Performance, Early Music

In the master's program in classical music with a focus on early music, you get to immerse yourself in instrumental studies and music from mainly the Middle Ages to early romance.

With teaching at the highest international level in over 20 different instruments, the two-year master's programme offers a dynamic study environment with many other skilled students. You will have a common base in classical music but you will choose one of four approaches:

• classical music – chamber music/soloist
• classical music – orchestra
• classical music – early music
• classical music – Edsberg Mansion

In the Early Music profile instrument and repertoire studies are central. At KMH you can choose from the following instruments in Early Music:

Programme Content

The main instrument courses cover the classical repertoire from the Middle Ages to the early Romantic period, centring round the relation to historical performing practice and performance using authentic instruments and instrumental/vocal techniques.

Artistic and technical proficiency is deepened and profiled in the course of main instrument tuition. Greater scope is provided for individual studies in source criticism and for secondary instruments closely akin to the main instrument (such as the viola d'amore, clavichord, hammerklavier and lutes of various kinds).

In the ensembles and chamber music courses, the interpretation coaching and interpretation of chamber music works in separate crews (duo and larger) which takes into account the specific repertoire of the individual instrument.

Performing practice studies cover general source material, aesthetic problems in the present-day performance of early music and parallels to other arts. Connections with current classical music theory are also enlarged on.

Rehearsal together with other instruments is expanded, and in the case of chamber music greater importance is now attached to developing each group's capacity for creative and efficient rehearsal without a designated leader.

Early and contemporary music have many aesthetic points of contact, not least the musician's problems of shaping an interpretation without having a tradition to fall back on. Modern repertoire can be chosen as an individual speciality. Joint projects are possible, e.g. together with the Composition programmes.

An endeavour is that as much as possible of the ensemble training results are reported in concert form.

The subsidiary support courses include seminars in historical performance practice, mental training and stage preparation as well as the freelance market. All in order for you to be well prepared for a professional life as a concerted musician.

The programme is finalised by an independent degree project with the emphasis in an artistic musical presentation that is to be reported and documented. This often involves a larger own concert or other artistic production together with a written report of the work process as a finish of your education.