The University of Music Würzburg (Hochschule für Musik Würzburg) is one of Germany's best-established and most highly regarded universities of music, and trains musicians, music teachers and musicologists to highest standards in more than ten degree courses.

Diversity and Inspiration

The wide range of subjects available at the University of Music Würzburg, from classical music to jazz in instrumental and vocal training, from pedagogical to musicological and music theoretical subjects, allows students to individually design their courses and develop a comprehensive foundation for their studies. A broad selection of workshops, project phases, study trips and symposia offers additional inspiration for their future careers as musicians, music teachers or musicologists. In addition, challenging master classes give students the opportunity to learn from distinguished musical personalities.

Pinnacle and Base

The University of Music Würzburg trains soloists who demonstrate their talent on stages around the world or find their place in top-class orchestras. Students from the university also regularly attract attention in national and international competitions. The University of Music Würzburg's early advancement programme offers gifted children and youths outstanding support in the form of instrumental and vocal training at university level, while its renowned musicologists represent the University of Music Würzburg within the international scientific establishment. With its music teaching preparation for careers in general education, at music schools and working with adult musical laypersons, it also contributes extensively to general music education and the promotion of Germany's musical culture.

Music and Research

The University of Music Würzburg offers its students a wide range of opportunities to develop their musical abilities to highest standards in numerous instrumental and vocal ensembles, through its symphony orchestra, the university choir and the opera school. In addition, musicological and music teaching research is an integral aspect of the university. The introduction of a doctoral degree course and the hosting of international symposia have added to its significance.

Cosmopolitan Attitude and Regional Ties

Approximately 230 teachers from around the world, including numerous internationally renowned artists, teach over 700 students - almost one third of them from abroad. Particularly the promotion of excellence in its master classes makes the University of Music Würzburg attractive to young musicians from other countries. Conversely, more and more students are spending a semester at one of its European or worldwide partner universities. In addition, the University of Music is deeply rooted in the region through a diverse range of co-operations, and is one of the largest promoters of cultural events in Franconia.

Tradition and Modernity

The University of Music Würzburg is housed in one post-war and two historical buildings, all three recently renovated and technically state-of-the-art. It has its own theatre, where the opera school rehearses and performs its productions, a large concert hall and several other representative concert venues and conference rooms. Its well-stocked library, modern classrooms, numerous rehearsal spaces, high-quality recording studios and well-equipped IT workplaces, all with extended opening hours, facilitate intensive and successful study.

Collegium Musicum Academicum Wirceburgense

The University of Music Würzburg is one of Germany's oldest institutions of music instruction. Its roots go back to the "Collegium Musicum Academicum Wirceburgense" society, formed in 1797 by music-loving academics. Only five years later it had developed into the Academic Institute of Music at the university. In 1820 a singing school was added, the institute was placed under the authority of the royal government of the Untermainkreis and named Königliches Musikinstitut Würzburg (Royal Institute of Music Würzburg).

In 1875, this Institute of Music underwent extensive structural changes as a state institution and was renamed Königliche Musikschule Würzburg (Royal School of Music Würzburg). After its transformation to a Royal Conservatory of Music in 1912 and Bavarian State Conservatory of Music in 1921 it was finally elevated to a state university in 1973. The integration of the Hermann Zilcher Conservatory of the city of Würzburg in September 2001 enlarged the university yet further and added the Jazz degree course and the subjects Elementary Music Education and Accordion to the courses on offer.

Concerts, Concert Series, Festivals, Operas

The University of Music Würzburg stages over 200 concerts and approximately eight opera productions a year. Its concert halls are also popular with other concert promoters, orchestras, artists and clubs. In addition to numerous class evenings, where teaching staff at the university regularly present their students, long-standing concert series and festivals enrich everyday life at the university and Würzburg's cultural scene: Early Music Days, Contemporary Music Days, master class podiums and Event mit Dozent. For example, in 2008 a series of concerts commemorated the 100th birthday of Olivier Messiaen; the entire piano and organ works of Olivier Messiaen were performed along with chamber music, ensemble works and an homage. In February 2009, the Contemporary Music Days will be dedicated to contemporary Polish music, and composer Krzysztof Penderecki will be our guest. The Musik publik lunchtime concerts (held Wednesdays and Fridays) added in recent years now draw an enthusiastic regular audience from the university and the region.

Symphony Orchestra

The Symphony Orchestra of the University of Music Würzburg is made up of the students studying orchestra instruments. Rehearsals take place twice a week and are an integral part of training for a career as an orchestra musician. Symphonic literature is developed in projects. Working on sound is always exciting because combinations can change from project to project, from semester to semester. The orchestra is led by teachers from the Conducting, Opera School and Choral Conducting departments. Students whose main subject is Conducting also take to the rostrum of the university orchestra. In works with solo parts, the soloists are generally students of the university selected through a university-internal competition. The youth and sparkle of the players and their open-mindedness and pleasure in experimenting are unique, and always imbue the productions with a charm of their own.

Opera School

Students of singing must do more than sing to themselves in the bathtub if they hope to someday be Kammersänger or Kammersängerin. That's why singing students at the University of Music Würzburg get up on stage from the very first semester and study musical theatre pieces from a wide range of periods. In a variety of productions led by experienced directors and choreographers they perform everything that is expected of professional singers, from musicals to baroque opera. In 2008 the programme included contemporary opera by Poulenc and musical theatre by Purcell; in 2009 they will be studying Mozart's "Don Giovanni", Monteverdi's "L'Orfeo" and scenes from musicals. In addition they have the option of experiencing real theatre operations up close at the Mainfrankentheater Würzburg, be it in the choir or as soloists. The singing teachers are ideally equipped to prepare students at the opera school for their everyday working life as singers, not least because they are familiar with the opera and concert business from their own national and international engagements. The opera school in Würzburg has produced renowned singers such as Waltraud Meir and Diana Damrau, both appointed Kammersängerin.

Elementary Music Pedagogy

The Elementary Music Pedagogy (EMP) degree course is characterised especially by its practical orientation. Students are familiarised with their later working reality from the very start. This is achieved by constantly accompanying model classes aimed at a wide range of target groups, where they actively get to know all age ranges through their own teaching experiments. In subjects such as "Movement, Physical Education, Dance", "Rhythm, Percussion, Ensemble", "Vocal Training in a Group" and "Rhythmics" they expand and refine their own skills and prepare intensively for the abilities that will be required later in their careers. After completing the eight-semester degree course or complementary degree course they can cover the following occupational fields at music schools or on the free market, at daycare centres or general schools, as co-operation partners in leisure facilities, in education and further training of teachers and musicians or at training institutes: elementary music-making in parent-child groups, elementary music-making with children of all ages (early music education and basic training), playgroups, elementary music-making with adults, with senior citizens and with intergenerational groups.

Early Musical Advancement

One focus of the University of Music Würzburg lies in its intense support for gifted children and youths. Prof. Conrad von der Goltz initiated the project of instrumental early advancement for violin, which was sponsored by the state of Bavaria, in 1990; in 1997 the pilot project was integrated as an official degree course and extended by a further ten subjects. Nowadays, over 70 children and youths are taught the subjects of Violin, Piano, Violoncello, Saxophone, Vocal Studies, Trombone, Harp, Flute, Bassoon, Tuba, Jazz Piano, Organ and Drums. Coaching and classes in General Music Studies round off the range of offerings. Thanks to the introduction of regular concert matinees, the "young students" also have frequent opportunities to demonstrate their abilities. Classes take place not only during the semester but also throughout the weeks of the regular school year.

Recording Studio and Studio for Experimental Electronic Music eem

The Studio for Experimental Electronic Music, "eem", has been holding classes at the University of Music Würzburg since the start of the winter semester 2004, continuing with state-of-the-art technical equipment a tradition of producing electronic music at the University of Music Würzburg that had begun in the early 70s. The eem ideally complements the high-quality classical recording studio managed by Diplom-Tonmeister Jürgen Rummel. eem expands the main focus of the traditional studio, which is production-oriented, into the area of aesthetic/acoustic research. Students from the composition class and students studying music theory as a main subject are taught at the eem. In addition, it is also open to interested students of other faculties and lecturers.

Würzburger Institut für Neue Gegenwärtige Musik WING

Many years of dedicated activity by a number of lecturers in promoting contemporary music at the University of Music Würzburg led to the creation in 2007 of the Würzburger Institut für Neue Gegenwärtige Musik (Würzburg Institute of New Contemporary Music, WING). The institute is in contact with musicians and composers in Germany and abroad, maintains co-operations with various institutions in the Netzwerk für Zeitgenössische Musik Würzburg (Würzburg Network for Contemporary Music) and holds concerts, concert series, lectures and symposia, including, among others, the Contemporary Music Days that take place every two years in February.

Würzburg - sun-kissed university town and cultural centre

The city of Würzburg and its environs have a lot to offer residents, and also businesses and institutions. The quality of living is very high because the cultural city of Würzburg is home to a diverse range of art, architecture, music, varied landscapes, sports and wine. Its thriving tourism and the large number of conventions held here demonstrate the city's powerful attraction. In no other city are science, culture and healthcare business condensed into such a small area as in Würzburg: University, University of Music, University of Applied Science, Fraunhofer Institute, Residenz, fortress, cathedral, museums, a multiple-award winning municipal library, Mainfrankentheater, Philharmonic Orchestra, private theatres, clinics, medical technology etc. Choosing Würzburg, a central railway intersection point, to study also means other cities such as Munich, Frankfurt a.M. or Stuttgart are within easy reach. Würzburg's surrounding area is characterised by its mild climate, the Main river, wine and vegetable farming and its charming hilly landscape offering high leisure value.

The University of Music Würzburg offers a wide range of opportunities to professionalise your musical and music teaching abilities.

Degree Courses with Artistic Focus

Degree courses with artistic focus (optionally with pedagogic elective subjects) lead to the degree of Diplom musician (Diplommusiker/Diplommusikerin, DM). The standard period of study is eight semesters, ten semesters for vocal studies.

Graduates who have completed their artistic studies with a grade of at least "good" can be admitted to the advanced training class which is concluded with a concert Diplom (Konzertdiplom). After two semesters in the advanced training class, students may take a transfer examination and switch to the master class leading to a master class Diplom (Meisterklassendiplom).

Artistic degree courses are available in the subjects Accordion, Early Music/Historical Instruments, Conducting (Choral and Orchestra Conducting), Vocal Training (concert and/or musical theatre soloist training), Guitar, Jazz, Protestant and Catholic Church Music (A and B), Piano, Composition, Orchestra Instruments and Organ.

Degree courses with pedagogic focus

Degree courses with pedagogic focus lead to the degree of Diplom music teacher (Diplommusiklehrer/Diplommusiklehrerin, DL). The standard period of study is eight semesters, ten semesters for vocal studies. Following a DL degree, students who show particular aptitude have the opportunity of switching to an artistic degree course leading to a DM degree, and subsequently also to the advanced training and master classes.

The pedagogic subjects offered are Accordion, Early Music/Historical Instruments, Elementary Music Pedagogy (EMP), Vocal Studies, Guitar, Jazz, Piano, Music Theory, Orchestra Instruments and Organ.

Teacher Training Courses

The degree course for the artistic teaching qualification in Music is offered with focus on primary, secondary or grammar schools (dual or double subject). The University of Music's co-operation partner is the Julius-Maximilians University Würzburg.

Complementary and Supplementary Degree Courses

Complementary and supplementary degree courses can be taken following a completed degree course in an instrumental teaching main subject (for Digital Music Production, degree courses with an artistic main subject are also eligible) or a teacher training course: Digital Music Production, Elementary Music Pedagogy, Instrumental/Vocal Studies and Jazz.

Bologna Process

The University of Music Würzburg is currently preparing to switch to Bachelor and Master degree courses. The DM and DL basic degree courses will become Bachelor courses, while the advanced training and master class degree courses will be combined into Master degree courses and developed further.

Modularisation of the teacher training courses will be completed by the winter semester 2009/2010.

Grants

Various grant programmes, either awarded by the University of Music Würzburg itself or arranged through it, exist to support students in need and also especially talented students. They include for example general financial support, instrument grants and loan instruments, grants for teaching and learning materials or tickets to outstanding concerts or opera productions.

Audition Dates

Degree courses generally only start in the winter semester.
Registration deadline for auditions: 31st March
Auditions for Diplom degree courses: Early June Auditions for teacher training courses: mid-July