"The artistic personality must be recognizable"
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Georg Hajdu sets multimedia accents with his class
Georg Hajdu has been a professor of multimedia composition (MMM) at the HfMT since 2002. Born in Göttingen in 1960, the composer, musicologist, and researcher enjoys the highest international reputation thanks to his extensive body of work—particularly in the fields of multimedia and microtonality—as well as his global network.
Currently, seven students are enrolled in the MMM master’s program he directs, a group that is balanced both internationally and in terms of gender: Jan Wegmann, Tsz Him Cheung, Rico Zinn, Taizhi Shao, Dong Zhon, Luong Hue Tsinh, and Stefan Troschka. In addition, there are doctoral candidates, auditors, and students from other departments who also attend the MMM seminars, as well as students from the collaborative program “New Composition Techniques,” in which three other European conservatories participate alongside the HfMT. “If you add it all up, you could call it a large multimedia family that has come together here in Hamburg,” says Georg Hajdu happily. “The interest in the master’s program is partly due to Hamburg’s growing appeal as a city of music. It’s also encouraging that many former students have settled in Hamburg, ensuring that these connections are maintained.”
The program is characterized by a spirit of collaboration
The selection criteria for admission to the master’s program are as demanding as they are diverse. In addition to a multiple-choice test, applicants must submit an essay on a topic of their own choosing. A prerequisite is a good to very good command of English, as classes are conducted exclusively in that language. “Ultimately, however, the personal interview is decisive. For me, the artistic personality must be evident, as well as the creative potential to develop projects independently and the ability to reflect on art.” Those who clear this hurdle can expect not only a degree program with a broad range of content and topics but also excellent career prospects, whether in the concert, theater, or media industries. “To achieve this, our graduates must be able to make an artistic contribution that also encompasses the technical environment and implementation. They should also have attained a high degree of independence, for example, to establish a professional foothold through project proposals.” The experiences already gained with MMM alumni underscore Hajdu’s optimistic career outlook. “Many have earned doctorates and work as lecturers or professors in academic fields; some have even achieved international renown.” What is particularly important to Georg Hajdu is the networking among students. “The program itself is characterized by a spirit of collaboration. There are a variety of joint activities, not only in the seminars but also in self-initiated weekend projects.”
Project Receives 7.5 Million Euros in Funding
Incidentally, the possibilities for future collaborative projects have expanded significantly in recent times. Georg Hajdu and his assistant Jacob Sello were awarded a substantial 7.5 million euros in funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research for their jointly developed project, Stage_ 2.0 Alsterphilharmonie, as part of the nationwide “Innovative University” funding competition. “One-third of the funds will go toward upgrading the forum with state-of-the-art sound and lighting technology; there are already numerous exciting projects planned for the remaining two-thirds.” These range, among other things, from a multimedia spectacle in the St. Pauli Elbe Tunnel featuring over 200 musicians, to the development of special clarinets, to support for the Center for Microtonal Music and Multimedia (ZM4), founded at the HfMT in 2012. The increased budget also made it possible to establish a new, independent center for the department’s transfer projects on Heimhuder Straße. Other recipients of funding at the HfMT include musicology, elementary music education (EMP), and the school music program. “When you consider all of this, along with the opportunity to pursue a doctorate, you can certainly speak of a unique selling point that sets our university apart in the field of multimedia. That makes me a little proud.”
Source: HfMT student newspaper “zwoelf,” No. 22
Text: Dieter Hellfeuer
Photo: Christina Körte