Hochschule für Musik Freiburg im Breisgau
Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Founded
- 1946
- Students
- 700
- International
- 49%
- Programmes
- 10
About Hochschule für Musik Freiburg im Breisgau
Hochschule für Musik Freiburg (HfM Freiburg), founded in 1946, is a state-funded specialist music conservatory located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg. Conceived from the outset as a reform institution - its founding rector Gustav Scheck envisioned it as the "Bauhaus of music" - the school offers the full range of classical disciplines alongside an expanding jazz and pop programme. With approximately 700 students and more than 60 doctoral candidates, it is a compact, practice-intensive institution.
The university organises roughly 600 concerts, operas, and recitals annually, making it the largest concert presenter in the Germany-France-Switzerland tri-border region. It hosts the Freiburg Centre for Music Research and Teaching (FZM), described as one of the largest institutes for music research in Europe, and maintains joint doctoral programmes with partner universities in Switzerland and France. Exchange partnerships include the Eastman School of Music, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and the University of Toronto, among 41 ERASMUS partner institutions.
Degree offerings span Bachelor of Music, Master of Music (consecutive and non-consecutive), Bachelor and Master of Church Music, Concert Exam (Konzertexamen), Freiburg Opera Studio, Elementary Music Pedagogy, and doctoral studies in musicology and music education. A Pre-College Academy (FAB) serves gifted young musicians from age twelve.
Founded 1946 as a reform conservatory - the 'Bauhaus of music' concept
~600 concerts and recitals organised annually, largest concert presenter in the tri-border region
Freiburg Centre for Music Research and Teaching (FZM) - one of Europe's largest music research institutes
41 ERASMUS partner institutions plus direct agreements with Eastman School of Music, Sydney Conservatorium, and University of Toronto
Joint doctoral programmes with Swiss and French partner universities
Pre-College Academy (FAB) for gifted young musicians from age 12
Key facts
- Type
- Kunst- und Musikhochschulen
- Founded
- 1946
- Students
- 700
- International
- ~49% - 301 of 612 enrolled students came from abroad (WS 2020/21, official Gleichstellungsplan), from 21 European and 33 non-European countries
- Faculties
- 5
- Programmes
- 10
Study programmes
10 accredited degrees at Hochschule für Musik Freiburg im Breisgau.
Showing 1–10 of 10 programmes
Admissions & fees
What it costs
Semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag): €203 per semester for all students, covering student services (€103), administrative costs (€80), and student council (€20). Non-EU/EEA international students additionally pay a tuition fee of €1,500 per semester, in line with Baden-Württemberg state law for non-EU students (introduced WS 2017/18; students enrolled before that date are exempt). Concert Exam and Meisterklasse programmes carry an additional €1,000 per semester. Second-degree enrolments: €650 per semester. Non-consecutive master's programmes: €500 per semester.
Admission requirements
Admission is by competitive entrance examination (Eignungsprüfung). Applicants submit an online registration followed by paper documents (postmark deadline). Application window for winter semester (October start): closes 1 April; for summer semester (April start): closes 1 November. Entrance exams run over 5-6 days in June (winter) or January (summer). A €50 registration fee applies. APS certificate is required for applicants whose prior qualification is from India, China (mainland, HK, Macau), or Vietnam before a student visa can be issued - the HfM application itself does not explicitly gate on APS, but the German consulate will. Language requirements: B1 German for most programmes; B2 for certain master's tracks (Music Theory, Musicology, Pedagogy); C1 for teacher-training programmes.
Application deadlines
Winter semester (October start): online registration and document submission deadline 1 April. Summer semester (April start): deadline 1 November. Re-registration for continuing students: 1 June-1 July (winter) and 1 January-1 February (summer).
How international applicants apply
Not used. Two-step application: (1) online registration for the Eignungsprüfung on the university's own Hochschulportal (qisserver/HISinOne campus portal) and (2) postal submission of the signed Zulassungsantrag with documents by postmark deadline (1 April winter / 1 November summer); EUR 50 registration fee.
Languages of instruction
Instruction is predominantly in German. B1 German is required for most performance programmes; B2 for Music Theory, Musicology, and Pedagogy master's tracks; C1 for teacher-training programmes. English proficiency accepted in lieu of German for the Concert Exam programme.
Entry requirements, intake dates and language levels differ for every degree.
Campuses & locations
Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Platz 1, 79102 Freiburg im Breisgau - single central campus
Living in Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a mid-sized university city of roughly 230,000 inhabitants in the southern Black Forest region, situated close to the French and Swiss borders. It is consistently ranked among Germany's sunniest cities and is known for its historic Altstadt, the medieval Münster cathedral, and extensive tram and cycling infrastructure. The city hosts a vibrant cultural scene, including the Freiburg Philharmonic and the Theater Freiburg, both of which collaborate with HfM students. The cost of living is moderate relative to Munich or Frankfurt, and student housing is available through the Studierendenwerk Freiburg.
Student life & support
Student life centres on the university's intensive concert schedule of approximately 600 events per year, in which students regularly perform. Collaboration with the SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden und Freiburg and the Jazzhaus Freiburg gives students professional performance exposure. The compact campus fosters close contact between students and faculty. The city's tram network and cycling culture make it easy to navigate without a car, and the proximity to the Black Forest, Alsace (France), and Basel (Switzerland) provides recreational and cultural options beyond Freiburg itself.
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