International Master New Music (Bern - Dresden - Salzburg)
Profound knowledge and skills in the field of contemporary and new music are among the professional requirements of musicians and singers. The International Master's Programme in New Music is a cooperative programme between the Mozarteum University Salzburg, the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden and the Bern Academy of the Arts which offers students a comprehensive range of courses and the opportunity to establish international, professional contacts.
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About the course
Students spend one academic year at each of two of the cooperating universities and can take advantage of the international study opportunities offered by the three partner institutions. In addition to instrumental or vocal lessons and a focus on contemporary chamber music, the artistic study programme offers experience in areas such as music theatre, live electronics and improvisation. In addition, students will participate in joint ensemble project, the results of which are presented alternately at all three partner institutions.
The international Master's programme is aimed at prospective students who have already completed a relevant Bachelor's degree or another equivalent degree at a recognised Austrian or foreign educational institution.
The following principal studies are offered in the Master of New Music at the Mozarteum:
- Voice
- Piano, Organ
- Oboe, recorder, flute, clarinet, bassoon, bass tuba, percussion instruments
- Guitar, Viola, Violin, Violoncello
Participation in the Erasmus programme is compulsory. Semesters 3 and 4 must be spent at one of the two partner institutions and the degree programme completed there.
General course information
The International Master in Contemporary Music (Bern - Dresden - Salzburg) is offered as a cooperative degree programme by the Mozarteum University, the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden and Bern Academy of the Arts, and serves to develop international study opportunities for the students of the three partner institutions.
The first two semesters of the course take place at the respective home institution, while the last two semesters are spent in student exchange at one of the other two partner institutions (Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden or Hochschule der Künste Bern). Joint ensemble projects are carried out and performed alternately by all three partner institutions of the cooperative study programme.
The aim of the Master's programme is to deepen and complement the academic and artistic skills acquired in an undergraduate degree relevant to the subject. The Master's programme in New Music qualifies students for the following professional fields:
- Soloist
- Chamber musician
- Orchestral musician (for example in chamber, opera and symphony orchestras, orchestras and ensembles for contemporary music)
- Freelance artist
The study programme serves to qualify students for professional activities that require the application of artistic and academic knowledge and methods, for example in the field of cultural management, publishing, source evaluation, musicology, etc. In addition, the degree programme contributes to students' personal development and the furthering of their social skills. Students will learn to perceive and help shape developments in the arts and in soceity as a whole.
A Master's project must be completed in the Master's programme in New Music. The project must be fully documented and a final examination in the principal study will be performed in front of an examination panel.
The curriculum provides an overview of the courses to be completed, which are grouped into modules.
The courses are visible online in Curriculum Support:
Two semesters abroad are mandatory for students of the Master's programme in New Music.
Semesters one and two are completed at the home institution, semesters three and four at one of the two partner institutions of the cooperative study programme. During the two semesters abroad, the courses of the equivalent curriculum of the respective partner institution must be taken.
There is no legal requirement to complete the stay at a specific partner institution.
Admission to a master's program requires the completion of a relevant bachelor's degree (BA) or another equivalent degree at a recognised domestic or foreign post-secondary educational institution (e.g. university, college) (§ 64 Para. 3 UG 2002).
A prerequisite for starting the course is also passing an audition. Auditions take place once a year and consist of an instrumental audition and, if necessary, proof of German language skills. All information about the audition can be found under “Information on the admissions process” further down on the page.
PLEASE NOTE: You can only apply for study programmes for which you have not yet obtained a degree!
Information on the admissions process
Admission to an MA Performance programme requires the completion of a relevant bachelor's degree (BA) or other equivalent degree at a recognised domestic or foreign post-secondary educational institution (e.g. university, college) (§ 64 Para. 3 UG 2002).
A prerequisite for admission to this university course is also the successful completion of an audition. Registration for an audition is completed online and requires candidates to upload documents proving their eligibility for the course. Following approval of the application by the university’s admissions office, applicants will be invited to upload an application video to Muvac. Applicants who pass the video round will be invited to an on-site audition in Salzburg.
PLEASE NOTE:
- Document checks can take up to 6 weeks! Early registration is therefore recommended.
- Evaluation of all application videos will commence only after the deadline for video uploads (20.03.2025) has passed, and can take up to 4 weeks!
- You can only apply for degree programmes for which you have not yet obtained a degree!
The audition panel will make a selection based on the application videos submitted. The selected applicants will be invited to an on-site audition. This consists of an instrumental audition and, if necessary, a test of German language skills.
The following documents must be uploaded in the online application form:
- BA certificate or degree certificate of a relevant degree programme, if the degree programme has already been completed
- Confirmation of current enrolment if the degree programme has not yet been completed (the certificate must be submitted prior to enrolment!)
- Overview of subjects and grades (Transcript of Records) of the BA degree programme
- Official confirmation of the principal study, if this is not evident from the other documents (e.g. "Bachelor of Music" is not sufficient!)
