Skip to main content
Norges musikkhøgskole Norwegian Academy of Music Search

Com­pos­i­tion and Per­form­ance

  • Year of study: Years 1 and 2, over 3 semesters (autumn, spring, autumn).
  • Final assessment: Assessment by supervisor/internal examiner.
  • Prerequisites: Admission to the Master of Music in Performance programme.
  • Language of instruction: Scandinavian/English.

Course description

This course is for students in the following degree programme and concentration: Master of Music in Performance – Nordic Master: The Composing Musician (NoCoM).

In this course, the student focuses on the development of individual compositional and performance skills in order to facilitate the successful completion of the Master's Project. The course takes place over three semesters, with one semester at each of the NoCoM collaborative institutions.

Learning objectives

The student will acquire

  • relevant compositional and performance skills for the completion of an independent artistic undertaking
  • the ability to work on artistic challenges in an independent, purposeful and thoughtful manner
  • knowledge of artistic development and research material relevant to personal performance and compositional practice

Overview

The course focuses on the student's individual development of artistic, instrumental and/or compositional skills. The students' semester projects provide the basis for the course content. A semester plan is developed, in concurrence with the principal supervisor and local advisers, and submitted in advance of each of the three terms. Proportions of performance and/or compositional focus may vary, depending on individual needs and interests. The course contents of the first semester are determined prior to the commencement of the study.

Structure

Each student is assigned a principal supervisor at the home institution (the Norwegian Academy of Music, "NMH"); this supervisor is normally an internal member of the faculty. The principal supervisor provides individual advising, review, and assessment of student goals and focuses areas for individual compositional and/or performance development for the duration of the course. In addition, each student is assigned a local adviser at each of the exchange institutions. The student participates in relevant courses/seminars at the local institution. Which such courses/seminars and to what extent the student should participate are to be agreed upon among the student, principal supervisor and local adviser. The local adviser will partake in discussions and facilitate the coordination of courses and instruction while the student is at the exchange institution (second/third semester).

The course demands advanced independent study skills from the student.

It is each individual student's responsibility to ensure her/his study progress. The student must take administrative charge of scheduling regular appointments with the principal supervisor and local advisers, in addition to performing and submitting required course material (sheet music, recordings, project description(s) etc.), in order to ensure the expected course progression.

Structure and recommended scope of instruction are further outlined (under Organisation) in the programme curriculum.

Students have registered automatically for instruction/supervision and assessment in the course, in accordance with the study progress requirements set out in the individual programme plan.

Course requirements

1. Submission of three semester plans to outline the student's planned course work

Each semester plan is developed in concurrence with the principal supervisor and local advisers.

Deadlines: 1 April before the commencement of studies in the first semester (beginning the following autumn); 1 November in the first semester of the course, for the following semester; 1 April in the second semester of the course, for the following, final semester. The final semester plan must be approved by the principal supervisor.

2. Submission of three-semester reports to the principal supervisor (approved and signed by student and adviser(s))

The reports are developed by the student in collaboration with the local adviser(s) and must contain

  • an overview of the student's areas of focus (techniques, practices, repertoire, arrangement, composition etc.) in the semester concerned
  • an overview of the courses and instruction that the student has participated in
  • documentation of performance(s) of the student's own composition(s) (audio/video/sheet music/musical score) with a total duration of approximately 45 minutes

Deadlines: 1 December in the first semester of the course; 1 June in the second semester of the course; 1 December in the third semester of the course. The semester reports must be submitted to the principal supervisor.

Final assessment

All course requirements must be fulfilled and attested before the student is given a final assessment.

Students are assessed in relation to the learning objectives. The final assessment will be given as a pass/fail mark, which will be determined on the basis of submitted semester plans and reports. Assessments will be carried out by the student's principal supervisor.

In the case of re-assessment, the same procedures as for an ordinary assessment will be followed.

Study component

Published: Apr 3, 2020 — Last updated: Jan 24, 2023