Classical music (Master)

Okke Westdorp Associate Director/ Head of Classical Music and Music in Education
Will Jansen programme coordinator
Dorine Jansma study advisor

During their training students develop their professional, artistic and entrepreneurial skills. Students steep themselves in a rich palette of musical styles ranging from the early music to the latest contemporary music. Innovation, tradition and experiment are all part of the process.
Leading names in the international music world guarantee a top quality education in principal subjects, masterclasses and projects. Students wanting to become conductor or composer will also discover the Conservatorium van Amsterdam to offer the ideal training programme. The composition department has developed into a standard bearer of Dutch music composition.

At the CvA academic education and the professional practice go hand in hand. The Symphony Orchestra of the Conservatory of Amsterdam regularly tackles ambitious programs with conductors such as Frans Brüggen, Ed Spanjaard and Otto Tausk. Through cooperation with professional orchestras, choirs, and ensembles, students can continually test their own development and ambitions in comparison to the demands of the actual music world. A prominent place in the curriculum is also assigned to ensemble practice. These ensembles perform at numerous venues both within and outside the conservatory. These venues offer ideal practice opportunities for a professional career in music. Students also learn to develop and make the most of their own unique qualities and opportunities in order to develop a personal profile with which they can obtain a position in the professional field.

Renowned and highly successful stage artists such as Bernard Haitink, Gustav Leonardt, Reinbert de Leeuw, Jaap van Zweden, Ronald Brautigam, Isabelle van Keulen, Quirine Viersen, Ralph van Raat, Hannes Minnaar, Christianne Stotijn, Pieter Wispelwey, Jan Willem de Vriend and Liza Ferschtman are ambassadors representing the high quality of the Classical music department at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.

Players in the CvA Symphony Orchestra participate in two annual projects which focus on developing a varied repertoire. Each project involves performances in the Muziekgebouw aan het IJ, the Concertgebouw, TivoliVredenburg Utrecht, Muziekgebouw Eindhoven and other major music centres in the Netherlands and abroad.