The European Master of Early Music: a new international initiative in top level early music education

The early music departments of the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague and the Janacek Academy of Performing Arts in Brno offer an exciting top-level joint master programme: the European Master of Early Music.
In the European Master of Early Music you will be able to benefit from the strong points of two outstanding early music departments, while enjoying a truly international experience in terms of education, performance, research and professional perspectives in the area of early music. The two-year Master’s programme offers you the opportunity to study early music in greater depth on the basis of a personally designed study plan. You will receive guidance in three aspects: artistic development (your main instrument or subject), research, and professional practice in an international context. You can apply to the programme on the basis of your bachelor degree in early music or (in exceptional cases) classical music.

Enjoying the benefits of two early music department of high quality

In the European Master of Early Music you will be able to follow an integrated curriculum that brings together two early music departments with each unique qualities. While in The Hague you will enjoy the prestige of one of the oldest Early Music departments in the world, a unique breadth of main instruments, an international environment and a progressive educational approach towards research and professional integration, in Brno you will be studying in a dynamic department with a young and active pedagogical team, intense individual care through a high number of lessons every week, regular open stages with internal feedback, intensive concert activities, a strong emphasis on technical training and recently purchased high-quality instruments.

Offering early music students an international learning experience

The European Master of Early Music is set up so that you will be studying at your home institution in semesters one and four, and at the partner institution in semester two and three with an ERASMUS+ grant. This way, you can already start working on your international career during your studies and develop your intercultural skills by spending a substantial amount of time in two European countries.

The master programme is open to the following instruments:

• historical violin
• historical violoncello
• lute and lute instruments
• harpsichord and historical keyboard instruments
• historical fortepiano
• historical flute
• historical voice

In addition to individual lessons in these main subjects, you will be doing intensive training in ensemble playing, chamber music, basso continuo and performance practice. You will also participate in joint intensive projects bringing together students from both departments as part of the curriculum.