Your study programme

The Young Musicians Academy (YMA) is the young talent class of Fontys Conservatorium Tilburg. In the Young Musicians Academy, we pay a lot of attention to your instrumental and vocal development. Click here for more information in Dutch.

Conservatorium Tilburg offers non-EU students the chance to further develop their talents and prepare them for the bachelor's audition.

Content

The pre-bachelor's programme takes 1 year to complete and is a preparatory year to the bachelor programme. During the pre-bachelor, students participate in many courses together with the bachelor students. Courses take place from Monday till Friday and are in English.

Once you have successfully completed the preparatory year, you can take part in the audition process for the bachelor Music - Conservatorium Tilburg. If you get admitted to the bachelor, you will start the following academic year in the first year of the bachelor programme.

For who

Non-EU students who don't meet the criteria for the bachelor programme just yet, but who show enough potency to reach these criteria with extra training.

As a pre-bachelor student, you are registered at Fontys as a student after enrolment.

How to apply

• It is not possible to directly apply for the pre-bachelor. Instead, you have to apply for the bachelor Music - Conservatorium Tilburg.
• Read more on how to apply for the bachelor programme on the Music - Conservatory of Music website under 'How to apply'.

After the audition, you will get the result with one of the following thee possibilties:
1. Accepted for the bachelor
2. Accepted for the pre-bachelor
3. Not accepted

Costs

Tuition fee 2025-2026: € 8.010

If you have any questions about the pre-bachelor, do not hesitate to contact us at: faa-conservatorium@fontys.nl.

Conservatorium Tilburg offers EU students the chance to further develop their talents and prepare them for the bachelor's audition.

Content

The pre-course or 'Vooropleiding' takes 1 year to complete and is a preparatory year to the bachelor programme.

During the pre-course, Jazz students take part in group lessons on Wednesday. Classical students take part in group lessons on Saturday. Lessons are taught in Dutch, but English is possible.

The curriculum for Jazz students consists of music theory, ensembles, module interdiscipline and (20) individual instrument lessons. For classical students, the curriculum contains choir, chamber music, music theory, module interdiscipline and (20) individual instrument lessons. These lessons are normally in Dutch, but can be offered in English. You also will have individual lessons which will be scheduled in coordination with the teacher. These lessons can take place on another day besides Wednesday (jazz) or Saturday (Classical).

Once you have successfully completed the preparatory year, you can take part in the audition process for the bachelor Music and Performing Arts. If you get admitted to the bachelor, you will start the following academic year in the first year of the bachelor programme.

For who

- EU students who don't meet the criteria for the bachelor programme just yet, but who show enough potency to reach these criteria with extra training.
- EU students that want to prepare themselves for the bachelor's audition, while they are still going to high-school/secondary vocational education (MBO).
As a pre-course student, you are registered at Fontys as a course member after enrolment.

How to apply

There are two possibilities to be admitted to the pre-course:

1. Students apply directly for the pre-course

2. Students apply for the bachelor's programme, but do not meet the criteria for the bachelor programme just yet, but who show enough potency to reach these criteria with extra training

When you apply directly to the pre-course:

You can apply for the pre-bachelor from December till August. Please contact faa-conservatorium@fontys.nl for further information.

When you initially apply to the bachelor:

Read more on how to apply for the bachelor programme on the Music - Conservatory of Music website under 'How to apply'.
After the audition, you will get the result with one of the following the possibilities:
1. Accepted for the bachelor
2. Accepted for the pre-course
3. Not accepted

Costs

Tuition fee 2025-2026: € 1.690

If you have any questions about the pre-course, do not hesitate to contact us at faa-conservatorium@fontys.nl or visit this webpage.

Conservatorium Tilburg and the Master of Music offer a wide variety of courses you can follow if you have the required level. When you are interested in taking part in separate courses, we arrange a contract with a fixed price for every module. For all courses, you will need to do an admission exam, with the exception of Music History and Cultural Theory. The courses indicated in English will be taught in English. The other courses are in Dutch.

