International Ensemble Modern Academy - Contemporary Music Performance
The IEMA Master at a glance
- One-year Master's program with approximately 14 work phases (beginning in the winter semester) with members of the Ensemble Modern as lecturers, renowned guest conductors and composers, as well as professors of the HfMDK
- Development of solo works, chamber music and conducted repertoire, ranging from classical modernism to staged productions and world premiere projects
- Presentation of the developed works in approx. 30 concerts at home and abroad
- Deepening of theoretical approaches as well as knowledge in the field of music education
The one-year Master's program IEMA CoMP is a specialization program for already trained instrumentalists, conductors, composers and sound directors, i.e. it explicitly builds on a first professionally qualifying university degree in the fields of instrumental playing, conducting, composition, sound engineer/sound direction (or a comparable university degree). Above all, the respective technical ability and artistic understanding are necessary foundations for the training that follows here in the context of an ensemble for contemporary music.
Learning and working in a professional environment
The central feature of this course of studies is the settlement in the professional field through specific projects in the national and international professional context. This is achieved, among other things, through the proximity to one of the world's leading ensembles for New Music: the HfDMK conducts this course of study in close cooperation with the Frankfurt-based Ensemble Modern. This cooperation enables students to learn and work in a directly professional environment and to experience specific professional fields - in this case, that of an independent ensemble operating on the market, that of the freelance artist, the need to develop a clear profile in order to position oneself on the free market, and working in international and interdisciplinary contexts.
The central goal of the program is the training of artists specialized in the field of contemporary music in the disciplines of instrumental playing, conducting, composition and sound direction in the context of an ensemble structure, as this represents a central possibility of a professional field. The direct connection to the professional field takes place through the realization of projects in already professional contexts.
Accordingly, the goal of the training is to approach the ideal of a comprehensively and versatilely qualified artist, also beyond the professional profile specifically named here.
WiSe = winter semester // SoSe = summer semester
Admission to the master's program requires a completed university degree at a university of music or a comparable university in Germany or abroad with an instrumental major (bachelor's degree, diploma, church music exam or state exam for the music teaching profession) or a comparable degree.
Sufficient knowledge of English or German is required for admission to this master's program. If English or German are not native languages, proof must be provided by one of the following language certificates no later than the time of enrollment:
German language proficiency:
a) TestDaF level 3 or
b) Certificate B1 (CEFR) or
c) DSH examination, level I or
d) German language diploma of the KMK, 1st level.
English language skills:
a) Certificate B1
b) IELTS exam 3.5-4.5
c) Cambridge exam: PET
d) TOEIC:
- Listening 275-399
- Reading 275-384
- Speaking 120-159
- Writing 120-149
e) TOEFL iBT: 57
f) UNICERT: I
All students are strongly advised to acquire at least a basic knowledge of German, since information material, e-mails and similar texts are predominantly written in German.
- current passport photo (the following formats are accepted: GIF, JPEG, JPG or PNG)
- Complete and up-to-date curriculum vitae in tabular form (up to the year of application)
- School leaving certificate (if not yet available, the last school certificate is sufficient for the time being), in case of foreign certificates a certified translation in German or English is required*
- If applying for a Master's degree: Bachelor's certificate or equivalent, "Transcript of Records", if applying for a concert exam: Master's certificate or equivalent, "Transcript of Records "*
- For applicants from the People's Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, certificate of the Academic Evaluation Service (APS) (PR China // Vietnam)
- Proof of language skills according to the requirements of the degree programmes (see below, Language certificates)
- Please note that you have to submit additional documents in the different study programmes. Please inform yourself about this on the website of the respective study program for which you are applying under "aptitude test". Among other things, letter of motivation, assignments, phoniatric report (voice)...
*If you do not have all final certificates at the time of application, please submit the most recent certificates and supporting documents in advance. Submit the final documents without being asked and in good time before the start of your studies. If you have any questions, please contact us immediately.
Please fill out the online application completely and upload all requested documents. After you have submitted your online application with a final mouse click, you will receive an email from us confirming the receipt of your application.
After the application deadline, you will receive an invoice from us for an administrative fee of 50 Euro. Please transfer the fee to the account of the HfMDK stating your invoice number and name within the mentioned payment deadline. Only when the administrative fee has been credited to the university's account is your application complete and can be processed.
