Ensemble Singing

You are graduated with a Bachelor in singing or choral conducting, you want to further develop yourself as a versatile musician. You like the idea of singing in a professional vocal ensemble but you do not see yourself as a professional ensemble singer only but also as a soloist, a maker, a performer and leader in the context of an ensemble. At the same time you are thinking about the role and position of the artist in society and you are looking for a programme in which that question also plays a role. If so, the Master Ensemblesinging is the programme for you.We developed the master Ensemble Singing together with the international acclaimed Netherlands Chamber Choir (NKK) and its chief conductor Peter Dijkstra. In the first year of the Master course there are internships with the NKK in which you work on repertoire from different stylistic periods. You work with leading conductors and you will be coached by ensemble specialists from the choir. You get to know the ensemblesinging practice from the inside and you learn to master all aspects of ensemble singing. In the second year you will be part of NKK NXT, the young talent programme of the NKK. In about four months you develop together with singers and artists from other disciplines a joint project. You are, coached by professionals from the NKK and other specialists, responsible for the development of the concept, repertoire, staging, marketing and publicity and everything else that you as a group can think of in relation to your project. A basic budget is available. There will be performances on different podia in the Netherlands. In short, you learn in practice what you need to be an independent artist in a rapidly changing art world.The 2nd Master year asks a lot from you in terms of effort and time. Therefore in this 2nd year the NKK will pay for your statutory tuition fee. If you are a non EEU citizen there will be a reduction on the so called institutional tuition fee for an amount equal to the statutory tuition fee.Next to the activities with the NKK you follow the other subjects as indicated in the curriculum. In the Ensemble Singing Practicum you work on the vocal-technical and artistic skills needed for working in an ensemble, you deepen your knowledge about the social and historical context of the repertoire. Lessons will always be connected with the internships in the NKK during the two years of the course. In the subject Introduction to Project Management you start developing skills that you need in the second Master Year. In both years you have 75 minutes of singing lessons by one of the singing department teachers and you work with a coach-pianist.Next to your vocal and artistic development and the preparation for the professional practice you work on the development of your research skills. You are required to do research on a topic of your choice during the master’s programme. You will be assisted by a research supervisor, follow an introductory course about doing (artistic) research and an elective in your first year. You will participate in a Master circle, a ‘peer-to-peer ‘ group consisting of fellow students and a circle leader. At the end of your master’s programme you are required to present the results of your research. You are invited to connect the different parts of the curriculum with each other.