- Founded
- 1950
- Students
- 500
- Programmes
- 7
About Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" Berlin
The Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin (HfM Berlin) is one of Germany's leading specialist music academies, founded in 1950 in the heart of Berlin. It trains approximately 500 students across four departments covering strings, voice, winds, piano, composition, conducting, and music theatre - with around two thirds of the student body coming from abroad.
The school maintains close institutional ties with Berlin's major orchestras and opera houses, including the Berlin Philharmonic and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Three joint institutes operate in partnership with the University of the Arts Berlin: the Jazz Institute Berlin, klangzeitort (Institute for New Music), and the Kurt Singer Institute for Music Physiology and Musicians' Health.
The HfM Berlin holds two central premises in Berlin-Mitte: Charlottenstraße 55 near the Gendarmenmarkt and the Neuer Marstall at Schloßplatz adjacent to the Humboldt Forum. Admission is entirely audition-based and highly competitive. The school does not charge tuition fees; students pay a semester contribution covering administrative costs and the Berlin public-transport semester ticket.
Audition-only admission - one of Europe's most competitive specialist music academies
Approximately two thirds of students are international, reflecting a strongly global student community
No tuition fees for all students regardless of nationality; semester contribution ~€354 covers public transport
Two campuses in central Berlin-Mitte, steps from the Konzerthaus and Humboldt Forum
Institutional partnerships with Berlin Philharmonic, Staatsoper, and Komische Oper provide performance access
Joint institutes with UdK Berlin covering jazz, new music, and music physiology
Key facts
- Type
- Kunst- und Musikhochschulen
- Founded
- 1950
- Students
- 500
- International
- Approximately two thirds of the student body comes from abroad
- Faculties
- 4
- Programmes
- 7
Study programmes
7 accredited degrees at Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" Berlin.
Showing 1–7 of 7 programmes
Admissions & fees
What it costs
No tuition fees charged - applies equally to German, EU, and non-EU international students. All students pay a semester contribution of approximately €353.80 per semester (summer semester 2026 figure), which covers the Berlin public-transport semester ticket (BVG), Studierendenwerk Berlin services, and administrative costs.
Admission requirements
Admission is entirely audition-based; academic grades alone do not determine entry. All applicants (domestic and international) apply exclusively through the muvac online platform. The process involves submitting identity documents, audio/video recordings for pre-selection, and a personal motivation letter, plus a non-refundable application fee of €60. Applicants who pass the pre-selection are invited to a live audition in Berlin. Bachelor's applicants must present a German language certificate at B2.2 level (or agree to attend the school's intensive language course). Master's and Konzertexamen applicants have no formal language certificate requirement at application stage, but practical German proficiency is recommended. International applicants who require a visa are advised to obtain a Student Applicant Visa early, using the muvac application confirmation as proof. Upon admission the school issues documents to support a study-residence permit. No mention of APS certificate requirements appears on the official site; given that HfM Berlin is a specialist music academy with audition-based admission, standard APS rules for Indian/Chinese/Vietnamese applicants should be verified directly with the APS office and the German consulate, as APS applies to academically-selective university admission and its scope for purely audition-based arts academies may differ.
Application deadlines
Winter Semester: applications open 15 February, close 8 April. Auditions held in late June; registration deadline late July. Summer Semester: applications open 1 October, close 8 November. Auditions held in late January; registration deadline mid-February. Note: Voice, (Music Theatre) Direction, and Production Dramaturgy programmes accept Winter Semester applications only. A dedicated Master Voice application window runs 1 October - 31 December for winter semester entry.
How international applicants apply
No uni-assist and no VPD: applications run exclusively through the muvac platform (registration, document upload and video uploads for the digital pre-selection); successful candidates are invited via muvac to the in-person entrance examination. Postal applications cannot be considered. German proficiency is required for bachelor programmes for applicants without a German higher education entrance qualification; exemption requests go to [email protected]. Contact for prospective students: ServiceEinheit Studienangelegenheiten, Charlottenstrasse 55, 10117 Berlin.
Languages of instruction
Programmes are primarily taught in German. Bachelor's applicants must demonstrate German language proficiency at level B2.2 (Council of Europe CEFR) or complete an obligatory intensive language course before the first semester. German language certificates are not mandatory for Master's and Konzertexamen applicants, though the school strongly recommends learning German for daily life and study.
Entry requirements, intake dates and language levels differ for every degree.
Student accommodation
What Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" Berlin publishes about housing. German universities do not allocate rooms themselves, so the links below are where applications actually go.
From the university
The studierendenWERK Berlin provides housing, canteen, psychological counselling, and health-insurance guidance. The international office arranges visa guidance, housing assistance, ERASMUS exchanges, and German language courses.
Campuses & locations
Main building and ServiceEinheit Studienangelegenheiten
Second location listed by the university (Charlottenstrasse and Neuer Marstall sites)
Living in Berlin
Berlin is Germany's capital and largest city, home to a uniquely dense concentration of world-class cultural institutions: three UNESCO World Heritage opera houses, the Berlin Philharmonic, numerous chamber-music venues, and a thriving independent music scene. The city is consistently ranked among Europe's most affordable major capitals for students, with a lively international community and excellent public transport covered partly by the semester contribution.
Student life & support
Students benefit from approximately 300 public concerts and events hosted by the school each year, providing regular performance experience. The school operates the preparatory Musikgymnasium Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Berlin. Scholarships available to enrolled students include the Deutschlandstipendium (€300/month), PROMOS grants for study travel and masterclasses abroad, the DAAD-Preis for outstanding international students, and several foundation awards (Lucia-Loeser, Ottilie-Selbach-Redslob, Giovanni Omodeo). The studierendenWERK Berlin provides housing, canteen, psychological counselling, and health-insurance guidance. The international office arranges visa guidance, housing assistance, ERASMUS exchanges, and German language courses.
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