Content and structure

Course content.

The training in the Major in “Lied interpretation” is aimed at pianists who specialize in the rich traditions of the lied accompaniment field. An in-depth exploration is undertaken of the great classical romantic German lied repertoire, the Mélodie française and seminal works from the Anglosaxon area. The course focuses in particular on contemporary music. On the one hand, the Major in “Lied interpretation” aims to hone students’ skills on the piano in musical, stylistic, sound and practical terms. On the other hand, exploration of the language and the performance dimension in particular is essential.

Course structure.

Core

The instrumental Major is studied in the context of group work, connected with individual study of works for different duet formations. The explicit focus is on extending the Major subject; through works (e.g. Schumann, Brahms), two pianists and up to four singers, or through lieder with instrumental extension. Students plan their repertoire in discussion with their professors and build their own network of colleagues to help them study and perform the works in question.

Extension

In the extension work for the Major, the focus is on vocal coaching/accompaniment. The reading techniques, rehearsal design and verbalization examined during individual tuition are applied in the vocal coaching/accompaniment practice in the Major tuition. Moreover, there is elective individual tuition in transposition or score playing with the goal of undertaking work with singers, choirs and opera formations in a larger context. 

Profile

Students are able to develop an independent professional profile and improve their use of audiovisual communication and production forms, social media, other digital platforms and company forms. Learning and development steps are continuously reflected on, supported and documented in the digital portfolio during a mentoring session. This empowers students to take control of their career planning.

Graduation exam/project

Students demonstrate what they have learnt in a repertoire examination and a public recital, which is supplemented with a written paper on the topic and the connection between the works in the programme.
The presentation of their digital portfolio not only allows them to show what they have achieved in addition to their Major studies, but also the skills they have acquired to promote their own career when dealing with digitality in aspects such as their online presence, social media profile, and production of audiovisual materials.

Module plan:

Skills acquired in the course.

On the one hand, the Major in “Lied interpretation” aims to hone students’ skills on the piano in musical, stylistic, sound and practical terms. On the other hand, exploration of the language and the performance dimension is essential. Students develop an awareness of the specific sound and balance requirements that arise from working with a singer.
They acquire in-depth knowledge of vocal conditions, such as breath control and diction, as well as a nuanced understanding of language in order to classify the poetic content and the significance of the texts which underlie the lieder. The students see themselves as co-creators, providing inspiration and developing a repertoire that ranges from the classics to contemporary music and includes different languages and cultural circles.

Admissions requirements.

Pianists are no longer viewed as accompanists in the context of art songs but rather as relevant participants in the development of creative, independent interpretations. In the process, the goal requires the coalescence of the vocal and piano parts into a unit as well as great powers of persuasion and creative determination, such as flexibility and the availability of different interpretive perspectives. 

Benefits of studying at ZHdK.

Studying at ZHdK offers a wealth of unique benefits:

  • The Specialized Music Performance Master’s is a lively degree programme with approx. 80 musicians. 
  • You will gain extensive practical experience and have many opportunities to perform thanks to the diverse relationships with the regional cultural scene and its event organizations.
  • You will enjoy an inspirational environment with colleagues and partners from around the world for discussion and collaboration in a variety of ensembles and orchestras
  • You will meet students from other artistic areas on a daily basis, make contacts and enjoy stimulating collaboration. 
  • You will study at the Toni Campus – a public cultural and university campus for all artistic disciplines that is unparalleled in its dimensions anywhere in Europe.
  • You will benefit from outstanding infrastructure, live electronics and multimedia, audio productions with in-house sound engineers, historical instrument collections and an excellent library.
  • You will have opportunities to undertake exchange semesters and various possibilities to explore other cultures thanks to ZHdK Music’s international network.