Composition
The Bachelor's programme in Music, Composition, is aimed at those who want to become composers with a focus on Western contemporary art music. The goal is to find your own personal aesthetic in your work as well as developing a good artistic and professional ability.
During the first two years of study, you will compose for various chamber ensembles, while the third year focuses on writing for larger ensembles, such as chamber and wind orchestras, as part of external composition project collaborations. You will develop a strong foundation in musical craftsmanship, covering key parameters of music as well as traditional music theory, including harmony, four-part writing, form, analysis, notation, and other theoretical perspectives. Throughout your studies, you will engage with professional institutions and ensembles, which demands a high level of discipline and responsibility.
By the end of the programme, you will be equipped with advanced knowledge and skills to navigate an ever-evolving cultural landscape. This programme provides the necessary foundation for pursuing a Master's degree with a high level of independence. Instruction covers composition, electroacoustic music, instrumentation, ear training and analysis, counterpoint, piano, music history, ensemble with conducting, and professional aspects of the music industry. Teaching is delivered through individual lessons, group sessions, and seminars, with projects and a final degree project included.
Rolf Martinsson, professor of Music Theory with Arrangement and Composition
Staffan Storm, professor of Music Theory and Composition
Daniel Hjorth, university lecturer in Music Theory
Björn-Tryggve Johansson, university lecturer in Music Theory
Magnus Lindén, university lecturer in Piano/Ear training
Samuli Örnströmer, teacher in Conducting
One of the most significant and unique aspects of the composition programme is the highly sought-after annual external projects in collaboration with leading symphony orchestras, chamber orchestras, choirs, and chamber music ensembles. These collaborations provide students with numerous opportunities to have their works rehearsed and performed in concerts while also allowing them to build a valuable professional network within the cultural sector during their studies.
This also lays the foundation for a composer's practical experience and artistic collaboration with orchestras such as Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Gävle Symphony Orchestra, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, the Stockholm Wind Symphony, Jönköping Sinfonietta, and the string orchestra Musica Vitae.
Some projects are carried out in collaboration with the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and the Academy of Music and Drama at the University of Gothenburg. Students participate in projects throughout the entire programme.
Connect Festival is a contemporary music festival organised by the students.
The Composition Seminar is a forum for aesthetic discussions, analysis, reflection and meetings with visiting professors, composers and musicians from the field of contemporary art music.
The composition studio serves as the programme’s platform for students' creative work in electroacoustic music, live electronics, and experimental studio production.
The Annik and Lars Leander Foundation awards an annual scholarship for composition students at the Malmö Academy of Music. Students enrolled in the following programmes are eligible to apply:
Bachelor programme
• Composition
Master programmes
• Composition Diploma
• Composition
• Composition – Scoring for Film and Media
Read more about the scholarships at Malmö Academy of Music
Every year the Royal Swedish Academy of Music (RSAM) awards national and local scholarships.
Students at Malmö Academy of Music are offered the opportunity to apply for international exchange studies each year—an excellent opportunity to experience new and inspiring study environments, meet new teachers, explore a different cultural scene, and build new connections.
Inter Arts Centre is our platform for electro-acoustic music and a meeting place for collaborations with other art forms such as theatre and the visual arts.
At the end of the programme, students complete a degree project consisting of a performance component and a creative research component with written reflections. For composition students, the degree project is typically based on a composition project but can also include an exam concert if the student chooses to incorporate that alongside their composition work. Upon completion of the programme, students are awarded a Degree of Bachelor in Music, specialising in Composition.
Quick Facts
Duration
180 ECTS credits / 3 years full-time
Kind of programme
Bachelor Programme in Music
Language of instruction
Swedish
Application period
2 December 2024 – 15 January 2025
Syllabus
Programme Syllabus (PDF 496 kB, new tab)
Entry requirements
General requirements for university studies in Sweden as well as successful entrance tests to the Bachelor’s Programme in Music, Composition. The applicant must also be able to speak, write and read Swedish.
Information about admission
Questions about admission:
admissions [at] mhm [dot] lu [dot] se
Contact
Thea Lundbäck
Programme Coordinator
thea [dot] lundback [at] mhm [dot] lu [dot] se (thea[dot]lundback[at]mhm[dot]lu[dot]se)
+46 40 32 54 25