The Cologne University of Music and Dance can rely on two large departmental institutes: an Institute for Early Music and an Institute for New Music.
Institute for Early Music
Since the 1950s, the development of historical performance practice has been largely based in Cologne. Numerous orchestras and ensembles have established themselves here over the decades and form a lively concert life in the region, in the heart of Europe and far beyond. The Institute for Early Music was born out of this environment, where the latest findings in performance practice have been and continue to be incorporated into teaching and projects. Public concerts, interdisciplinary projects and regular cooperation with other departments of the Cologne University of Music and Dance or external institutions (training centers, event organizers, ensembles) also contribute to providing the most comprehensive musical education possible.
Institute for New Music
The Institute for New Music, founded in 2009, unites representatives of the departments of composition, interpretation, musicology and dance. It is closely connected to the Ensemble for Contemporary Music ColLAB Cologne and the Studio for Electronic Music and is characterized by excellent study conditions. In addition to organizing numerous workshops with renowned guests from the music and art scene, the institute's work is characterized by diverse concert activities and collaborations with, among others, the Acht Brücken Festival Cologne, Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), DNT Weimar, Theater Bielefeld or Donaueschinger Musiktage.
PreCollege Cologne & Peter-Oswald-Institut
In addition, the Cologne University of Music and Dance not only offers courses in the "classical disciplines" of a music or art academy, but can also boast numerous innovative additions, with
In Montepulciano, the Cologne University of Music and Dance has a unique location for artistic work and research, but also for performance and presentation experiences. The study visit to Italy, which is also historically justified, is an essential resource for the university and its students and makes a fundamental contribution to the creative and development process of artists.
The connection to Montepulciano is largely due to Hans Werner Henze's commitment to the town and artistic education. At the end of the 1990s, the Palazzo Ricci in Montepulciano was made available for use as a municipal building and, following a major renovation made possible by extensive sponsorship, the Palazzo Ricci was officially opened in June 2001. From 2002 to 2022, the association Palazzo Ricci e.V., founded for this purpose, ensured the expansion and progress of the project. With the founding of the Kolleg der Künste in 2010/2011, the regular use of the Palazzo was extended to all seven art and music colleges in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. By extending the upper floor with a large loggia and two studio rooms, the Palazzo has also offered additional work opportunities since 2017. With the founding of a new operating association and institutional funding from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the change from the "European Academy of Music and Performing Arts" to the"European Academy of the Arts" was also formally completed in 2022.
Like other German cultural institutions in Italy, the Academy's guiding principle is to facilitate encounters between young, highly talented artists from all over Europe. This idea is put into practice through masterclasses with internationally renowned teachers, themed projects, scholarships and conferences. The academy is now also increasingly being used by Italian cultural partners from the region. It is also available to all cultural professionals as a conference venue for their own projects.
The Montepulciano College of the Arts remains a key component of the Academy: this unique cooperation between the seven art and music academies in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia brings together the Detmold University of Music, the Robert Schumann University of Music in Düsseldorf, the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, the University of Music and Dance in Cologne, the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne, the Münster Academy of Art and the Düsseldorf Academy of Art. The academic institution enables particularly qualified students and teachers from the participating universities to spend several days working intensively at Palazzo Ricci and, with its various, primarily interdisciplinary programs, provides an opportunity to explore art forms in new contexts.
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