Composition (P0215D310006)

Programme objectives

The objectives of the programme are as follows:

• to develop the student’s compositional skills, in particular his or her individual compositional style and artistic, aesthetic and culturally profiling opinions;
• to deepen the student’s knowledge in the area of contemporary music production and its application to his or her own production, as well as in the historical continuity of the field of study;
• to improve the student’s ability to reflect theoretically on the field and to acquire the necessary skills to introduce his or her own theoretical results into the broader scholarly discourse;
• to enable the student to acquire comprehensive knowledge of research methodology (especially in the area of artistic research), the ability to integrate such knowledge into his or her own artistic practice, an overview of current publication methods, and experience with creative grants and research funding;
• to improve the student’s communication skills, enabling him or her to engage in pedagogical work in the highly demanding specialist disciplines of composition and composition theory;
• to enable the student to acquire knowledge and experience in the organisation of musical life, in promoting contemporary music production, and in presenting his or her own production, including the ability to apply related legal norms;
• to enhance the student’s overall ability to cultivate interdisciplinary scholarly relationships.

Profile of a programme graduate

The graduate is an independent creative personality with his or her own opinions on issues of contemporary music production, and is able to defend them within the scholarly discourse; he or she has a versatile compositional technique and an original, integral and well-defined style.

Specialist knowledge

•The graduate possesses deep knowledge of the historical and cultural contexts in the field of composition theory and practice.

•The graduate has an overview of the developments hitherto and the current state of musicological research on the issues of his or her field, both domestically and internationally.

•He or she is well oriented in current developmental trends in composition techniques and aesthetics, and is able to formulate well-founded opinions on them.

•The graduate demonstrates superior knowledge in the composition and research area specified in his or her individual study plan, and is able to communicate this knowledge in the form of teaching as well as in scholarly discussions.

Specialist skills:

•The graduate is capable of fully autonomous production; the graduate’s training in compositional technique also enables him or her to respond flexibly to the requirements of the genres used while maintaining a suitable artistic level, for example in the area of film or stage music.

•In addition to his or her command of classical compositional techniques, the graduate is also able to make creative use of current technological possibilities in the areas of electroacoustics, multimedia and interactivity.

•The graduate is proficient in the standard methods of scientific research with an emphasis on the area of artistic research, and is able to apply them to the principles of his or her own compositional practice.

•The graduate is able to publish in the scholarly press, perform qualified critical and popularisation activities, elaborate teaching texts (e.g. lecture notes, educational presentations), monographs and scholarly works with a systematic, analytical, compositional, technological and/or historical focus.

•The graduate is able to work as a highly specialised teacher in secondary and higher education.

General competencies

•The graduate is able to communicate fluently about highly specialised issues in two foreign languages, one of which is usually English; the graduate is able to express himself or herself in a cultivated manner both orally and in writing.

•The graduate is able to locate suitable grant opportunities and implement scholarly projects, both as an individual investigator and as the leader of an investigative or artistic team.

•The graduate is able to participate creatively in the activities of a team or working unit, taking a conceptual and systematic approach to long-term goals and standard activities alike.

•The graduate is capable of dramaturgically designing larger scholarly events (conferences, symposia).

Rules and requirements for creating study plans

General information about admission process

Required education and experience:

• a completed university education at the Master’s level;
• compelling results in compositional work hitherto;
• experience and knowledge of composition work and an excellent overview of contemporary music and its interdisciplinary relationships;
• creative music-theoretical thinking ability, a comprehensive overview of the discourse in the field and commensurate formulative ability.

The entry requirements include adequate knowledge of English and another foreign world language, which the applicant must demonstrate by means of an examination before the interview. The required level and the group of languages that may be tested are regulated by the relevant Dean's Decree for each academic year.

The admissions process consists of one round. During the admissions interview, the applicant shall present his or her doctoral project proposal, specifying his or her artistic, research and curriculum preferences. The proposal may be focused on production for acoustic instruments or the human voice, as well as on the use of contemporary technologies in composition and their intersections. It is expected that the theoretical portion of the project will reflect continuity with the previous creative and research activities of the Department of Composition, although this is not required.

In particular, the doctoral project proposal shall:

• contain a clear plan for the applicant’s compositional and research activities during the programme;
• formulate a proposal for the manner in which the applicant will actively contribute to the artistic and research activities of the Department of Composition, and/or how the applicant will engage in pedagogical activities, as the case may be.

At the entrance examination, the applicant shall present and submit representative samples of his or her compositional work heretofore (a required annex to the application). The applicant shall also submit scores or a corresponding record (graphic, text, etc.) and recordings of his or her works of up to 20 minutes in duration. Further, the applicant shall submit a sample of his or her music-theoretical works heretofore, and present them to the examination committee in the form of a short presentation of up to 10 minutes in duration.

Each year, the Department of Composition may specify preferred thematic areas for potential doctoral projects that reflect continuity with its current research areas.

Applicability to other types of academic programmes

Parts of the state final examination and their contents

Other academic duties

Characterisation of professional practice

Anticipated job placement for graduates (typical employment)