Bachelor’s Degreee in Opera Singing

Training Profile Bachelor’s Degreee in Opera Singing

The course leads to a first professional qualification, preparing students for the requirements of today's music theater business through a diverse curriculum.

Three core mainstays of learning content are embedded in the curriculum:

A. Music (voice, role studies)

B. Scene work (characterization, movement, language)

C. Aesthetics, history and artistic practice of music theater

Students are taught the complex requirements needed by today's music theater performers.

The aim is fundamental mastery of singing and performing techniques and mutual harmonic saturation, the ability to use the body as a sensitive instrument for musical and dramatic design, grasping intricacies of roles and implementing them while imaginatively, creatively, and flexibly dealing with different working methods.

Training Course

The standard period of study is eight semesters for the Bachelor of Arts in Opera Singing Training Course.

The course is divided into modules and submodules (see exam regulations § 4 and study plan). Completing a module section through proof of performance, certification, or exam is the prerequisite for advancing to the next module section of the course. In the first four semesters of the bachelor of arts course, in addition to vocal training, students are taught musical and music theory basics as well as elementary training in stage work, speech, Italian and French languages, and body conditioning. In the 5th to 8th semesters, the main part of the course, there is deepening and intensification of the main subjects: part studies, musical and stage ensemble work, project participation, auditions and acting training.

Overview of subjects for BA opera singing:

• Singing
• Vocal coaching and role study
• Musical ensembles
• Basic stage training / improvisation
• Advanced stage improvisation
• Staging arias and ensemble work
• Recitative training
• Dialogue Studies
• Acting training
• Auditioning
• Project work
• Speech training and phonetics
• Italian and French
• Body Training
• Dance
• Music theater history, aesthetics, and artistic practice
• Music theory subjects
• Piano
• Courses: professional advice, interdisciplinary projects, stage law, stage fighting including fencing, stage makeup.

Professional competence aimed at in the Bachelor of Arts in Opera Singing program:

• Acquisition of specialized roles of medium difficulty in the current opera literature.
• Ability to independently develop musical roles.
• Comprehension, flexibility, and ability to implement different types of musical and stage requirements and working approaches.
• Good and versatile mastery of performance skills meeting requirements of today's music theater business. Stage presence, differentiated body language, mastery of different acting techniques, impeccable spoken dialogue, mastery of common dance styles, basics in the field of stage fighting as well as dealing with theater-specific stressful situations.