Specialization in the international Master of Music
120 ECTS / 2 year
Campus Leuven / Lemmens
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Composition

To perform your music you’ll work together with the many musicians at our campus and you’ll engage in interactive collaborations with people from other art forms. In this way you will learn what place music can take in today's society. You will complete your education with a portfolio of compositions and a thesis.

Curriculum

In our Composition program, you will combine your personal creativity to historical insight. You learn to write, arrange and improvise music. You also study harmony, polyphony and fugue.

The master's program is a two-year program in which you will further develop into an independent and authentic musical artist. The range will be expanded to include fugue and orchestration, and your teachers will guide you in your search for a personal style.

If you would like to know more about the subjects, you will be taught, have al look at the course schedule with study guide for content and credits for bachelor and master.

From the academic year 2022-2023, LUCA School of Arts, Campus Lemmens will offer a new Master's curriculum in Music.

 

The master's thesis

The master's thesis consists of two self-selected artistic projects: a recital and a research-based recital. You present both recitals to a jury of internal and external experts during a public presentation. You substantiate and contextualise it with a thesis that situates your work within or against existing literature and debates. With this, you prove that you can orient yourself within the field of your artistic discipline. With your master's thesis, you prove that you work largely independently. From your first master's year onwards, you work on your research project with support from your main subject teacher and thesis supervisor.

Inspiration for your master's thesis

Masterclasses, symposiums and intense practical experiences

Every year, LUCA Music organises interesting master classes and workshops with external experts and renowned national and international musicians.

Music practice takes centre stage on our campus. You not only make music during your practical lessons or self-study, but also participate in our ensembles, choirs and orchestras and our prestigious artistic productions. These experiences shape you into a team player.

Cross-overs

LUCA School of Arts is a habitat in which collaboration between students of different arts disciplines is encouraged. This creates interesting crossovers and innovative artistic practices. Students can also take optional subjects from all LUCA programmes, ranging from film or photography to graphic design or interior design to product design or sculpture.

General Part

All students within the Composition Programme take subjects such as main music theory, composition and ensemble.

New from 2022-2023 is the Professional Toolkit. In this 6-credit course, students are strongly oriented to the future professional practice of a musician. You gain insight into the organisational, financial and social aspects of professional practice. You acquire additional skills that you can apply in future practice. Within this subject, students choose a combination of compulsory and freely selectable components such as Entrepreneurship, Performance psychology, Scenic awareness or an internship at the production office, etc.

Electives

Students can deepen their knowledge within their own specialisation/degree course or broaden their knowledge by taking electives within and other degree courses. Elective courses such as (Practical) Harmony, Introduction to Arts Education are complemented by 7 semester-organised workshops - of 6 credits from which the student can choose. A number of minors (fixed package) are also offered within that elective. 

Minors

For students with an interest in one of the other programmes, a series of minors of 12 credits each is now also offered within the Music Master's elective. For example, a piano student can study composition or a composition student can study conducting, etc.

International Traineeship

In the new curriculum, it is also possible to redeem short international experiences in 3, 6, 9 or 12 credits.

Ateliers

Within the Music majors, students can use (at least) 12 credits per master year within the electives. They choose 1 or 2 of the following 7 new ateliers (of 6 credits).

Cross-Campus Electives

Students will have the opportunity to take (elective) courses from another programme at one of LUCA School of Arts' campuses

Staff

Your teachers

In our music program, your personality is the starting point. In your process, your teachers are not teachers who impose methods, but coaches who help you to think up with your own solutions and tell your own story. For our teachers, there is no better challenge than to support and inspire you. In the beginning, they walk in front of you, then beside you and at the end of your studies, you are in the lead.

 

Main subject teachers

Kurt Bikkembergs, Jeroen D'hoe, Pieter Schuermans, Piet Swerts and Maarten Van Ingelgem

Facilities & campus life

  • Our very own campus, situated in a parc in one of Europe's oldest university towns
  • An artistic meeting space for theater maker and musicians 
  • A coworking space with rehearsal studio's concert halls and theater venues
  • An art centre with concerts, performances and theater shows, lectures and artist talks, book launches, graduation shows and showcases
  • An expertise centre for young perfomnce artists with an art library, production support and a lending service
  • An intricate network of cultural partners where students rehears and show the results of their projects

Location

Lemmensberg 3
3000 Leuven
info.lemmens@luca-arts.be
+32 2 447 15 00

How to get there

More information about our campus

What do you need?

A good command of English (level B2) is required to make the most of your stay with us. Campus Lemmens does not own student accommodation. Therefore, you will have to rent a room on the private housing market for the duration of your stay. To help you in your search, please visit the website of the KUL or contact our student support services. 

Further studies and career

FUTURE PROSPECTS

As a Master in Music you could rule either way.

As an entrepreneur-artist, you can create solo and chamber music projects, find your way to theater and production houses or look forward to a bright future as an arranger, composer, programmer or conductor.

As an educational artist you have a teaching qualification in part-time art education (DKO), other forms of education, non-formal art education and social-artistic work. As a performing musician you are ready to participate in auditions of renowned orchestras and ensembles.

Verkort traject

Shortened Educational Master

Have you obtained your degree as an artistic master and would you like to become a teacher? Then ou can opt for a shortened educational master's degree, called EDU. EDU by LUCA offers the opprtunity to acquite oour competences in secondary and part-time art education at an accelerated pace. Students who take teh shortened track of 60 credits, sign up for a full-time program of one year. if you want to combine work and family, you van choose to spread the shortened master over two years. 

EDU combines the (shortened) teacher training for secondary education offered by KU Leuven, LUCA School of Arts and VIVES.

Application & entry requirements

All Erasmus+ Exchange Students need to apply via the exchange application procedure of LUCA School of Arts. During your application process, you can indicate the LUCA campus of your choice and the exchange programme you wish to apply for. Notice that not all programmes are open for incoming exchange students in both semesters. An overview can be found  here.

  • The deadline for the Autumn Semester / full year is April 1
  • The deadline for the Spring Semester is October 1

Outcome Exchange Application

The outcome of the application can be expected within 4-6 weeks after the application deadline. Both you and your international coordinator will be informed about the result of your application by e-mail. No need to inquire about the outcome yourself.

Let's meet

Curious about how things are going in the Music program? On the open campus day you will receive all the information you need. In addition, you can experience the program during the open lessons and you can even enjoy a presentation of a work.

Contact us

If you need more information, don't hesitate to contact us:

International Coordinator Campus Lemmens
Emelie De Bruyne 
emelie.debruyne@luca-arts.be

Campus Lemmens
Lemmensberg 3
3000 Leuven
+32 2 447 15 00
info.lemmens@luca-arts.be

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