Wind orchestra conducting

Would you like to conduct a wind orchestra? Learn how to face the challenge of dealing with orchestral musicians, whether professionals or amateurs, both psychologically and methodologically? Then this is a degree programme that opens up exciting perspectives both artistically and educationally.

• Consolidating skills on an instrument and in ensemble work
• Building up a conducting repertoire
• Instrumentation and Score Studies

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.

Career prospects

Holders of a Master Diploma in Wind Orchestra Conducting are qualified to lead wind orchestras, brass bands and wind ensembles, whether amateur, semi-professional or professional.

Target audience

This Study Course is aimed at students 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.

Study variant available:
The combined master's program – Wind Orchestra Conducting and education in music pedagogy

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.

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 a Wind Orchestra Conducting Major, applicants must be awarded a Bachelor in Music or 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 Study regulation 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

We recommend having sufficient German language skills.

Note: Experience shows that non-native German speakers applying for jobs in German-speaking countries are required to have at least a B1 certificate in German.

Entrance exam

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.

Contact and Info-Event

Registration

Basel Academy of Music

An international institute of higher education and research