Hochschule für evangelische Kirchenmusik der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Kirche in Bayern

Bayern, Germany

About Hochschule für evangelische Kirchenmusik der Evangelisch-Lut

The Hochschule für evangelische Kirchenmusik Bayreuth (HfK) is Bavaria's only church-administered, state-recognised university dedicated to training Protestant church musicians. Founded under church law in November 1999 and commencing operations on 1 October 2000, it is the successor institution to a church music school established in 1921 and later elevated to a state-recognised academy in 1973. The HfK is operated by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria (ELKB) and is located in Wilhelminenstraße 9, 95444 Bayreuth.

The university offers four bachelor's and four master's degree programmes covering Protestant church music, conducting and choir direction, artistic organ performance, and piano pedagogy. Admission is conditional on passing an aptitude entrance examination (Eignungsprüfung); detailed requirements are set out in the institution's Qualifikationssatzung. The HfK was the first church music institution in Germany to administer the federal Deutschlandstipendium scholarship programme.

Facilities include nine organs from historic and contemporary manufacturers (Goll, Steinmeyer, Rohlfs), 16 grand pianos, five harpsichords, a library of approximately 19,000 sheet music editions and 4,500 books, and an on-campus dormitory with 20 single rooms. A formal academic cooperation agreement with the University of Bayreuth (since 2018/19) allows cross-institutional course attendance.

Key facts

Founded: 2000

Only church-administered, state-recognised university for Protestant church music in Bavaria

Four bachelor's and four master's degree programmes in church music, conducting, organ performance, and piano pedagogy

Nine organs on campus from historic and contemporary builders including Steinmeyer and Goll

Pioneer institution: first church music Hochschule to offer popular music education (since 1995) and to administer the Deutschlandstipendium

Cooperation agreement with the University of Bayreuth for cross-institutional course attendance (since WS 2018/19)

On-campus dormitory with 20 single rooms — uncommon for an institution of this size

Admissions & costs

Tuition & fees

The HfK is a church-administered institution with state recognition, not a Bavarian state university. Bavarian state legislation introducing non-EU tuition fees from WS 2025/26 applies to state universities (Universitäten and Hochschulen für angewandte Wissenschaften); whether those fees extend to church-administered institutions with state recognition should be verified directly with the HfK administration. No tuition fee amounts are published on the official website. A schedule of fees (Gebührenordnung) is referenced as a downloadable document but its contents are not displayed on the website.

Admission requirements

All applicants — domestic and international — must pass an aptitude entrance examination (Eignungsprüfung). Full requirements are published in the Qualifikationssatzung (Qualification Statute) available on the official website. No dedicated international student admission track or APS-specific guidance is published; international applicants should contact the administration office directly. German language proficiency sufficient for academic study in German is implicitly required, as all programmes are German-taught. No language certificate threshold is explicitly published on the website.

Application deadlines

Summer semester start: application deadline 1 February (entrance examination held around 14 February). Winter semester start: application deadline 1 June (entrance examination held around 17 June). Students may sit the entrance examination one semester before their intended start date.

Languages of instruction

Instruction is conducted predominantly in German. No English-taught degree programmes are listed on the official website. International guest lecturers deliver master classes and continuing education courses.

Campuses & locations

Bayreuth (main campus)

Wilhelminenstraße 9, 95444 Bayreuth — sole campus

Living in Bayern

Bayreuth is a city of approximately 75,000 residents in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, situated in a valley between the Franconian Alb and the Fichtelgebirge. It is internationally known as the home of the Richard Wagner Festival (Bayreuther Festspiele) and hosts the University of Bayreuth, giving the city a dual identity as both a festival destination and a university town. Cost of living is moderate relative to Munich or Nuremberg.

Student life & support

The HfK maintains an on-campus dormitory with 20 affordable single rooms equipped with built-in furniture, shared kitchens, common areas, and a canteen — a notable benefit given the institution's small size. There is no dedicated international office listed on the official website; the central administration ([email protected]) handles all inquiries. A student council (AStA) operates at [email protected]. The cooperation agreement with the University of Bayreuth gives HfK students access to courses in music and theatre sciences at the neighbouring university.

Accredited Programmes

Master

Bachelor/Bakkalaureus