Piano

The 1st round of the entrance examination is done by sending in an application video. Important information for a correct recording of your application video can be found here.

The application video includes:

• Introduction + artistic presentation (1^st round)

Introduction

In the introduction (max. 2 minutes), speak freely in either German or English and introduce yourself directly before you start playing. Please include your motivation for studying and additional information on your written application.

Directly after the introduction, start your artistic presentation (1st round), min. 15 minutes (without editing).

Artistic presentation

The presentation of your artistic programme takes place directly after the introduction (without editing!). You choose the programme in your own order. The specified examination programme of the 1^st round (without breaks/cuts) must be recorded in full length.

1. Examination programme of the 1^st round, min. 15 minutes of programme

    a) A virtuoso etude or an etude-like virtuoso work of short duration
        (works similar to Prokofiev or Schumann Toccata, as well as etudes
        by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Scriabin, Prokofiev, Bartok,
        Stravinsky, Ligeti, Kapustin, Karen Tanaka and others).
    b) One fugue (without prelude) or striclty polyphonic piece (min.
         three parts)
         i. e.g. by Bach, Händel, Shostakovich, Shchedrin, or similar
    c) One piece from the Viennese Classical period (inkl. Schubert):
         i. one fast movement from a sonata
         or ii. Excerpt from a theme-and-variation work (not exclusively
         slow excerpts)
     d) One freely chosen piece*

* The freely chosen piece may also be a piece of the on-site-audition (2. f-h).

The choice of technical equipment is up to you, since it is in your own interest that sound and image quality are as representative as possible.

You will be informed via e-mail about the result of your video application (1st round result). An optional invitation for the on-site audition of the 2nd round will be sent to selected applicants (Johannesgasse 4a, 1010 Wien).

2. Examination programme of the 2^nd round (on-site audition), min 30 minutes of programme (the commission chooses excerpts on site)

     e) The complete work from the Viennese Classical period
          from 1.c.
     f) One piece from the romantic era (including late romantic era)
     g) One piece from the 20th / 21st century
         i. Impressionism or Classical modern era or contemporary
             piece (free tonality/avantgarde/non-tonal)
     h) One freely chosen piece
     i) After this, there is a discussion with the candidate, including
         optional small tasks:
         i. Short associative improvisation to an inspirational idea
            (will be provided spotaneously at the audition; no specific
             previous knowledge necessary)
         ii. A very short piano piece (Scores will be provided on the day
             of the examination, practice rooms are available for
             preparation.)

All pieces (except contemporary music after 1950) are to be performed from memory.

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 the Keyboard Instruments 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.

The 1st round of the entrance examination is done by sending in an application video. Important information for a correct recording of your application video can be found here.

The application video includes:

• Introduction + artistic presentation (1^st round)

Introduction

In the introduction (max. 2 minutes), speak freely in either German or English and introduce yourself directly before you start playing. Please include your motivation for studying and additional information on your written application.

Directly after the introduction, start your artistic presentation (1st round), min. 20 minutes (without editing).

Artistic presentation

The presentation of your artistic programme takes place directly after the introduction (without editing!). You choose the programme in your own order. The specified examination programme of the 1^st round (without breaks/cuts) must be recorded in full length.

1. Examination programme of the 1^st round, min. 20 minutes of program

    a) Two virtuoso pieces (e.g. étude, toccata) from different stilistic eras
    b) One prelude and fugue or striclty polyphonic piece
        (min. three parts)
         i. e.g. by Bach, Händel, Shostakovich, Shchedrin, or similar
     c) One work chosen freely (min. 8 minutes)*

* The freely chosen work may also be a work of the on-site-audition (2. d-g).

The choice of technical equipment is up to you, since it is in your own interest that sound and image quality are as representative as possible.

An optional invitation for the on-site audition of the 2nd round will be sent to selected applicants (Johannesgasse 4a, 1010 Wien).

2. Examination programme of the 2^nd round (on-site audition), min 40 minutes of programme (the comission chooses excerpts on site)

     d) One piece from the Viennese Classical period (inkl. Schubert):
         Sonata or theme-and-variation work
     e) One work from the romantic era (including late romantic era)
     f) One work from the 20th / 21st century:
         Impressionism or Classical modern era
     g) One contemporary work composed after 1950 (avantgarde/
          non-tonal)
     h) After this, there is a discussion with the candidate

All pieces (except contemporary music after 1950) are to be performed from memory.

You will be informed via e-mail about the result of your video application.

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.

The 1st round of the entrance examination is done by sending in an application video. Important information for a correct recording of your application video can be found here.

The application video includes:

• Introduction + artistic presentation (1^st round)

Introduction

In the introduction (max. 2 minutes), speak freely in either German or English and introduce yourself directly before you start playing. Please include your motivation for studying and additional information on your written application.

Directly after the introduction, start your artistic presentation (1st round), min. 10 minutes (without editing).

Artistic presentation

The presentation of your artistic programme takes place directly after the introduction (without editing!). You choose the programme in your own order. The specified examination programme of the 1^st round (without breaks/cuts) must be recorded in full length.

1. Examination programme of the 1^st round, min. 10 minutes of programme
    a) One virtuoso piece (e.g. étude, toccata)
    b) One fugue (without prelude) or Bach invention or striclty polyphonic piece
    c) One freely chosen piece

The choice of technical equipment is up to you, since it is in your own interest that sound and image quality are as representative as possible.

2. Examination programme of the 2^nd round (on-site audition), min 20 minutes of programme (the comission chooses excerpts on site)
    d) The piece from 1.a. (e.g. étude, toccata)
    e) The piece from 1.b.
    f) One complete work from the Viennese Classical Period
    g) One piece from the romantic era or from the 20th century
    h) After this, there is a discussion with the candidate, including
        optional small tasks:
        i. Improvisation or short listening exercise (no specific previous
           knowledge is necessary.