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Wind orchestra conducting

Laying the foundations for a career in wind orchestra conducting

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.

Overview

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.

Core curriculum

Main subject module (95 CP):

Conducting, score reading, analysis
Wind band music repertoire, rehearsal techniques, history of wind music
Orchestration
Score playing
Supervision conducting practice
External conducting courses

Complementary courses

Practical module (12 CP):
Own orchestra

Theory/context module
Contextual events

Elective courses

Personalised module (10 CP):
Minor or courses/activities chosen from the electives on offer

Detailed module description

Structure

As a general rule, the FHNW Master of Arts in Specialised Music Performance with a Wind Orchestra Conducting follows directly on from a Master’s programme in Music Performance or Music Pedagogy with an Instrumental Major. In exceptional cases, students holding a Bachelor degree or equivalent qualification may be admitted on the programme. Prospective students must also pass the entrance exam and 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 (e.g. German B1 certificate).

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

Admission requirements

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

Entrance exam

Duration: 60 mins
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
An interview with the examiners in which the applicant explains why he/she has chosen this minor and demonstrate the necessary professionalism as regards wind orchestra conducting.

Learning from the best

Felix Hauswirth is professor of wind orchestra conducting at the FHNW School of Music. He is a regular guest teacher at various American universities and gives concerts on all five continents. He publishes on the history and literature of wind/brass music as well as on conducting.