • At the bottom right, filter by semester, Hochschule für Musik Basel FHNW, the desired degree programme or other criteria to display the relevant module information.
      • Use the PDF button at the top left to call up a document from each overview and save it for yourself.
      • Course registrations are made via the intranet.
      Admission / Entrance exam

      Admission criteria
      In order to enter the FHNW Master of Arts in Specialized Musical Performance programme with a Wind Orchestra Conducting 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

      • Basic knowledge of conducting and rehearsal techniques
      • Piano and score-playing proficiency
      • Ability to analyse a score for a wind orchestra
      • Knowledge of the seminal works in the wind orchestra repertoire

      Language Skills
      We recommend having sufficient German language skills.

      Entrance exam
      The entrance exam is split into several parts.

      Procedure
      Duration: 40 Minutes
      Analysis of a wind orchestra work of applicant’s choosing (approx. 20 mins)
      Conducting of a score
      Score-playing of a simple wind orchestra work
      Discussion on the seminal works from the wind orchestra repertoire

      Dates
      The live auditions 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 curriculum vitae, a motivational letter, the school leaving qualification, the Bachelor Diploma. In case that the applicant already holds a Master Diploma, we also need a copy of that.

      Announcement of the results
      The results will be communicated by mail in May.

      Projects / Ensembles

      At Hochschule für Musik Basel, students have the opportunity to participate in various project and ensemble programmes.
      To the overview of the recurring offers.

      Links / Downloads

      Quicklinks

      • Welcome: A brief overview
      • Studying in Switzerland
      • Tuition fees & Financing
      • Scholarship
      • Module descriptions

      Files and Regulations

      • Dates Entrance Exam on Site
      • List of works for Entrance Exam
      • Study Regulations
      • Semester dates

      Overview MA Music Pedagogy Wind Orchestra Conducting

      Supplementary key data Variant MP Blasorchesterdirektion

      Degree
      MA FHNW in Musikpädagogik, Studienrichtung instrumental/ vokal, Zweites künstlerisches Hauptfach Blasorchesterdirektion

      Teaching language
      German/English
      Level B1 is required for the German language in the MA MP.

      Semester fee Second major
      800 CHF

      Learning outcomes

      Registration for the second artistic Major Wind Orchestra Conducting as part of the Master of Arts FHNW in Music Pedagogy requires a completed Master's degree in vocal or instrumental performance. In this study programme, students will leverage their existing instrumental proficiency and experience in ensemble work to expand their conducting repertoire and hone their instrument-playing and score-reading abilities. 

      In addition, the practice-oriented, concentrated pedagogical training enables the students to teach the instrument or voice studied in the first master's programme professionally in individual and group lessons at musical educational institutions, grammar schools or independently at all levels.

      Target audience

      This programme is aimed at students who hold a Master's degree in vocal or instrumental performance and who wish to combine a specialisation in Wind Orchestra Conducting with a Master's degree in pedagogy for their own instrument or voice. 

      Career prospects

      The Master's degree in Music Pedagogy instrument/voice (second artistic Major Wind Orchestra Conducting) allows students to acquire a dual profile:
      Graduates are qualified to lead wind orchestras, brass bands and wind ensembles, whether amateur, semi-professional or professional. Furthermore, graduates will acquire a Master's degree in instrumental and vocal pedagogy for their own instrument and will then be qualified to teach this subject in music education institutions as well as independently.

      Structure / Module descriptions

      Structure

      Second Major: Wind Orchestra Conducting
      Structure MA MP Klassik instrumental/vokal 2Major Wind Orchestra Conducting in German

      Module descriptions

      Below please find the link with all the information on the module descriptions of several FHNW universities.

      • At the top right, switch the language settings to English.
      • At the bottom right, filter by semester, Hochschule für Musik Basel FHNW, the desired degree programme or other criteria to display the relevant module information.
      • Use the PDF button at the top left to call up a document from each overview and save it for yourself.
      • Course registrations are made via the intranet.
      Admission/Entrance exam

      Admission criteria
      In order to enter the FHNW Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy programme with a Wind Orchestra Conducting major, applicants must be awarded with a Master in Music Performance with an instrumental/vocal major or equivalent as well as they must 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 Music Pedagogy. 

