MA Specialized Music Performance | Early Music Medieval-Renaissance instrument/voice

Hochschule für Musik Basel

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.

  • Developing the best possible instrumental/vocal competence and the greatest possible ensemble ability
  • In-depth study of research topics from earlier music
  • Competence building in reflected academic work and in the teaching of the same

Steckbrief

ECTS-Punkte
120
Abschluss
Master of Arts FHNW in Spezialisierter Musikalischer Performance, Studienrichtung Alte Musik Mittelalter-Renaissance instrumental / vokal
Studienbeginn
September
Dauer
4 semesters
Studienmodus
Vollzeit
Unterrichtssprache
Deutsch
(
level B1 is required
)
Semestergebühr
750 CHF (CH) | 1000 CHF (EU/EFTA) | 1250 CHF (Not-EU/Not-EFTA)
Anmeldegebühr
200 CHF
Lernsetting
Präsenz
Auslandaufenthalt
nicht vorgesehen
Ort
Campus Musik-Akademie Basel / Provisorium Letzi

Zukunftsaussichten

What is a Lute, Gittern, Citole, Cetra, Cythara? Which medieval plucked instruments can be learned and studied at the Schola?

Prof. Marc Lewon, Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, presents medieval plectrum instruments


Learning outcomes

The primary goal of this programme is to help to develop an independent artistic personality as well as the ability to combine historic and artistic aspects of Early Music both creatively and with outstanding instrumental/vocal proficiency. Given that career prospects for musicians specialising in the medieval and Renaissance periods is limited to the open ‘music market’ (i.e. concerts, tuition and recordings), it is especially important that students nurture their artistic and intellectual independence, develop a distinctive and creative musical personality and perfect their ability to deliver compelling performances of the highest calibre.

Career prospects

Career opportunities for medieval-Renaissance music specialists include performance work in concert, festival and Early Music concert series settings. As expert ensemble musicians, they are qualified to play with existing ensembles or establish their own ensemble. A number of graduates opt to pursue a career in academic research, while others choose to share their experience and expertise in workshops and masterclasses.

Target audience

This Master’s programme is aimed at students who hold a very good Bachelor of Arts with a specialisation in medieval/Renaissance music from the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, as well as those who have studied elsewhere but have a solid grounding in the theory and practice of Early Music. The focus of the study programme is European music from Carolingian period until the 16th century.

Aufbau und Inhalte

History window: Music in the Middle Ages

Prof. Dr. Marc Lewon and Prof. Dr. Johannes Menke of Schola Cantorum Basiliensis as a guest on the podcast

The Specialised Master's in Medieval and Renaissance Music focuses on music from approximately the 9th to the 16th century. It builds on a completed Master's degree in Medieval and Renaissance Music and requires a solid foundation in the relevant theoretical, technical and contextual subjects and topics.

The programme leads to the highest possible level of instrumental/vocal competence in solo performance, but at the same time emphasises ensemble skills, which are particularly important in Medieval and Renaissance music. The main subjects permitted are singing and early plucked instruments (plectrum lute, harp), keyboard instruments, string instruments and wind instruments (recorder, traverso, shawm).

A high level of aptitude and willingness to work independently are required. Through in-depth engagement with research topics in early music, students demonstrate their competence in reflective and scientific work and in communicating this competence, and put it into practice.

The Schola Cantorum Basiliensis is a renowned centre for Medieval and Early Renaissance music. With top-class lecturers and an inspiring and diverse community of students, musicians in the final stages of their studies receive optimal support in preparing for a varied international career as innovative performers.

Modules and Reglements

The BA and MA degree programs 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 program.
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

Structure MA Early Music Musical Performance Medieval–Renaissance instrument/voice in German


Minor Improvisation
Structure Minor Early Music Improvisation

Minor Renaissance-Studien
Structure Minor Early Music Renaissance-Studien

Minor Zweitinstrument/Gesang
Structure Minor Early Music Zweitinstrument/Voice

Minor Musikalischer Satz und Geschichte
Structure

Module descriptions

Below please find the link with all the information on the module descriptions of several FHNW universities.

