International Master New Music (Bern - Dresden - Salzburg)

The International Master of Contemporary Music (Bern - Dresden - Salzburg) is offered as a cooperative degree programme by the Mozarteum University, the Carl Maria von Weber University of Music Dresden and the Bern University of the Arts and serves to develop international study opportunities for the students of the three partner institutions.

The first two semesters of study 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 professional training on the basis of Bachelor's programmes that are relevant to the subject. The Master's programme in New Music qualifies students for the following professional fields:

• Soloist
• Chamber musician
• Orchestra 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 scientific knowledge and methods, for example in the field of cultural management, publishing, source evaluation, musicology, etc. The degree programme should contribute to the development of the student's personality and social skills and enable them to perceive and help shape artistic and overall social developments.

A Master's project must be completed in the Master's programme in New Music. This consists of a final module examination in the respective central artistic subject, including documentation of the Master's project.

Link to Semester plan 

Admission to the Master's programme Neue Musik requires the completion of a Bachelor's programme (BA) or another equivalent programme at a recognised Austrian or foreign post-secondary educational institution (e.g. university, college) (§ 64 Abs. 3 UG 2002). 

In addition, a prerequisite for admission to the degree programme is the successful completion of the admission examination. For this, an online application is first required, during which the necessary documents are checked. Only after the completely submitted documents have been checked and the application video has been positively assessed will an invitation to the admission examination be issued.

ATTENTION:

• The examination of the pre-study documents can take up to 4 weeks! Early application is therefore recommended.
• You can only apply for studies for which you have not yet obtained a degree!

Documents required for online application

• BA certificate or degree certificate of a relevant degree programme, if the degree programme has already been completed
• Current confirmation of enrolment if the degree programme has not yet been completed (the certificate must be submitted by the time of enrolment!)
• overview of subjects and grades (Transcript of Records) of the BA degree programme
• Official confirmation of the main subject/instrument, if this is not evident from the other documents (e.g. "Bachelor of Music" is not sufficient!)
• If further previous studies are available, a complete overview of subjects and grades (Transcript of Records) of all artistic and pedagogical Master's and diploma studies must also be uploaded.
• Application video

Form of the documents

• The documents can be uploaded as PDF in the application form, the video will be entered as a link.
• If the documents mentioned are not available in German or English, an official translation must be submitted.

Application video

On the basis of the videos sent in, a pre-selection will be made by the examination committee. The video is to be uploaded on a video platform of choice.
The video must contain three representative pieces of New Music of different stylistic orientation for the respective instrument or for singing.

Important information on video uploads can be found HERE, as well as the data protection information. The guidelines mentioned there are to be observed urgently!

The entrance examination

If you have received an invitation to the entrance examination on the basis of your application video, you will have to take the following partial examinations:

A - Instrumental audition to determine artistic aptitude 

The programme presented must contain representative pieces for the respective instrument or for singing, taking into account the technical and stylistic diversity.

The entrance examination consists of an artistic presentation of 20-25 minutes, which includes three works of New Music of different stylistic orientation.

B - German language skills

• Required language level: according to the requirements of the home institution, currently:
  B1 for the Dresden University of Music
  A2 for the Hochschule der Künste Bern and for the Universität Mozarteum 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

Dates & timetable

The dates of the entrance examination as well as important deadlines can be found in the current schedule. 
Time schedule:

• Examination registration during the application period online via the registration portal for university applicants
  (ATTENTION: Registration only possible if documents are complete, including video!)
• If the application video is positive: Invitation to the on-site entrance examination
• Participation in the on-site admission test in May/June
• if you pass the admission test: invitation to enrol for the degree programme
• Enrolment during the general admission period

Different examination method

Please note that the University Mozarteum Salzburg offers various support options for the admission examination 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.

Two semesters abroad are mandatory for students of the Master's program 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 program. During the two semesters abroad, the courses of the equivalent curriculum of the respective partner institution must be taken.

There is no legal claim to complete the stay at a specific partner institution.