Composition
Over the past century in classical music, there has been a separation between composer and musician, creator and performer. At the same time, in recent years there has been a movement within the performance arts in which the creator is also a performer, concept developer and researcher.
The Bachelor Composition aims to be at the forefront of these new interdisciplinary developments. In this programme, we look first and foremost at you as a maker and performer. Whether you are a composer and/or performer who wants to make concert-, theater-, or film-music, or work together in multidisciplinary projects: together we will find a path that suits you and in which you can develop your dreams and talents.
Teachers
Anthony Fiumara
Anthony Fiumara is a Dutch-Italian composer born in 1968 who received his musical education at the University of Utrecht. He has made significant contributions to the world of music through various roles in his career. While working full-time as a composer, he also had successful stints as a music journalist, radio program maker, and conservatory teacher.
Unlike other conservatories, Fontys focuses on the music practice of today. As a student you have the opportunity to collaborate with students from other disciplines: from dance and theater to visual art forms.
"In my composition lessons we will be working on developing your own sound and form – whether it is instrumental or electronic, classical or cross-over, pure concert music or a collaboration with other art forms. Moreover, I want you as a student to experience how the concert practice works – as quickly as possible. Your music is gonig to be performed by MPA students and professionals during concerts – also outside the school walls, because that's where you learn the most. Based on my own practice I want to teach you how you can become and remain relevant as a composer."
Celia Swart
Celia Swart (1994, NL) is a contemporary composer and multimedia artist.
Her works could be described as ‘New Simplicity’, they do a lot with few elements and therefore place an important focus on their sound world. She has a conceptual approach to her works and although her music is non-narrative music, Celia incorporates a narrative structure in the concept that is driven by personal themes such as isolation, insecurity, fears and dreams. Celia Swart has written several compositions for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Resonances XXI (FR) and the Bang on a Can Summer Festival Ensemble (USA), among others. Her music has been performed at various venues and festivals such as Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Bimhuis, TivoliVredenburg, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (UK), Bang on a Can Loud Weekend (US), Collège Néerlandais in Paris (FR) and has been broadcast on radio and television (NPO Radio4 and NPO1 Vrije Geluiden (NL), BBC Radio3 (UK).
Audition
Candidates that live in the Netherlands, Belgium or western Germany will do a live audition. Candidates from other countries will do an online audition.
The entrance exam consists of two parts. The duration of the first part is 20 minutes.
Part 1: Review of your digital portfolio. The portfolio must contain at least three compositions, both scores (PDF files) and sound recordings (MP3 or WAV files) or video (YouTube, Vimeo). We would also like to receive a short biography with date of birth, previous education, musical experience, musical preferences, plans and dreams for the future, etc. The committee will assess whether the student has sufficient talent and motivation, and is open-minded towards new, innovative music.
Part 2: Once we receive the necessary documents, the admissions committee will review your work. If the result is positive, you will be invited for an interview, live or online.