Thinking of choosing a specialisation or Music Pedagogy as a second master’s degree? Why not both? Students who have already completed a master’s degree in Performance, instrument/voice have the opportunity to combine their artistic specialisation in the field of Contemporary Music with a teaching qualification for their own instrument as part of an MA in Music Pedagogy. This dual profile expands your professional opportunities considerably: you develop a wide repertoire of performance skills in the implementation of contemporary music and teaching skills with your instrument/voice.
Factsheet
- Degree
- Master of Arts FHNW in Musikpädagogik, Studienrichtung instrumental/vokal, Zweites künstlerisches Hauptfach Creative Interpretation in New Music
- Study mode
- Full-time
- Learning environment
- Onsite
- ECTS points
- 120
- Next start
- 14.9.2026
- Duration
- 4 semesters
- Language
- B1 level in German required
- Staying abroad
- Possible
- Application fee
- 200 CHF
- Semester fee
- Second major 800 CHF
At a glance
- Requires a diploma in MA instrumental or vocal performance
- Instrument and voice performance across the full spectrum of contemporary music performance through collaborative exchange
- Supplementary modules in theory, reflection, communication and marketing
- Getting parallel practical pedagogical education for your own instrument; degree with the MA in Music Education (instrumental/vocal) required for employment at music schools
Why study this?
The Master's degree in Music Pedagogy instrument/voice (second artistic Major Contemporary music) allows students to acquire a dual profile:
The degree programme equips students to pursue a career as a professional performer in a contemporary music ensemble or in the open music scene. It also provides them with the knowledge and skills to set up their own ensembles, design and curate concert series and other performance formats, and successfully market their ventures on both analogue and digital platforms. Furthermore, the pedagogical Master's qualification enables them to teach their instrument in music education institutions as well as independently.
Nearly all music schools in Switzerland now require prospective teaching staff to have a Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy (or an equivalent qualification).
This course is aimed at musicians who already have a high level of instrumental and/or vocal competence, knowledge and experience in contemporary music, and who want to engage with contemporary music in a targeted and in-depth manner alongside their focus on music education. Matriculation in the corresponding Master's programme in Music Pedagogy instrument/voice requires a Master's degree in vocal or instrumental performance and enables students to combine their artistic profile with a Master's degree in pedagogy for their own instrument. The second artistic major replaces the artistic major instrumental/vocal.
Structure and programme contents
The BA and MA degree programmes 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.
Structure
Second Major: Creative Interpretation in New Music
Structure MA MP Klassik instrumental/vocal 2Major Creative Interpretation in New Music
Module descriptions
Below please find the link with all the information on the module descriptions of several FHNW universities.
- Switch the language settings to English.
- 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 to call up a document from each overview and save it for yourself.
- Course registrations are made via the intranet.
Study Regulations
Lecturers
Requirements, admission, entrance exam
In order to enter the FHNW Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy programme with a Creative Interpretation in New Music 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.
We expect students to have very good German language skills.
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).* This certificate must be complete, i.e. all modules (reading, listening, writing, speaking) have been tested separately and passed at a minimum level of B1 overall.
Only certificates that have been certified with the ALTE-Q-Mark seal of approval (e.g. the B1 certificate of the Goethe Institute or the telc certificate) are accepted. The required certificate B1 must be submitted with the confirmation of admission but not later than 31 May.
*For Swiss citizens whose native language is not German, the Matura is considered equivalent to the required language certificate, provided that the subject German was completed with at least a ‘sufficient/genügend’ grade.
Entrance exam
The entrance exam is individual for each study programme direction.
Dates
Registration
You may apply between 15th December and 1st March.
Along with the registration, it is mandatory to submit the following documents:
- A curriculum vitae, a motivational letter, a short biography
- The school leaving qualification, the Bachelor Diploma, the Master Diploma
- Wishlist with five chamber music works that you want to acquire during the study course
- A video with a Programme of 30-40 minutes not less than three works of the 20th/21st century (various genres) of which at least one must be from the past 20 years. One representative work (or a movement/excerpt from a work) from the classic classical repertoire
- List of works with the works/movements/excerpts of the video
On-site
The live auditions will take place at the end of April. The exact dates may be seen here.
Pedagogical Entrance Exam
Deadline for the informations/documents to be send is 10th April. Details below under Procedure, Pedagogical Entrance Exam.
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.
Procedure
The entrance exam is split into two parts: One Major exam and one pedagogic exam.
Procedure
Artistic Major Creative Interpretation in New Music
The artistic major examination corresponds to the entrance exam in the MA Specialised Musical Performance Contemporary Music. Please mind the procedure of entrance exam of the respective artistic specialised major.
First round: Video recording
Applicants must submit a video when registering.
The length of the video should be between 30-40 minutes, with not less than three works of the 20th/21st century (various genres) of which at least one must be from the past 20 years and one representative work (or a movement/excerpt from a work) from the classic classical repertoire.
Video requirements
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.
Please upload the video onto YouTube and add the link to your list of works and in the registration tool. Please add the link to your application or send it by mail to registration.hsm@fhnw.ch until 1st March at the latest.
Second round: Online-Conversation
After reviewing the submitted portfolio, the jury will invite chosen applicants for an online interview (ca. 30 minutes) by videoconference/zoom.
Pedagogical entrance exam
The pedagogical entrance exam refers to the instrument of the first Master’s major.
Candidates (external and internal) 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 advanced and there is no age limit. The lesson should be held in German. If this is not possible for organizational reasons for external candidates, the lesson must either be held in English or the video must be subtitled accordingly. The recording must not be older than 6 months. Please upload the video onto YouTube and send the following information/documents by 10th April 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
Organisational matters
More Study variations
Students are able to graduate the pedagogical education on their instrument/voice and chose even more alternative artistic Majors:
sonic space basel
sonic space basel is a platform of Basel Academy of Music for Audio Design (BA and MA), Composition (BA and MA and MA SP), MA SP Creative Interpretation in New Music, Music Theory (BA and MA MP), MA SP New Music Theory, MA SP Open Creation, Continuing Education and Research.
We consider ourselves a laboratory, a communication tool and an information hub for contemporary music.
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.
Quicklinks
Advising and information events
Contact
Student Administration Academy of Music, Klassik
- Phone
- +41 61 264 57 32 (Direct)
- klassik.hsm@fhnw.ch
Prof. Annekatrin Klein
- Phone
- +41 61 264 58 36
- annekatrin.klein@fhnw.ch
Prof. Uli Fussenegger
- Phone
- +41 61 264 56 19
- uli.fussenegger@fhnw.ch
Information events
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Registration
The registration window is open from 15th December to 1st March.
MA Music Pedagogy | instrument / voice | Creative Interpretation in New Music
- Date
- 14.9.2026
- Duration
- 4 semesters