Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Orchestra Conducting - Advanced Postgraduate Programme

Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Orchestra Conducting - Advanced Postgraduate Programme is one of 4 English-taught Music & Performing Arts programmes at Top-up & Postgraduate Diploma level in the register, offered by 2 institutions. 3 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from EUR 3,800 to EUR 7,750; this programme lists EUR 7,750 a year.

The Orchestra Conducting programme at the Royal Danish Academy of Music (RDAM) in Frederiksberg is a soloist class programme. It runs for three years and leads to an Advanced Postgraduate Diploma. Teaching is in English, and the study environment is international, with students admitted from all over the world.

What you study

The core of the training is time on the podium. From your first semester you conduct both fellow students and professional orchestras. RDAM has cooperation agreements with Denmark's five regional orchestras and runs regular annual projects with them.

Classroom teaching covers techniques for score study, discussions of stylistic choices, conducting issues, communication with the orchestra and rehearsal techniques. Your conducting is recorded and analysed in class so that everyone learns from it. You are expected to prepare together with your fellow students and to take part in the conversation.

Admission requires a solid theoretical background in ear training, theory and music history, and this is tested at the entrance examination. You also need an obvious musical talent and a high technical level in conducting to build on.

How the programme is organised

This is a full-time commitment. Very few students are admitted each year, so the focus is on developing each conductor's particular talent. You can apply with a background in orchestral conducting or with a master's degree in another professional music practice, such as the violin or the piano.

Teaching is collective. Conducting students have joint teaching with each other and with students from other study programmes. Your lecturers are all active conductors who work professionally alongside their teaching. RDAM also invites international guest teachers and conductors to teach and give master classes.

The academy supports students' participation in international master classes and competitions, and there are opportunities to study at other conservatoires and universities around the world.

Who it suits

This programme suits conductors who already hold a master's degree and want to work at the highest artistic level. You should be willing to learn in a collective study environment, take part in discussion and take constructive criticism as part of your learning. A broad artistic vision matters, and so do good English skills.

The environment is small and social, with parties, concerts, events and Friday bars across RDAM. You will meet the entire Danish music scene during your studies, and the close collaboration with professional orchestras, fellow students and teachers gives you every opportunity to build a strong network for your professional life.

Admission, language and next steps

Admission requires a master's degree. If you do not hold one, RDAM points to its master's programmes in Ensemble Conducting and Choir Conducting instead. The entrance examination tests your theoretical background in ear training, theory and music history, and you must demonstrate a high technical level in conducting.

Teaching is in English, so you need good English skills. Applications for master's level study go directly to the institution. Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland study free of charge; other students pay a fee set by the institution. Check the programme page for entrance examination details and how to apply.

For top-up and postgraduate diploma programmes the application route differs between institutions, so follow the steps on the programme page. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, residence permits and housing.