Jazz entrance exam

To begin your application, go to the applicant portal.

The online portal is only available during the application period from February 15 to April 1 of each year.

Please refer to the overview of application periods for the deadlines

You can find all important information about the application process under “Online Application.”

IMPORTANT: The application for admission must be received by the university no later than April 1.
Please refer to the user guide for the HfMT Hamburg applicant portal: https://www.hfmt-hamburg.de/fileadmin/u/pdf/bewerbung/Anleitung.pdf

Information on the Application Process

• In addition to the written application, the online application is mandatory in accordance with § 7 of the HfMT Enrollment Regulations.

Please submit the following documents in digital form (via upload) in the applicant portal under “Documents”:

Documents to be submitted (digitally):

• Upload the demo recordings for the first stage of the entrance exam via the applicant portal
• A tabular resume detailing your musical activities to date
• A certified copy of your most recent school transcript
• A passport-sized photo
• if applicable, proof of academic achievements and exam results already completed
• For applicants from non-German-speaking countries: officially certified translations of the submitted documents
• A medical-phonetic evaluation (Jazz Vocal only)

The Bachelor’s program in Jazz begins annually in the winter semester. The entrance exams for this program take place annually in early June. To participate in the entrance exam, a complete application must be submitted to the university by the deadline.

Eligibility to apply requires proof of a general university entrance qualification or prior education recognized as equivalent by the competent authority. After the entrance exam has been administered, the entrance exam committee may waive the requirement for proof of the general university entrance qualification if the applicant has demonstrated artistic ability far above average. When selecting students for the Bachelor’s program in Jazz and Jazz-Related Music, the allocation of instruments takes into account the need to form functional ensembles during the course of study.

In general, most lectures and seminars are conducted in German. Therefore, it is advisable to have a good command of German before beginning your studies in order to be able to follow the lectures. The specific regulations for applicants without a good command of German can be found here (http://www.hfmt-hamburg.de/studium/deutschkenntnisse/)

The Jazz Bachelor program at the HfMT Hamburg trains talented instrumentalists to become professional musicians. This four-year study program offers you everything you need to become an excellent, creative and versatile artist.

The purpose of the entrance examination is to determine whether the applicant is able to achieve the study objective; to this end, it is checked whether the applicant has sufficient musical talent on the instrument and beyond. All applicants must prove their artistic and academic aptitude for studying at the university in an entrance examination.

The entrance examination takes place in three stages. Only those who have passed the first stage examination will be admitted to the second and third stages.

1st part of the examination:
The first examination is an examination in the jazz major based on a demo recording (audio or video) of 3 pieces (one medium-up tempo piece / one ballad / one freely chosen piece). You can upload the media files of the demo recordings via the link below.

2nd and 3rd part of the exam:
The second and third part are practical exams in the instrumental / vocal main subject (classical and jazz), as well as in the minor subject, in theory and ear training (classical and jazz).
The second and third part take place as face-to-face exams in the JazzHall Hamburg. There is currently no digital online examination available for the Jazz Bachelor's degree program.

Level 1
Examination in the jazz specialization

Level 2
Examination in the jazz specialization

Stage 3
The third stage consists of the following partial examinations:

* Appendix

Copies of the classical performance pieces or transcriptions should be kept ready for the jury.

Trumpet:
Etudes and/or concerto in the difficulty level of Arban, Hummel (1st movement)

Trombone:
Etudes and/or concerto of medium difficulty (at least Blume, booklet 2)

Saxophone:
Etudes at the level of difficulty of Jettl's Methods for Saxophone

Piano:
Three compositions from different stylistic periods at a level of difficulty of two or three-part inventions by Bach, easy to moderately difficult sonatas by Haydn or Mozart and correspondingly difficult pieces from the Romantic or Modern periods.

Guitar:
Two performance pieces with different playing techniques. Recommendations: A classical etude, e.g. Carcassi op. 60 or Leo Brouwer / Études Simples; an easy - moderately difficult performance piece, e.g. Milonga/Buscaglia or Entrée Em/Brescianello. Recommended anthology: Saitenwege Ed. DUX 850.