  • At the top right, switch the language settings to English.
  • At the bottom right, 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 at the top left to call up a document from each overview and save it for yourself.
  • Course registrations are made via the intranet.
Study Regulations

Study Course Regulation MA Early Music Musical Performance Medieval–Renaissance instrument/voice in German

Vertiefungen

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International

Leitung und Dozierende

Teaching staff Schola Cantorum Basiliensis

Our internationally renowned teachers

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Voraussetzungen, Zulassung, Eignungsabklärung

Language skills

We expect students to have good German language skills at the beginning of the studies. 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 (CEFR)) at the beginning of the studies.

Admission

To be admitted to the Master’s programme, applicants must hold a Bachelor degree in Music/Music and Movement or an equivalent qualification.

Applicants who have failed any part of their Bachelor degree programme may be provisionally admitted to the Master’s programme under the condition that they successfully resit the relevant exam(s) by the end of the first MA semester. In order to be accepted for study, enough billable ECTS credit points must be available to fulfil all requirements of the diploma programme. For the Master's degree the minimum is 30 ECTS credit points. Applicants must declare any ECTS credits they have acquired from a previous course of study that they had failed to complete.

The admission procedure requires applicants to pass an aptitude test.

The admission procedure breaks down as follows:

  1. Verification that the applicant meets all formal admission criteria
  2. Admission to the aptitude test
  3. Aptitude test (entrance exam)
  4. Decision on admission.

Admission shall be granted for the academic year to which the aptitude test applies. This test may be retaken no more than once per degree programme/major, but no earlier than the next official aptitude test date.

Places on the degree programme are limited; a quota is set for first-year admissions. Based on the framework regulations governing student intake restrictions for Bachelor and Master’s degree programmes at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts (FHNW), the FHNW Academy of Music shall make its final selection based on the level and comparative ranking of the applicants' examination results.

For further information on the admission criteria, please see the Study Course Regulation MA Early Music Musical Performance Medieval–Renaissance instrument/voice in German

Entrance exam

The entrance exam takes place on site in Basel.

Persons unable to take an on-site exam for visa, financial or environmental (long distance travel) reasons may submit a request for an online entrance exam (video presentation and live interview). This request must be sent to scb.hsm@fhnw.ch at the same time as the application (by 31 January), stating the reasons, and must then be approved by the management.

On-site audition
Audition plus interview
Please prepare a programme of 15 to max. 20 minutes with pieces from at least three different stylistic fields. Use the repertoire samples as a guide. The programme must be submitted together with the list of works for the entrance exam on-site. The candidate may choose the first piece. Then, the jury will decide which works to play and is allowed to interrupt the audition at any time. Afterwards, there will be a short conversation about the study objectives and contents as well as the applicant’s prior education, experience and career goals, the preferred professor, etc.

The general section of the entrance exam (theory) takes place on the same day, usually before or after the on-site audition for the main subject (duration: 20 min.).

  • sing and identify intervals, tone sequences and simple chords.
  • sing and notate a simple tonal melody (e.g.: a tenor)
  • improvise a continuation to the dictated melody with your voice and, if possible, sing a simple contrapuntal counterpart to it.
  • answer questions about tonality and the function of the melody in the movement
  • sight-sing a simple vocal part from modern notation (e.g. from a chanson)

Minor
For a Minor second instrument, the requirements are generally the same as for the main subject but with the following changes:

  • Please prepare two pieces of music from the requested repertoire for main subject
  • Duration: 10 minutes

The Minor exam takes place together with the examinations for the main subjects. Please keep the corresponding date (see list of entrance exams per main subject) free in any case. The entrance examinations for the Minor in improvisation will take place at the same date as the exam for improvisation as a main subject.

Dates

Registration
You may apply from 15 December until 31 January.

The following documents must be handed in with your application:

On-site
The on-site auditions will take place between mid-March and mid-April. The exact dates may be seen here after the beginning of January.

Announcement of the results
The results will be communicated by email in the beginning of May.

Beratung und Info-Anlässe

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Kontakt

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