The Cologne University of Music and Dance can rely on two large departmental institutes: an Institute for Early Music and an Institute for New Music.
Institute for Early Music
Since the 1950s, the development of historical performance practice has been largely based in Cologne. Numerous orchestras and ensembles have established themselves here over the decades and form a lively concert life in the region, in the heart of Europe and far beyond. The Institute for Early Music was born out of this environment, where the latest findings in performance practice have been and continue to be incorporated into teaching and projects. Public concerts, interdisciplinary projects and regular cooperation with other departments of the Cologne University of Music and Dance or external institutions (training centers, event organizers, ensembles) also contribute to providing the most comprehensive musical education possible.
Institute for New Music
The Institute for New Music, founded in 2009, unites representatives of the departments of composition, interpretation, musicology and dance. It is closely connected to the Ensemble for Contemporary Music ColLAB Cologne and the Studio for Electronic Music and is characterized by excellent study conditions. In addition to organizing numerous workshops with renowned guests from the music and art scene, the institute's work is characterized by diverse concert activities and collaborations with, among others, the Acht Brücken Festival Cologne, Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), DNT Weimar, Theater Bielefeld or Donaueschinger Musiktage.
PreCollege Cologne & Peter-Oswald-Institut
In addition, the Cologne University of Music and Dance not only offers courses in the "classical disciplines" of a music or art academy, but can also boast numerous innovative additions, with
In Montepulciano, the Cologne University of Music and Dance has access to a unique venue for artistic work and research, as well as for performance and presentation opportunities. The study program in Italy, which has deep historical roots, is an essential resource for the university and its students and makes a fundamental contribution to the creative and developmental process of artists.
The connection to Montepulciano stems largely from Hans Werner Henze’s commitment to the town and to artistic education. In the late 1990s, the university succeeded in securing the Palazzo Ricci in Montepulciano—a municipally owned building—for its use; following a major renovation made possible by extensive sponsorship funds, the Palazzo Ricci was officially opened in June 2001. From 2002 to 2022, the Palazzo Ricci e.V. association, founded for this purpose, ensured the expansion and progress of the project. With the founding of the College of the Arts in 2010/2011, regular use of the palazzo expanded to include all seven art and music colleges in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Thanks to the expansion of the upper floor, which includes a large loggia and two studio spaces, the Palazzo has also offered additional workspaces for this purpose since 2017. With the founding of a new operating association and institutional funding from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the transition from the “European Academy for Music and Performing Arts” tothe “European Academy of the Arts” was formally completed in 2022.
The Academy’s guiding principle is to facilitate encounters between highly talented young artists from across Europe, similar to other German cultural institutions in Italy. This vision is brought to life through master classes led by internationally renowned instructors, themed projects, fellowship residencies, and conferences. The Academy is now also increasingly being utilized by Italian cultural partners from the region. It is, moreover, available to all cultural professionals as a venue for their own projects.
The Montepulciano College of the Arts remains an essential component of the Academy: this unique collaboration among the seven art and music colleges in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia brings together the Detmold University of Music, the Robert Schumann University of Music in Düsseldorf, the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, the Cologne University of Music and Dance, the Cologne Academy of Media Arts, the Münster Academy of Fine Arts, and the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts. This academic institution offers particularly qualified students and faculty members from the participating institutions the opportunity for an intensive, multi-day working residency at Palazzo Ricci; through its diverse, primarily interdisciplinary programs, it facilitates the exploration of art forms in new contexts.
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