Instrumental/Vocal

Undergraduate musical and artistic education

The FHNW Bachelor of Arts in Music with an instrumental/vocal major focuses on enhancing students’ instrumental/vocal proficiency. To this end, students will hone their technical skills, acquire a stylistically broad repertoire and build on their forms of artistic expression. As well as the core curriculum, the programme covers a wide range of closely aligned compulsory and elective courses.

Une plate-forme stimulante où je trouve l'espace de me développer artistiquement.

Lorraine Dinkel

Overview

The FHNW Bachelor of Arts in Music is a pre-professional music training programme which aims to develop and produce versatile and multifaceted musical personalities. Graduates should be able to demonstrate an assured instrumental/vocal technique, as well as sound knowledge and solid skills in relation to general music education. They should also be capable of critical thinking on the subject of music and possess the other skills that will qualify them for employment as a professional musician.

The FHNW Bachelor of Arts in Music is not a professional qualification. Those seeking a career as a music teacher, orchestral musician or soloist must follow up their undergraduate studies with a Master’s degree programme in their chosen field of specialisation.

A FHNW Bachelor of Arts in Music opens up further education opportunities at other universities for the arts, teacher education universities or research/doctoral universities.

Kernbereich

Core curriculum
Major module (108 CP):
Individual and group tuition
Chamber music
Major-specific courses/regulations

Complementary courses
Practical Module (20 CP):
Choir/Chamber choir
Piano (compulsory)
Improvisation
Movement

Theory module, applied (32 CP):
Ear training
Composition
Analysis
Musical form
Early music performance

Theory module (15 CP):
Music teaching
Musical acoustics
Organology
History of music
Music research

Elective courses
Personalised module (2 CP):
Courses/activities chosen from the elective courses available.

Detailed module description

Structure

In order to be considered for entry to the FHNW Bachelor of Arts in Music programme with an instrumental or vocal major, applicants must hold a school-leaving qualification (Swiss Baccalaureate, Swiss Professional Baccalaureate or equivalent); exceptions may be made for applicants with exceptional artistic talent. They must also pass the entrance examination and win a place on the programme (numbers are limited).
Applications will not be considered from individuals who already hold an undergraduate music degree or similar qualification from a Swiss education provider.
Only applicants who have submitted the required registration documentation duly completed and on time will be invited to take the entrance examination. Applicants must also be sufficiently proficient in the German language from the outset (e.g. German B1 certificate).

General information about the entrance exam, aptitude test and exam dates can be found on the Entrance Exams page.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, candidates must submit a video that meets the repertoire requirements (see below) at the time of registering for the aptitude test 2021 in their artistic major by 28 February 2021. The works and movements respectively may be recorded individually. The recordings must be current and in no event older than one year.

Generally speaking, the submitted videos replace the physical entrance exam on location. Should the jury remain undecided as to the candidate’s aptitude after viewing the recording, the candidate may exceptionally be invited to perform physically on location, in which case she/he may perform the identical repertoire as in the submitted video.

The entrance exam is divided into three parts (in two parts for applicants who have chosen to major in piano). The requirements are as follows:

Major:
Applicants must prepare compositions from three different periods (including one from either the 20^th or 21^st century).
Applicants who have chosen a vocal major must provide an expert phoniatric assessment.
Additional information to these general requirements can be found in the repertoire requirements for each major.
The audition takes 15 minutes.

Theory
Relative pitch test; ability to perform non-instrumental musical processes as well as basic knowledge of music theory: listening to, singing and identifying intervals, note sequences, chords and rhythms; sight-singing of a chromatic and an atonal melody; ability to identify rhythm patterns from sight; vocal improvisation; melodic dictation.

Detailed information on the hearing test
The compulsory hearing test including the piano exam will take place for the accepted candidates in September 2021. Failure to pass the hearing test results in a provisional admission to the HSM.

Piano proficiency
All non-pianists must demonstrate a minimum level of piano proficiency.

Requirements for the Piano proficeiency