Lied performance

Laying the foundations for a career as a Lied Performer

Key data

Degree: Master of Arts FHNW in Spezialisierter Musikalischer Performance, Studienrichtung Liedgestaltung
ECTS points: 120
Start of semester: Beginning of September
Studying mode: Full time
Duration: 4 semesters
Teaching language: German/English
Place: Campus Musik-Akademie Basel
Application fee: 200 CHF
Semester fee: 700 CHF for Swiss citizens and students with legal place of residence in Switzerland | 1000 CHF for students from EU-/EFTA-countries | 1250 CHF for students from third countries

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

The FHNW Master of Arts in Specialized Music Performance with a Lied Performance Major is a two-year graduate program that offers lied duos, singers and pianists the opportunity to prepare themselves intensively for a career in this field. Lied interpretation makes equally high demands on both singers and pianists.

Developing one’s own musical and staging ideas

Graduates of the FHNW Master of Arts in Specialised Music Performance with a Lied Performance Major should be 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.

Course description

Given the high degree of specialisation required, as a rule the FHNW Master of Arts in Specialised 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.

Core curriculum

Major module (88 CP):
Duo tuition
Duo work and independent study

Complementary courses

Practical module (24 CP):
Chamber music, new chamber music
Concert and competition work
Master classes
Rehearsal techniques
Diction and language
Lied workshop

Theory/Music in Context module (2 CP):
Interpretationsforum, Colloquium 48
Theoretic and contextual Events/activities

Elective courses

Personalised module (6 CP):
Courses/activities chosen from the electives on offer

Detailed module description
Structure

Given the high degree of specialisation required, as a rule the FHNW Master of Arts in Specialised Music Performance follows on from an MA in Music Pedagogy or an MA in Music Performance with an Instrumental Major. 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.

Applicants must not only pass the entrance examination but also win a place on the programme (numbers are limited). 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 (B1 certificate).

Admission criteria
In order to enter the FHNW Master of Arts in Specialized Musical Performance programme with the Major soloist, 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

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 sight-reading, accompaniment and transposition skills (piano).
Ability to meet the highest musical standards as a duo (intuition, communications skills and outstanding instrumental proficiency).

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

Entrance exam
The entrance exam is split into the first round, which is held “by video”, and the second one, which is a live audition.

Procedure
First round: Video recordings
Applicants must submit a video when registering.
Video requirements
The length of the video should be minimum 20 minutes to maximum 30 minutes. It should contain a representative selection of the repertoire requirements (see below second round). The single works/movements submitted must indispensably be recorded without any cuts. If applicants submit one straight video with the whole programme, the applicant must set marks after every work/movement so that it is possible for the jury to purposely skip within the video.
Microphone: We recommend using a suitable stereo microphone and place it conveniently. If necessary, you may also use the microphone of a camera, computer, or smartphone.
Please record the video from a fixed point of view. The hands and the face of the musician must be visible. Publicly recorded concerts may be submitted as long as they correspond to the above-mentioned requirements (no cuts) and as long as they are not older than 6 months.
Please upload the video onto YouTube and add the link in the registration tool.
Please add the worklist to your application or send it by mail to cmVnaXN0cmF0aW9uLmhzbUBmaG53LmNo until 15th February at the latest.
Only those applicants who will be considered for the second round will be invited for the live audition.

Second round: Live audition
Repertoire requirements
Please prepare a programme of minimum 60 minutes with pieces from at least three different stylistic epochs of at least two different languages and a set of at least five coherent Lieder. Pianists also need to prepare a solo piece of at least 10 minutes. The choice of the programme may partially be identical as the one of the video.
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 goals of the studies and the study course content as well as the applicant´s prior education, experience, the choice of the professor, etc.

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 of the first round will be communicated by mail at the end of March.
The results of the second round will be communicated by mail in May.