MA Music Pedagogy | instrument / voice | Creative Interpretation in New Music

Basel Academy of Music

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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 mode: Onsite
ECTS credits: 120
Next start: 14.9.2026
Duration: 4 semesters
Teaching language: B1 level in German required
Stay 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 programme pursues two objectives:

Specialisation in the interpretation of contemporary music

The artistic focus of this master's programme is specialisation in contemporary music and corresponding in-depth study. The in-depth, wide-ranging engagement with the subject coupled with a strong collaborative focus equips students to pursue a professional performance career, whether in a solo capacity or as part of a chamber music or larger music ensemble, locally, nationally and internationally.

Teaching music

In addition to the artistic training in contemporary music, the practice-oriented, concentrated pedagogical training enables the students to teach the instrument studied in the first master's programme professionally in individual and group lessons at musical educational institutions or independently at all levels.

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

Module descriptions

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.

General Registration Procedure All about Studying in Basel