Content

The enrollment for a Contract Study is an individual agreement between Fontys Academy of the Arts and you as a ‘contractant’. So, you will not subscribe via Studielink or be connected to DUO. So, to be absolutely clear, you will not get any possibilities for study fees or OV-kaart (student public transportation card). However, as a contract student, you will have the same rights and duties as regular students with all related facilities (study possibilities, library, etc.). You can get a student card on request. The institute is allowed to deny the renewal or extension of a contract when, due to a lack of improvement, talent, or motivation, the continuation of the Contract Study is not useful.

For who

For those who want to study conservatory level courses next to their profession/job. Please note that students need to have a certain level of musical skill to take part in these courses.

How to apply

For questions concerning the application procedure, please get in touch with Hans Raaijmakers at h.raaijmakers@fontys.nl.

Certificate

Following courses via Contract Study will not lead to an official conservatory Diploma. Nevertheless, you will get an official, verified certificate that you followed courses on the conservatory level.

For those who already have a Bachelor of Music certificate, we offer a post-bachelor programme, Choir Conducting.

Post-bachelors Choir Conducting

Originating in the United States, jazz has now conquered the entire world, resulting in an enormous musical versatility. At Conservatorium Jazz & Creative Music we embrace the past, but the present is just as important. As a student you'll learn the craftmanship that is necessary to become an excellent musician, and you are also encouraged to develop your own creativity and find your own sound and voice. Since music, and especially improvisation, is all about interaction, we present specialized ensembles such as modern creative, Nordic jazz, Latin, chamber jazz, big band, free jazz, and fusion & electronic jazz. And of course your craftmanship and creativity will be stimulated during lessons with your main subject teacher.

The lessons at Conservatorium Jazz & Creative Music are presented by teachers who are part of the (inter)national jazz scene, and know how to connect the musical past and present. Moreover, in the third year you can complete part of your educational programme with teachers of your own preference. In addition, there are exchanges with the 'Fontys Rockacademie', for example in the field of sound design, and with Conservatorium Classical in the field of compostition. You'll also find inspiration during our special project weeks in which appealing teachers from outside the school will have a week full of musical challenges in store for you.

Conservatorium Tilburg also collaborates with the Jazzwerkplaats Den Bosch, well known for their jazz activitities and guidance of young talents. With educational perfomances, joined masterclasses, and the Jazz Academy Plus profile, Conservatorium Tilburg and Jazzwerkplaats Den Bosch have joined forces to encourage young jazz musicians in their playing and possible ambitions.

Since the 1970s, Tilburg has been known for the 'Tilburgse School', a creative jazz movement that has led, amongst other things, to the founding of Paradox. This is the most important jazz venue in the South of the Netherlands with an international concert programme. Conservatorium works closely with Paradox. As a student you'll experience what it takes to become a professional musician from the start. You'll develop your skills during the weekly jazz sessions, attend concerts at a discount, follow international master classes, and perform in Paradox with your ensembles. The venue is also the home base to Paradox Jazz Orchestra, one of the finest Dutch big bands with renowned musicians from the Dutch jazz scene. As a school we collaborate with Paradox Jazz Orchestra which gives students chances to follow masterclasses, attend concerts and rehearsals, and participate in the orchestra under the guidance of the players in the orchestra to experience what it takes to work on a high professional level. Conservatorium students also perform during festivals such as Sound of Europe (Breda) and Jazz in Duketown (Den Bosch), and at Muziekcentrum Eindhoven. And Conservatorium collaborates with the contemporary music festival November Music in Den Bosch, amongst others.

Because Conservatorium Jazz & Creative Music focuses on an inspiring learning environment with a lot of personal attention, and the connection to the professional field is always present, attending our programme offers several opportunities for graduated musicians. For example, many of our former students have been selected for the Music Hub Noord-Brabant guidance programme, which has given them a kick-start for their careers. Paradox is also a home base for rehearsals, album presentations and special projects, and former MPA students are given plenty of opportunities at other venues and festivals as well.