The application fee is charged per applicant. If you apply for two courses or subjects, no further fee is due. The fee will be due again if you reapply at a later date (new round of applications).
A refund of the application fee is excluded - this also applies if the application is withdrawn.
Hier finden Sie eine Liste der Nachweise deutscher Sprachkenntnisse für alle Studiengänge. Bitte prüfen Sie, welche Anforderungen für Ihren gewünschten Studiengang gelten.
Online application
Required documents:
- Application form (on the application platform Academy Five)
- curriculum vitae in table form with photo (pdf)
- Copies of school-leaving certificate, Bachelor's and possibly Master's degree certificate (in case of foreign certificates, a translation in German or English must be enclosed) (pdf)
- Proof of language skills (pdf)
- a video statement on motivation in German or English, no shorter than 1 minute and no longer than 3 minutes. It is provided as a link on the platform. The following information is to be provided in the statement:
- Please state your full name, the instrument you play or the discipline for which you are applying
- What is your basic interest in the field of contemporary music?
- Why do you specifically want to participate in the IEMA Master's program?
- See below for additional videos/pdf documents.
Only those who pass the first round will be invited to the second round in the form of personal auditions/presentations.
Depending on the chosen focus, the following specific exam content and regulations apply:
The announcement for the program will list the instruments for which application is possible if the instrumental performance concentration is chosen.
Aptitude test 1st round
With the application for the master’s degree course, a programme consisting of three works or partial works in 3 Videos must be submitted. The three works must be chosen from the instrumentspecific list of works in the announcement. The pieces must be recorded in their entirety, unedited and without cuts. The works or partial works should be submitted as three individual files. The microphones should be positioned so as to ensure good sound quality. The video recordings should be made from one fixed camera perspective. The hands and face of the musician must be fully visible at all times. Technically, a sufficient level of resolution to ensure clear, undistorted images must be used
Aptitude test 2nd round
Only those who pass the first/digital round will be invited to the second round in Frankfurt. The audition is expected to take place on April 22 or 23, 2024 (subject to change). The audition will last approximately 15 min. The candidate will select three works from the instrument-specific list of works. These can be identical to the works of the 1st round. The examination jury might select parts of the works.
Aptitude test 1st round
The application materials submitted must include in addition to the general requirements two video recordings. The videos must show the candidate conducting two different works; one of these must be a work written in the 20th or 21st century.
Aptitude test 2nd Round
Only those who pass the first round will be invited to Round 2. The invitation to conduct before a panel of examiners live in Frankfurt (expected 22 or 23. April 2024, subject to change), will include the work to be prepared for the conducting examination. In addition, each candidate will be sent an excerpt of a score the day before the audition, to be prepared at short notice. This excerpt must also be conducted during the examination. The audition will last about 20 minutes.
Aptitude test 1st round
The application materials must include in addition to the general requirements two scores as pdf-files. These may be written for any instrumentation or ensemble size.
Aptitude test 2nd round
Only those who pass the first round will be invited to Round 2. The second round consists of a video recording of a 15-minute presentation – without cuts or edits – of an own work or project, which must be submitted by 5. April 2024. This will be followed by an online interview with the jury lasting 15 to 20 minutes (expected 2. May 2024, subject to change).
Aptitude test 1st round
The application materials must include in addition to the general requirements a project description (concept and implementation plan for a project, including a draft sound design and the sound direction and/or live electronics) as pdf-file.
Aptitude test 2nd round
Only those who pass the first round will be invited to Round 2. The second round consists of a video recording of a 15-minute presentation – without cuts or edits – of a work or project, which must be submitted by 5. April 2024. This will be followed by an online interview with the jury lasting 15 to 20 minutes (expected 2. May 2024 subject to change).
[Nicht-amtliche Lesefassung. Stand: 18.12.2023]
The Study and Examination Regulations (SPO) set out the framework conditions and regulations for your studies. They apply together with the General Regulations (for Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes) or the SPoL (for teacher training degree programmes). All versions of the SPO for your degree programme (including earlier versions for students of previous academic years) can be found at Examinations.
Stand: 27.05.2019
[99/2021, 12.04.2021]