Solo Singing

1. Submission of the completed application form by the application deadline:

The selected pieces for the artistic presentation and the sheet music must also be sent in.

The following must be prepared for the artistic presentation:

• 3 songs or arias of your choice (at least 1 of which must be sung in German)
• A spoken text (e.g. poem or theatre monologue) in German or English, no longer than two minutes in length. This text may also be your own work.
• All pieces must be performed from memory.

Candidates must bring the sheet music with them to the audition.
An accompanist will be available.

On-site appointments

   Round 1:

• Performance of a piece from the prepared repertoire. In the case of longer pieces, the committee may interrupt the performance.

The committee may also request the performance of another piece (in whole or in part).

Round 2 (for applicants who have passed Round 1):

a) Theory and solfeggio test (large group, small group or individually) - A sample test will follow soon

• Recognising and notating intervals, chords, tone sequences and rhythms, etc.
• Sight reading

b) Another artistic performance from the repertoire brought along, selected by the commission

c) In this round, acting improvisations, body and/or text work may also take place.

3rd round (for applicants who have passed the 2nd round):

a) Musical interpretation work sample in a simulated teaching situation using the repertoire brought along.

b) Interview with the commission

Please make all organisational preparations (flight reservations, visas, etc.) in good time so that you can participate

The entrance examination for the Master’s degree is used to check the candidate’s aptitude for the specific requirements of the Master’s degree, with particular consideration of their prior knowledge and skills.

The condition for admission to a Master’s degree is a completed Bachelor’s degree (in a pertinent branch of study) or an equivalent qualification from an Austrian or foreign post-secondary educational facility, as well as successfully passing all parts of the entrance examination.

To pass the entrance examination, a rating of “Passed” is required in all sections. Admission also depends on the specific availability of a course place. Being placed on the waiting list supposes a probability of future availability (i.e. by the end of the semester in question) of a course place.

1. Submit the completed application form by the application deadline:

Please also include the selected pieces for the artistic presentation and the sheet music.

The following must be prepared for the artistic presentation:

• 4 arias — at least 2 from opera and/or operetta, at least 1 from oratorio, at least 1 aria in German
• 4 songs from 3 different stylistic periods in at least 2 different languages
• At least one work must be from the 20th or 21st century and feature an advanced, non-tonal musical language
• All works — with the exception of oratorios — must be performed from memory
• A spoken text (e.g. poem or theatre monologue) in German or English, no longer than two minutes. This text may also be an original work.

All works (except church music repertoire) must be performed from memory. The candidate must bring the sheet music to the audition. An accompanist will be available.

On-site appointments

1st round:

• Performance of a piece from the prepared repertoire. In the case of longer pieces, the commission may interrupt the performance.

The commission may ask for the performance (in whole or in part) of another piece.

2nd round (for applicants who have passed the 1st round):

a) Theory and solfeggio test (large group, small group or individually)

• Recognising and notating intervals, chords, tone sequences and rhythms, etc.
• Sight reading

b) Another artistic performance from the repertoire brought along, selected by the commission

c) In this round, acting improvisations, body and/or text work may also take place.

3rd round (for applicants who have passed the 2nd round):

a) Musical interpretation work sample in a simulated teaching situation using the repertoire brought along.

b) Interview with the commission

Please make all organisational preparations (flight reservations, visas, etc.) in good time so that you can participate.

The entrance examination serves to check the following
a) the motivation to study
b) the educational, artistic and personal competence of the candidates.

The entrance examination is divided into four parts; the positive assessment of the first and second parts is a prerequisite for admission to the further parts of the examination.
 

1. Online Application

The following documents must be included in the online application:

• A short biography with an overview of the qualifications, competences and main areas of activity acquired so far.
• Letter of motivation with details of personal expectations and objectives
• Programme (prepared pieces) for the artistic examination part (= part 2)
• Programme (prepared pieces) for the pedagogical-practical examination part (= part 3)

More information on the online application can be found here.

2. Artistic part of the examination

ATTENTION: The programme to be prepared as well as the examination process (video or on-site audition) are identical to the requirements of the respective artistic bachelor’s programme. Please inform yourself on the respective page for the corresponding programme requirements.

Another examination of the musical ear and of music theory knowledge will take place at the start of the first semester as part of a classification in the Aural Training and Composition courses only for those candidates who have been admitted to the course.
 

3. Educational-practical part of the examination

Applicants must demonstrate their educational-practical abilities and potential by showing their practical piano and vocal skills in a presentation:

a) Singing and chordal accompaniment

Singing and simultaneous chordal accompaniment (with lead sheets) at the piano. Applicants are given five songs from the field of popular music to prepare (see here)

b) Accompaniment at the piano

Applicants prepare the accompaniment of three pieces (or single movements) which they may choose from the beginner and intermediate literature for their own instrumental or vocal musical subject (in the piano, organ, accordion, guitar, harpsichord and historical keyboard instrument subjects, accompanying three pieces or single movements of their own choice from the beginner and intermediate literature for an orchestral instrument of their own choice).

Practice-oriented simplifications of the accompaniment parts are permissible, if not desirable. Applicants are required to name the pieces when they submit their musical programme at the time of registration. They must submit four copies of the scores to the Examination Panel at the examination.

c) Sight-Singing

Singing a simple song in German.

4. Colloquium

For testing cognitive and linguistic skills.

The panel will discuss and reflect with the applicants on the results of the previous parts of the examination and will examine their individual educational potential as well as their objectives and suitability for the course.

Sample questions for the colloquium are available here.
 

Proficiency in German:
Applicants whose native language is not German also have to prove their proficiency in German. They need to prove that they have at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, at the latest upon enrolment.