      Required skills: 

      • Basic knowledge of conducting and rehearsal techniques
      • Piano and score-playing proficiency
      • Ability to analyse a score for a wind orchestra
      • Knowledge of the seminal works in the wind orchestra repertoire
      • Pedagogical interest and appropriate aptitude

      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 at least a B1 German language certificate according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) at the beginning of the studies. This certificate must be complete, i.e. all modules (reading, listening, writing, speaking) have been tested separately and passed at least at level B1 overall. Only certificates that have been certified with the ALTE-Q-Mark seal of approval (e.g. the B1 certificate of the Goethe-Institut or the telc certificate) are accepted. The required certificate B1 must be submitted with the confirmation of admission but not later than Mai 31. Exceptions will be decided upon by the head of degree programme.

      Entrance exam
      The entrance exam is split into several parts.

      Procedure
      Artistic Major Wind Orchestra Conducting 

      Duration: 40 Minutes
      Analysis of a wind orchestra work of applicant’s choosing (approx. 20 mins)
      Conducting of a score
      Score-playing of a simple wind orchestra work
      Discussion on the seminal works from the wind orchestra repertoire

      Pedagogical aptitude assessment
      The pedagogical aptitude assessment refers to the instrument of the first Master’s major. 

      Pedagogical aptitude assessment (external applicants)
      Candidates who are invited to the second round (on-site audition) are asked to submit a video of a demonstration lesson of 20' duration with a student of their own instrument. The student can be beginner or ad-vanced and there is no age limit. If possible, the lesson should be held in German. If this is not possible for organizational reasons, the lesson must either be held in English or the video must be subtitled according-ly.  The recording must not be older than 6 months. Please upload the video onto YouTube and send the following information/documents by April 10 to registration.hsm@fhnw.ch by mail:

      • the link
      • information about the student (age and characteristics, since when)
      • copies of the sheet music used (if applicable)
      • a short written reflection of your lesson  

      Pedagogical aptitude assessment (internal applicants)
      For internal applicants, the pedagogical aptitude test takes place on-site during the spring semester (after the head of degree programme has been able to check whether a place is available). The dates will be communicated individually.
      The pedagogical aptitude test consists of a demonstration lesson of 20' duration (the allocation of students is taken on by the subject didactics teachers) in German language and a reflection talk following the lesson.

      Dates
      The live auditions will take place in 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 curriculum vitae, a motivational letter, the school leaving qualification, the Bachelor Diploma and Master Diploma.

      Announcement of the results
      The results will be communicated by mail in May.

      You may apply between 15th December and 15th February.

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      Basel Academy of Music

      Basel Academy of Music

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      Degree Programmes

      MA Specialized Musical Performance Institut Klassik
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      Studierendenadministration Hochschule für Musik Basel, Klassik
      Telephone

      061 264 57 32 (undefined)

      E-mail

      klassik.hsm@fhnw.ch

      Address

      Leonhardsstrasse 6 4009 Basel

      Room

      6-001

      Availability

      Montag bis Donnerstag: 10:00 - 12:00 Uhr 14:00 - 16:00 Uhr Freitag 10:00 - 12:00 Uhr

      Beat Hofstetter

      Prof. Beat Hofstetter

      Leiter BA und MA Schulmusik I und II | MA Spezialisierte Performance Chorleitung & Blasorchesterdirektion

      Telephone

      +41 61 264 57 36

      E-mail

      beat.hofstetter@fhnw.ch

      Address

      Hochschule für Musik Basel Leonhardsstrasse 6 4009 Basel

      hsm_sp_klassikhsm_dirigieren

      Wo findet das Studium statt?

      Hochschule für Musik Basel FHNW

      Hochschule für Musik Basel FHNW

      Leonhardstrasse 6

      4009 Basel

      Phone+41 61 264 57 57

      E-Mailhsm@fhnw.ch

      More information about the location

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