Orchestral Conducting

The Master's Programme in Orchestral Conducting is aimed at you who want to develop your technical skills and artistic integrity as a conductor for orchestra in a very stimulating study environment.

The Master's Programme in Conducting is given with two profiles: choir and orchestra. You choose one of these but may study some courses with students in the other profile.

Admissions

To be eligible for this programme, you need to

• meet the general entry requirements for second-cycle courses and study programmes, meaning you must have completed an undergraduate study programme of at least 180 ECTS
• meet the specific entry requirements which are a Degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music (180 credits) or equivalent, as well as passed entrance examination.

If the number of eligible applicants exceeds the number of places, a selection will take place. Selection is based on results on entrance examination.

Read more about general entry requirements

Read the test description for the programme for information about the entrance examination content.

Programme Content

In the programme you deepen your knowledge in conducting and form studies at advanced level. In addition, you get knowledge of repetition methodology, interpretation coaching and performance practice in the courses Conducting 1 and Conducting 2.

In order to be able to perform a developed musical analysis and make well-balanced interpretational choices with regard to knowledge about the structure of music as well as its aesthetic and historical context, the Master's Programme in Conducting also includes music ethics and music philosophy.

The Master's Programme ends with an individual degree project with the emphasis on an artistic musical presentation that should be documented. This often means a greater independent composition work together with a written reflective part. The course Degree Project also provides a seminar series and individual tutoring to support the writing and implementation of your independent degree project.

Conductor Forum

An important part of the education is an extensive lecture series called Conductor Forum. On these occasions all students, who has conducting as a major at KMH, participate and the topics raised have a musically generic content with focus on knowledge that is important to conductors.

In addition, conducting seminars with two pianists, where all master students in orchestral conducting attend, but also individual lessons and tutoring of teachers when working with professional orchestras are all a large part of the programme.

Extensive Collaboration

Workshops, master classes, seminars and concerts with guest teachers and well-renowned orchestras, both national and international, occur regularly.

You will also get to work with KMH Sinfonietta, which consists of professional musicians and driven students at KMH. There is also an established collaboration with the KMH Symphony Orchestra, where conductors can conduct newly written works by students in the composition class at concerts which are otherwise directed by visiting conductors.

Conduct New Music

There is a close link between the conductor class and the composition class, which means that the conductors work with the composers' newly written music. Every spring a student-driven festival, ljudOljud, is organized, which involves a deepening of this collaboration. As part of the work with the composers, the conductor class regularly works with two of Sweden's leading ensembles for new music, KammarensembleN in Stockholm and Norrbotten NEO in Piteå.