School of Music & Art Education

In 2018, SOMA was included in the organisational plan of the Mozarteum University as a "special institution for art, teaching and research". In addition to providing high-quality education and training for future music, art, dance and theatre teachers, it is a centre for interdisciplinary research. A special concern of SOMA is the networking of pedagogical studies in the field of the arts with internal and external fields of practice and research, as well as the connection of teaching to subject-relevant research, especially subject-didactic research. This enables the teachers of tomorrow to encounter artists, whose art they will later introduce to others, without barriers and as a matter of course. Thus, the SOMA is a meeting point for the high standards of artistic perfection and the equally high bar we set ourselves introducing young people to art through high quality teaching.

The Mozarteum University considers the training of music, art, dance and theatre teachers as a core area of its educational mission. Excellent teachers are important as disseminators, especially in music and art education, in order to awaken enthusiasm in young people and to enable them to gain fundamental experience in building up and actively participating in the cultural life in society. This requires educators who are capable of implementing and reflecting on art and music in an independent and creative way. The Mozarteum University offers the appropriate environment and resources for this.

The research focuses on teaching and learning in the fields of music, art, dance and theatre education in both institutional and open contexts and applied arts. The aim is to promote the discussion and processing of research questions as well as to establish and expand new and existing research networks and cooperations.

Pedagogical-artistic director: Anna Maria Kalcher

Deputy: Elisabeth Freiss

SOMA Board: professors of education from the participating departments:

• Department of Music Education Salzburg & Innsbruck
• Department of Fine Arts & Design Salzburg & Innsbruck
• Thomas Bernhard Institute
• Orff Institute