Instrumental Studies and Conducting Master (Focus: Performance)

1. current passport photo (the following formats are accepted: GIF, JPEG, JPG or PNG)
2. Complete and up-to-date curriculum vitae in tabular form (up to the year of application)
3. School leaving certificate (if not yet available, the last school certificate is sufficient for the time being), in case of foreign certificates a certified translation in German or English is required*
4. If applying for a Master's degree: Bachelor's certificate or equivalent, "Transcript of Records", if applying for a concert exam: Master's certificate or equivalent, "Transcript of Records "*
5. For applicants from the People's Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, certificate of the Academic Evaluation Service (APS) (PR China // Vietnam)
6. Proof of language skills according to the requirements of the degree programmes (see below, Language certificates)
7. Please note that you have to submit additional documents in the different study programmes. Please inform yourself about this on the website of the respective study program for which you are applying under "aptitude test". Among other things, letter of motivation, assignments, phoniatric report (voice)...

*If you do not have all final certificates at the time of application, please submit the most recent certificates and supporting documents in advance. Submit the final documents without being asked and in good time before the start of your studies. If you have any questions, please contact us immediately.  

Please fill out the online application completely and upload all requested documents. After you have submitted your online application with a final mouse click, you will receive an email from us confirming the receipt of your application.

After the application deadline, you will receive an invoice from us for an administrative fee of 50 Euro. Please transfer the fee to the account of the HfMDK stating your invoice number and name within the mentioned payment deadline. Only when the administrative fee has been credited to the university's account is your application complete and can be processed.

The application fee is charged per applicant. If you apply for two courses or subjects, no further fee is due. The fee will be due again if you reapply at a later date (new round of applications).

A refund of the application fee is excluded - this also applies if the application is withdrawn.

3 pieces from 3 stylistic periods. Single movements are enough.

The complete program (see homepage) is not required in digital form. Submit at least two different sets with one take per set.

The program to be submitted includes
- one etude of your choice.
- additionally two works from at least two different epochs (complete works or representative excerpts of at least 10 minutes each).

Duration of the video: approx. 25-30 minutes

2 works (also single movements) from 2 different epochs.
Duration 7-10 min

A 15-minute recording that should include a piece of classical music, a work of free choice, and 2 orchestral parts of your own choice.

1. a first movement from one of Mozart's violin concertos
2. a first movement or last movement from a violin concerto of the romantic, classical modern or modern period
3. a caprice by Paganini or Wieniawski

Total duration: at least 20 minutes

two pieces of different genres with a total of max. 10 minutes of playing time (possibly also in excerpts)

Please record at least ten minutes from your prepared entrance examination repertoire for an application video. Each of the works from the three epochs should be represented; you can determine the excerpts (e.g. individual movements or form parts) yourself. Of course, sight-reading is not required

The three pieces do not have to be recorded in one take, but they should come from the same recording situation (i.e. no recordings from different concerts) and be uncut

1. Examination section (approx. 35 minutes)

• Conducting orchestral recitative with piano accompaniment while marking vocal parts: Mendelssohn - Elijah No. 10
• Singing: performance of three works of different styles: an aria (from opera or oratorio), an art song, an unaccompanied folk song
• Piano: performance of two works of different styles
• Choral score performance (prepared): Performance of a self-selected choral work on the piano (at the level of difficulty Rheinberger - Cantus Missae, op. 109)
• Sight-reading and sight-reading of a choral score (at the level of difficulty of Mendelsohn op. 69) as well as sight-reading of a light orchestral score and a piano reduction
• possibly an oral aural examination with increased requirements

2. Examination section (approx. 20 minutes)

Conducting a choir rehearsal including voice training based on a choral work which will be sent to the applicants two weeks before the aptitude test

Only complete works are to be prepared, except for cycles in which the performance of individual parts is customary. With the exception of modern or contemporary works, the program must be performed from memory. It includes

• Works from four different stylistic periods
• additionally two etudes, including at least one by Frédéric Chopin.

The program must have a total length of approximately 45 minutes. The playing time is 10-15 minutes.

The purpose of the examination is to determine the status of the prerequisites necessary for admission to a master's program. These are in particular:

• a level of playing technique that enables the performance of even difficult literature from all relevant epochs and stylistic areas.
• differentiated tonal shaping possibilities
• Overview of the entire repertoire from the Middle Ages to the present day
• Artistic personality with recognizable personal creative will

Examination program with 3 works: (duration approx. 15 minutes).

• High baroque sonata or concerto on the alto recorder
• one piece of the 14th - 17th century on the soprano recorder (e.g.: Estampie, Sonata or Canzone or Variationenwerk)
• a piece of the 20th or 21st century.

• a work by a composer before Bach
• a large free organ work by Bach
• one trio sonata
• three chorale arrangements
• one work of the Romantic period
• one contemporary work

Admission to a master's program requires proof of successful completion of a bachelor's degree or equivalent in the respective instrument. The examination serves to determine the status of the prerequisites necessary for admission to a master's degree program.

