MA Music Performance | Instrument / Voice, Basel Academy of Music

The orchestra of the academy of music Basel is an important part of Music Performance and performs under the guidance of internationally renowned conductors such as Heinz Holliger, Ronald Zollman, Jonathan Nott, and Gábor Takács-Nagy, primarily large-scale repertoire works from the 19th and 20th centuries, often also in collaboration with the music academies in Lucerne, Geneva and Zurich.

Works performed included:
Franz Schubert: Messe in Es-Dur für Chor, Soli und Orchester, D 950
György Ligeti: Atmosphères
Richard Wagner: Vorspiel zum 1. Akt der Oper Lohengrin
Gustav Mahler: Sinfonie Nr. 4 G-Dur für Sopran und Orchester
Arthur Honnegger: Le Roi David für Soli, Chor, Blaser und grosses Schlagwerk
Gustav Mahler: Sinfonie Nr. 1 (Der Titan)
Richard Strauss: Suite aus der Oper Der Rosenkavalier
Johannes Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem für Soli, Chor und Orchester op. 45

The Chamber Academy Basel, the chamber orchestra of the Basel Academy of Music, performs without a conductor under the direction of the concertmaster, playing solo concertos and orchestral works from the Baroque period to the 20th century, often with professors from the academy as soloists.

The chamber choir is considered the concert choir of the Basel Academy of Music FHNW. In addition to demanding a cappella vocal music, the chamber choir, conducted by Martin Wettges, also performs works with orchestra. Those who sing in the chamber choir are exempt from participating in the ‘large choir’. Chamber choir can also be taken as an elective subject. Participants must pass an entrance exam. Most of them receive voice training or attend lessons with singing teachers. The choir conducting class is also involved, leading sectional and full rehearsals.

Works performed included:
Franz Schubert (1797–1828): Messe in Es-Dur für Chor, Soli und Orchester, D 950
Heinrich Schütz jubiliert – Glückwünsche aus dem Jenseits mit Musik von Giovanni Gabrieli, Claudio Monteverdi, Johann Hermann Schein, Johann Sebastian Bach, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Johannes Brahms, Hugo Distler, Knut Nystedt und Heinrich Schütz

All first- and second-year Bachelor's students sing in the large choir of the Basel Academy of Music FHNW. The focus is on discovering one's own voice, targeted voice training and a general introduction to choir singing and the a cappella vocal repertoire. One concert is held per semester. In addition to Martin Wettges, guest conductors also regularly lead this choir.

The final concerts offer students of all study courses at the Basel Academy of Music a unique opportunity to perform publicly as a soloist on the main stage, accompanied by the Sinfonieorchester Basel or the Kammerorchester Basel.
The selection process takes place within the framework of an internal university competition.

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
• the school leaving qualification
• the Bachelor Diploma
• Second Master applicants: Master Diploma

On-Site
The live auditions will take place at the end of April. The exact dates may be seen here.

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 at the beginning of May.

The entrance exams 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
A video recording must be submitted together with the registration.
Repertoire requirements

Video requirements

• Each work/movement must be recorded from a fixed camera perspective and without any cuts.
• The hands and the face of the musician must be visible.
• It is recommended to use a suitable stereo microphone and place it conveniently.
• The recordings must not be older than 6 months.
• Publicly recorded concerts may be submitted as long as they meet the above-mentioned requirements.

Please upload the videos onto YouTube and addthe links to your application. If yousubmitone single video of the complete programme, please set markers so that the individual works/movements can be selected directly.

Only those applicants who will be considered for the second round will be invited for the live audition.

Second round: Live audition
The repertoire to be performed (see Repertoire requirements) may be identical to the one submitted in the video. Please include the list of works in your registration.
Changes of the programme are only possible until 14 days before the live audition. In such a case, please send the updated list of works in time to registration.hsm@fhnw.ch.
The candidate may choose the first piece. Afterwards, the jury will select from the prepared repertoire and may interrupt the audition at any time.
After the audition, there will be a short conversation about the goals and contents of the study programme, the applicant’spreviouseducation, careerobjectives, preferred teacher, etc.