Certificate of Ensemble Playing

Course objectives

The course leading to a certificate in ensemble playing from the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna provides high-level, custom-tailored further training for existing ensembles of a wide variety of genres.
During the course, the participants develop their artistic competences in the field of ensemble playing and acquire additional qualifications that are necessary for the artistic and professional development of an ensemble.

The purpose of the course is the elaboration of an ensemble project with which the ensemble can position itself, also internationally, and the honing of the ensemble’s specific profile.

Participation in the academic certificate course presupposes an already existing ensemble, whose collective wish is to develop and carry out a project during the year and document it appropriately on media in order to sell it, ultimately, to event organizers.

The participants’ goals as well as the specific subject matter to be included in their course of study will be discussed with the head of the course and customized so as to enable individually focused instruction and individual learning achievement.

The course objectives are:

• Further development of artistic, social and digital competences in connection with ensemble playing, rehearsing, documentation and organizational activities
• Expansion and intensification of stylistic and repertoire knowledge (repertoire work)
• Preparation for concerts and participation in competitions
• Development of stage presence
• Honing and strengthening of the participants’ individual artistic personalities as well as the ensemble profile
• Examination of the issues involved in present-day program planning
• Development of entrepreneurial skills and management competences
• Elaboration of an artistic project incl. (multimedia) portfolio, in order to better market the ensemble

The academic certificate course is available to all conceivable ensemble formations of various styles and genres (historical, classic, contemporary, crossover, jazz, etc.). For each formation, a suitable member of the MUK teaching staff has to be found for the Principal Study (zentrales künstlerisches Fach ‒ ZkF) ensemble coaching; for this reason, participation in the academic certificate course is only possible if sufficient resources are available and exclusively conditional on consultation with the head of the course.

Apart from the Principal Study ensemble coaching, each member of the ensemble may independently attend courses included in the curriculum, which ensures that an ensemble project can be prepared in its entirety when the functions and responsibilities are distributed among the ensemble members.

Professional and personal qualifications on completion of the program

Graduates of the course will have acquired extensive artistic, organizational, dramaturgic and digital capabilities that enable them to position their ensemble at the highest level internationally in the future. Moreover, they will have completed their portfolio, enhanced the ensemble’s public identity, and created repertoire and concert programs for their own ensemble, and can thus approach concert organizers with a finished project.

Professional fields

The professional field is independent performance practice with one’s own ensemble in the freelance sector (member of a professional ensemble that is responsible for its own programs and projects).

Syllabus Ensemble Playing