These are in particular:

• a level of playing technique that enables the performance of even difficult literature from all relevant epochs and stylistic areas
• pronounced harpsichord-specific sound development
• Overview of the harpsichord repertoire from the 16th to the late 18th century; insight into the repertoire of the 20th/21st century
• artistic personality with recognizable personal creative will
• advanced skills in stylistically differentiated basso continuo playing

Examination program with representative works of a higher degree of difficulty from at least 3 different stylistic areas (from these the commission selects music of a duration of approx. 15 minutes), among them:

• a demanding work from the 16th/17th century (e.g. Fitzwilliams Virginal Book, Italian Toccata)
• a complete suite from the French (e.g. d'Angelbert, L. or F. Couperin, Rameau, Duphly) or German style (e.g. Partita or English Suite by J. S. Bach, Handel)
• a polyphonic piece or a work with distinct polyphonic parts (e.g. J. S. Bach: WTK Prelude and Fugue, Toccata, or Ricercar of the 17th century or similar)
• a piece with higher/ high technical demands of the German high or late baroque or the pre- and early classical period or a sonata by D. Scarlatti, Soler, Seixas or a work of the 20th/21st century.
• In addition, primavista playing of a thoroughbass of medium difficulty and a movement to be performed in chamber music (sheet music will be sent two weeks before the exam and soloist will be provided) are expected.

• four works of higher difficulty, each from the 16th/17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
• From sight-reading

The purpose of the examination is to determine the status of the prerequisites necessary for admission to a master's program. These are in particular:

• A level of playing technique that enables the performance of even difficult literature from all relevant epochs and stylistic areas
• An overview of the lute repertoire from the 16th to the late 18th century.
• artistic personality with recognizable personal creative will
• differentiated tonal shaping possibilities
• advanced skills in playing the basso continuo

Examination program with works on at least 2 differently tuned lute instruments including a prepared continuo piece from at least 2 different stylistic areas; from this, the commission selects music lasting approx. 15 minutes. In addition, the expected advanced skills are tested in a short sight-reading performance of a thoroughbass.

The purpose of the examination is to determine the status of the prerequisites necessary for admission to a master's program. These are in particular:

• a level of playing technique that enables the performance of even difficult literature from all relevant epochs and stylistic areas
• differentiated tonal shaping possibilities
• An overview of the gamba repertoire from the 16th to the late 18th century
• artistic personality with recognizable personal creative will

Examination program with a program of approx. 15 minutes duration, including:

• German sonata of the high baroque or early classical period (e.g. Graun, J. S. Bach, C. F. Abel, C. Ph. E. Bach)
• Suite of the French High Baroque (e.g. A. Forqueray, C. d. Hervelois, M. Marais)
• Renaissance (demanding diminution on a madrigal e.g. after Rognioni, Bassano, Dalla Casa)

• 20 min. prelude: 3 pieces from 3 stylistic periods (prepare complete works)
• Sight-reading

• an etude of higher difficulty
• a concerto
• a multi-movement work of higher difficulty from different stylistic periods
• Sight-reading

• 3 pieces from 3 style periods (prepare whole pieces)
• Sight-reading

• 3 works from 3 different style periods (complete works)
• Orchestral pieces: Beethoven 6th Symphony, A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Sight-reading

• a classical concert
• a romantic concerto
• one sonata of the original literature or one work for double bass solo
• 6 orchestral pieces

• A program of four complete works from different stylistic periods is submitted. The commission will select the works or excerpts to be performed from these.
• an audition piece staccato: either "Silken Ladder" (Rossini) without introduction or "Scottish Symphony" (Mendelssohn), free choice of the examinee
• Robert Schumann, 2nd romance from op. 94 as compulsory piece

• a program of about 20 minutes duration with works from three stylistic periods
• Sight-reading

Four fully prepared pieces from different stylistic periods. An artistic statement must be recognizable, basic things (tone, articulation, intonation) must be consolidated. One piece should contain modern playing techniques.

Total duration of the exam is about 20 minutes. The order of the program items will be determined in each case before the examination begins.

• Repertoire examination on the instruments timpani, snare drum, baton playing (xylophone, glockenspiel, vibraphone, marimba) and "set-up piece" (repertoire examination approx. 20 minutes in total)
• Sight-reading

• Works from 3 different style periods
• Sight-reading

Duration approx. 15-20 minutes

• An etude of higher difficulty
• A concerto (for tuba a multi-movement work)
• A multi-movement work of higher difficulty from different stylistic periods
• Sight-reading

four works from four different epochs including:

• a first movement from a viola concerto
• one solo work (whole)
• one chamber music work/one sonata (whole)
• one free piece
• 2 orchestral pieces
• Sight-reading

By J. S. Bach:

• Solo Sonata in G minor, 1st and 2nd movement or
• Solo Sonata in A minor, 1st and 2nd movement or
• Solo sonata C major, 1st and 2nd movement or
• Partita E major: Preludio - Loure - Gavotte en rondeau or
• Partitad minor:Chaconneor
• Partita in B minor: Allemande - Courante - Tempo di Borea

Also:

• a first movement from one of Mozart's violin concertos
• a first movement from a violin concerto of the 19th or 20th century
• a caprice by Paganini
• a modern work (from the Viennese School, no late or neo-Romantic works!)
• 2 orchestral pieces
• Sight-reading

• a concerto
• a Bach suite
• one sonata or solo work
• 2 orchestral parts
• Sight-reading