- If further previous studies have been completed, a full overview of subjects and grades (Transcript of Records) of all artistic and pedagogical Master's and diploma studies must also be uploaded.
Format of documents
- The documents can be uploaded as PDF in the application form.
- If the documents are not available in German or English, an official translation must be submitted.
Please note:
Applicants who pass the audition and are offered a university place must ensure that their documents meet the certification requirements by the time of their enrolment at the latest.
The application video does not need to be uploaded with the application. Applicants will only be invited to upload a video once their documents have been verified and their personal details processed.
1. Create a basic account in MOZonline
2. in MOZonline: fill in the mandatory statistics UHstat1 (pre-registration for studies) and note the application number that you will receive by email afterwards
3. create an application account in Muvac
4. fill out your own profile in Muvac (in any case necessary: personal data, information on expertise matching the desired degree programme, in the CV: current employment and information on previous training)
During the application period:
5. selection of the desired degree programme in Muvac (Browse -> Studies)
6. Fill out the application form in Muvac ("Apply now") - in the form, the application number (see step 2) or the Austrian matriculation number must be entered in the appropriate place
- Online registration during the application period via the application portal Muvac (Please note: Registration is only possible if all required information and documents have been submitted!)
- Once the online application has been processed: invitation to the video pre-selection in Muvac; the application video must be uploaded there by the deadline specified.
- If successful in the pre-selection (video) round: invitation to on-site audition. The invitation will be sent via Muvac.
- The invitation to audition on-site must be accepted or rejected in Muvac; information on the audition programme in the principal study must be provided if required by the instrument/degree programme in question
- participation in the on-site audition
- Upon passing the audition and being offered a place: invitation to enrol in the degree programme
- Enrolment (in person) during the general admission period
The repetition of composite parts of the audition in case of failure is not permitted; the audition can only be repeated in its entirety and only in the next academic year. The audition can be repeated an unlimited number of times.
A pre-selection of applicants will be made by the audition panel based on the videos submitted.
The video must contain three pieces of New Music of different styles that are typical of the repertoire for the applicant's instrument or voice.
General information on the application video is listed below and must be observed urgently!
Upon successful processing of their application, applicants will be invited to the video pre-selection round in Muvac.
Applicants who wish to accept the invitation must upload their video by 20.03.2025.
If participation in the video pre-selection round is not confirmed by the deadline, and therefore no video is uploaded, the application will not be considered and the status of the application will be changed to "did not participate". In this case, the application process will automatically be discontinued.
Video files are to be created by the applicant themselves and uploaded to the application platform Muvac. The following guidelines must be observed:
- Both the face and body of the applicant must be visible in the video.
- The picture and sound quality of the video should be as good as possible. If the sound and/or image quality is insufficient, the video will not be considered.
- The sound recording in the video must not be electronically amplified or altered.
- Video editing is not permitted* - the recording must not be edited/cut and must run from beginning to end. Exactly one video must be submitted per application.
- Information on the content and duration of the video is given on the web page of the relevant degree programme.
- If possible, the names of the pieces should be given in the video description (title of the video in Muvac).
Piano accompaniment in the video
- String instruments (except for solo pieces).
- Wind instruments (exception for recorder: harpsichord accompaniment; for oboe and bassoon: piano or harpsichord accompaniment)
The programme presented must contain pieces typical of the repertoire for the candidate's instrument or voice and should demonstrate technical and stylistic diversity.
The audition consists of an artistic presentation of 20-25 minutes, which includes three works of New Music of different styles.
- Required language level: according to the requirements of the home institution, currently:
B1 for the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber
A2 for Bern Academy of Arts and for the Mozarteum University Salzburg (language level according to the Common European Framework of Reference CEFR 2001) - Information on the German examination and the recognised certificates can be found HERE
Application video: upload in Muvac until 20.3.2025
Exam A - Instrumental audition to determine artistic aptitude: depending on main subject (ZKF)
- Voice: 1.7.-4.7.2025
- Piano: 2.6.-6.6.2025
- Organ: 3.6.2025
- Oboe: 6.6.2025
- Recorder: 21.5.2025
- Flute: 13.5.2025
- Clarinet: 12.6.2025
- Bassoon: 6.6.2025
- Bass tuba: 14.5.2025
- Percussion instruments: 10.6.2025
- Guitar: 3.6.2025
- Viola: 4.6.2025
- Violin: 10.6.-11.6.2025
- Violoncello: 10.6.-11.6.2025
- Conducting: online interview 4.4.2025, Conducting 15.5.-16.5.2025 (in planning
Exam B - German language skills: certificate (to be presented upon enrolment)
Please note that the Mozarteum University Salzburg offers various support options at the time of your audition and during your studies if you have a disability or a chronic illness.
If this applies to you and you would like to take advantage of counselling, please contact Claudia Haitzmann: claudia.haitzmann@moz.ac.at or +43 676 88122 337.
Any questions?
You can find more information about starting your studies here:
