Menü Menü
 
Bachelor of Music Composition/Music Theory

Bachelor of Music - Composition / Music Theory

The composition program is a broad academic program that teaches artistic, practical, academic, and teaching skills in the fields of composition and music theory. In addition to classical syntax, the program also encompasses the acquisition of music analysis, compositional style analysis and music history, the methodology and didactics of composition, artistic, practical use of modern notation and production software, and the planning and organization of one’s own productions and performance projects. The goal of this program is to provide students with a thorough, creative and re-creative analysis of music’s aesthetic diversity in the past and present.

General Information

  • Academic degree: Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.)
  • Duration of degree program: 8 semesters (4 years)
  • Start of program: Winter semester
  • Degree requirements: 240 ECTS credits
  • Major: Composition pedagogy
  • Graduate program: Master of Music Music Theory

The application takes place online via the muvac platform. You can find all the information about the procedure on our Application page.

Admission Requirements

  • A general certificate of secondary education or other comparable higher education entrance qualification.
  • For non-German-speaking applications, proof of a language certificate at DaF level 3 is also required.
  • Successful completion of the entrance examination.

 Entrance Examination

The entrance examination consists of the following parts:

  1. Main subject test (colloquium/interview) (approx. 20 minutes);
  2. Written subject tests (aural skills approx. 60 minutes, composition approx. 3 hours);
  3. Practical performance test in the candidate’s instrument of choice (approx. 10 minutes)

Detailed information can be found in the Entrance Examination Regulations, particularly in section 5: Content Requirements and Examination Format.

Downloads

The degree program is divided into a basic program (first and second year) comprising a large number of obligatory modules and the advanced program (third and fourth year) which consists of different courses for different specializations.

The degree map comprises 7 main modules and an 8th module that students use to declare their specialization:

  1. Core module
  2. Artistic practical context
  3. Education
  4. Music appreciation
  5. Career development
  6. Bachelor/interdisciplinary capstone Project
  7. Supplementary studies
  8. Spezialisation Composition Pedagogy / Aural Training

Downloads

  • Prof. Astrid Bolay, Tonsatz
  • Prof. Wolfram Breuer, Tonsatz, Gehörbildung
  • Prof. Tilmann Claus, Tonsatz
  • Prof. Johannes Köppl, Tonsatz
  • Prof. Johannes Quint, Tonsatz
  • Prof. Johannes Schild, Tonsatz
  • Burkhard Wepner, Tonsatz
  • Prof. Qiming Yuan, Tonsatz

Künstlerische Mitarbeiter (Lehrbeauftragte)

  • Yaeko Albrecht, Tonsatz
  • Thomas Enselein, Tonsatz
  • Cynthie van Eijden, Tonsatz
  • Michael Gerihsen
  • Klaus Heiwolt, Tonsatz
  • Ryoko Ishii, Tonsatz, Hörerziehung
  • David Kiefer
  • Dennis Stadtmann, Tonsatz
  • Christian Toelle

The interdisciplinary nature of the composition program opens up a wide range of career fields to students. The program qualifies students to instruct music theory subjects at institutions of higher education for music, universities, conservatories, and music schools as well as to work in the creative arts as composers, arrangers, and revisers, in addition to various concert activities, broadcasting, feuilleton, publishing houses, cultural establishments, etc.

The composition program prepares students exceptionally well for music and audio work in film and the media, and specialization in these fields is gaining recognition. The fact that Cologne is known as a “media city” benefits the University – an advantage that the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln tapping into by expanding its network of resident institutions (e.g., academies, festivals, broadcasting stations).

Contact