All degree programmes, Basel Academy of Music

A diverse and international community of lecturers and students awaits you at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. The Medieval programme is the world’s only full-time Bachelor’s programme of its kind. It combines technical support on instruments from the Middle Ages and the early Renaissance with contemporary vocal techniques. The programme offers a specialisation in repertoire studies and historical improvisation practice. Students gain access to the theoretical and music-historical basis for musical practice.

A diverse and international community of lecturers and students awaits you at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. The bachelor’s degree programme is dedicated to a repertoire from the 16th to the end of the 19th century and its historical contexts. In the instrument/voice major, technical skills are honed and the practical and aesthetic principles of music are developed. The aim of the course is to achieve a high level of musical competence in solo and ensemble playing. The context of historical performance practice is explored through theory and complementary offerings.

At the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, a theory of early music has been developed since the 1970s that takes into account the different framework conditions of musical works of art of the past and leaves room for the contribution of musical practice to the creation of a musical work. In this master’s degree, students choose different areas of specialisation ranging from the earliest examples of European polyphonic music to the period around 1850. The Schola Cantorum Basiliensis is a recognised centre for early music. With high-calibre lecturers and an inspiring and diverse community of students, it offers ideal conditions for studying music at the highest level.

Do you want to combine music, performance and theatre? Do you want to implement your own artistic and scenic projects? Are you curious about collaborative ways of working? Then our unique transdisciplinary degree programme will open up exciting prospects.

Early music has long since ceased to be a marginal phenomenon in the cultural scene and has also been included in the educational offerings of music schools and universities for some time now. The master’s qualification at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis enables graduates to teach in music schools and conservatories around the world in a sound and inspiring manner. At the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, you will find a unique international community of high-calibre lecturers and students for your educational and artistic development.

The master’s degree programme at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Medieval Renaissance focuses on music from the 9th to the 16th century. It builds on previous studies in music with a good historical foundation and leads to the development of interpretative sovereignty in theory and practice. The focus is, on the one hand, on instrument/voice competence in solo performance and, on the other, on a reflective and communicative ensemble culture, which is particularly required in Medieval/Renaissance music. The Schola Cantorum Basiliensis is an inspiring international community of high-calibre lecturers and students.

This degree programme imparts a broad understanding of the stylistic and aesthetic aspects of music, enabling students to engage in-depth with historical sources and theory, as well as a reflective playing and singing techniques: the essential skills needed not only to preserve historically informed performance practice, but also to convey it in a lively and contemporary way. The programme builds on a bachelor’s degree from the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis or a comparable BA and offers an alternative curriculum for university graduates from other music programmes.

This specialised master’s degree programme at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis aims to train students in musical excellence and thus prepare them for an international career on stage, in church and in the concert hall. The Schola Cantorum Basiliensis is a recognised centre for early music. With high-calibre lecturers and an inspiring and diverse community of students, it offers ideal conditions for studying music at the highest international level.

Composing music in the contemporary musical language was an essential skill for all well-qualified musicians until well into the 19th century. The improvisational approach played a decisive role in the programme and forms the basis of the master’s degree in Improvisation at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. Improvisation in its various forms is central to historical music practice. This is where almost all the skills acquired in early music flow together. In addition to contemporary descriptions and methods, traditional compositions are essential and often the only sources for the unscripted practice of certain epochs. Stylistic composition is therefore a central element of the degree programme, as are improvisation in the ensemble, questions of methodological teaching and performance-related aspects.

This specialised master’s degree programme at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis focuses on music from around the 9th to the 16th century. It builds on a completed master’s degree and a solid foundation in the relevant theoretical, technical and contextual subjects and topics. The Schola Cantorum Basiliensis is a recognised centre for early music. With top-class lecturers and an inspiring and diverse community of students, musicians are optimally prepared for a diverse international career as innovative performers.

This programme is aimed at qualified keyboard players, preferably harpsichordists, with a strong foundation in thoroughbass and the best instrumental, theoretical and creative skills in baroque music. The programme uses the special skills of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis to further develop the acquired skills. The thoroughbass training is combined with ensemble work and conducting. A broad understanding of stylistic and aesthetic aspects as well as an in-depth examination of historical sources and theory round off the profile.

Combine artistic practice and research into a unique profile: with the support of committed mentors and peers, carry out your own artistic research project. Whether in preparation for a PhD or as a tool for your artistic work, Music and Research offers space for artistic innovation and reflection.