Double bass:
Scales (arco); one etude from: Simandl, 30 Etudes

Percussion:
Two etudes for snare drum are required: a demanding etude (# 132-150) from "The All American Drummer" by Charley Wilcoxon and, as a compulsory piece, etude # 31 from "Schule für Kleine Trommel" by Heinrich Knauer and Gerhard Behsing. Alternatively, rudimental etudes by John S. Pratt or classical etudes by Garwood Whaley (Recital Solos for Snare Drum) can be selected.

Singing:
Singing: Memorized performance of 2 classical songs from different eras and of different character. Example selection: an Italian aria from the Arie antiche, an art song by Schubert, Brahms or Schumann or arias/songs by J.S. Bach, W.A. Mozart.

Percussion:
2 pieces of classical literature on classical percussion, see also beginning percussion

Vibraphone:
Scale playing, cadenzas with 4 mallets in all major keys (I-IV-V-I, I-VI-IV-II-I -V-I)

Other instruments:
Performance of two instrument-specific pieces of medium difficulty

To begin your application, go to the applicant portal.

The online portal is only available during the application period from February 15 to April 1. IMPORTANT: The application for admission must be finalized online with the university by April 1 at the latest.

The online application is mandatory in accordance with Section 7 of the HfMT Enrollment Regulations.

Please refer to the overview of application periods for the application deadlines

You can find all important information about the application process under “Online Application.”

If your instrument is not listed, please indicate this in the “Additional Information” section under “Personal Information.”

Documents to be submitted:
You must upload these documents digitally to the applicant portal:

• Tabular resume (digital)
  , which should clearly outline your musical career and, if applicable, your community involvement with supporting documentation, if available. (digital)
• Demo recording (audio or video) ( digital)
  for the first stage of the entrance exam (multimedia upload—audio/video)
  Please upload the media files via the online portal.
• Statement of Purpose: (digital)
  Describe your artistic vision and how it can be realized within the Dr. Langner Jazzmaster program, your academic goals, as well as your chosen additional area of specialization (qualification module) and the reasons for this choice (approx. 2 DIN A4 pages).
• References for Focus Area: (digital)
  Please upload proof of qualifications and/or evidence of competence in your chosen additional area of focus here, e.g., compositions, transcripts, engagement contracts, etc.
  You can find the types of required proof of qualifications in the “Focus Areas” section below
• Supplementary application materials
  (letters of recommendation or other documents (optional))
• Copy of your college degree certificate (digital)
  or valid proof of the qualifications obtained, in accordance with the admission requirements.
  (If you are not scheduled to receive your bachelor’s degree until the summer semester, the diploma may be submitted after the start of the program.)
• Portrait photo ( digital)
• Proof of German language proficiency or English language proficiency ( digital)
  
• Proof of payment for the admission exam fee of EUR 50

Please refer to the user guide for the HfMT Hamburg applicant portal:https://www.hfmt-hamburg.de/fileadmin/u/pdf/bewerbung/Anleitung.pdf

All applicants must prove their artistic and academic aptitude for studying at the university in an entrance examination.

The entrance examination for the Dr. Langner Jazzmaster program takes place annually completely online takes place online.

The purpose of the entrance examination is to determine whether the applicant is able to achieve the study objective; to this end, it is checked whether the applicant has the potential to develop as an artist with outstanding professional qualifications. Exceptional abilities in the desired area of study and the convincing presentation of the applicant's own artistic vision will have a positive influence on the examination result.

The entrance examination takes place in two stages. Only those who have passed the first stage examination are admitted to the second stage of the entrance examination.

The first stage is a test of artistic competence based on a demo recording (upload - min. audio, opt. video). There are no specifications for the content of the demo recordings. The applicant is solely responsible for presenting their own skills.

The second stage consists of two parts:

a) A video performance (upload) with his/her own band lasting 15 minutes in which the applicant presents him/herself as an independent artistic personality.

b) A colloquium (examination interview) of approx. 15 minutes on the artistic vision, the chosen profile within the framework of the qualification module and the previous experience horizon on the basis of the submitted materials/references.