To apply for the Bachelor of Arts in Music, Major in Performance, you must complete the following steps:
All the information you need to complete the admission process can be found on this page.
Admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Music is conditional on:
The requirement for completion of secondary education and vocational secondary education may be waived in exceptional circumstances if the candidate demonstrates an outstanding musical talent.
For admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Music and the Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy, non-native speakers of Italian are required to demonstrate a sufficient level of the Italian language during the interview in the entrance examination. A sufficient level of Italian is equivalent to level B2 according to the CEFR, or CELI 3. Those who do not have this language level at the start of their studies must nevertheless demonstrate a sufficient level of Italian and reach level B2 or CELI 3 by the end of their first year of study.
Most courses are conducted in Italian. On some occasions, depending on the origin of the students and/or the musicians present during the practical lessons, the use of other languages (such as English, French or German) is common. Written work is accepted in one of the three official Swiss languages or in English.
The online application form can be completed by clicking the button below:
Once you have completed the application form, you will need to upload the required documents to the applications portal. Details on how to access the applications portal and the documents to be uploaded are given below.
Deadline: 20 March
All required documents must be uploaded by 20 March. Access to the applications portal is possible in one of the following ways:
Once all documents will be uploaded, it is necessary to confirm the application by clicking on “Submit dossier” at the bottom of the page.
Incomplete applications will not be evaluated (applications which are incomplete on 20 March). The University of Music reserves the right to ask for further documents (e.g. translations or certificates), should it find any of the documents in the application dossier to be lacking in clarity or comprehensibility, with particular attention to the diplomas.
The following documents must be uploaded to the applications portal:
Deadline: 20 March
The application fee of CHF 100.- (plus transaction costs), can be paid in any of the following ways:
Deadline: 20 March
The Conservatoire offers scholarships to admissions applicants and to its own students. Candidates interested in obtaining financial support can find all relevant information on our website, at the page dedicated to Scholarships.
Admission examinations are structured as follow:
Further information on the different tests can be found in the section "Practical information on admission tests".
The admission examinations take place in April at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana in Lugano (Switzerland). The presence of all candidates in Lugano is required as the live auditions are of fundamental importance in order to guarantee a complete, fair and objective evaluation. Only those who have completed the registration process by 20 March will be invited to take the admission exams.
Before the admission examinations in Lugano, candidates from non-EU countries can apply to receive feedback on their instrumental level by sending a video recording. This feedback may allow candidates to decide whether or not to sit the admission examinations in Lugano, but under no circumstances it replaces the admission examination as such. Candidates interested in receiving feedback on their instrumental level must submit their request by 20 February to the Secretariat by email (servizi.accademici@conservatorio.ch) and complete the online registration process. Links to the video recordings must then be uploaded to the applications portal no later than 23 February.
The practical test (audition), is structured as follows:
The admissions commission reserves the right to establish a different order.
Repertoire
There is no pre-established audition repertoire for any instrument. Anyway, the audition programme should comprise pieces from different time periods and styles for a minimum duration of at least 30 minutes. During the audition, the admissions commission may ask candidates to perform only part of the programme.
Piano accompanist
For all auditions (except for harp, guitar, cembalo, accordion, organ, percussions, and piano auditions), the University of Music (SUM) provides a professional piano accompanist. We remind candidates that:
Candidates who wish to perform with their own piano accompanist, are required to inform the secretary office (servizi.accademici@conservatorio.ch).
Warm-up room
The SUM provides a common warm-up room for all candidates. It is not possible to make further bookings for admission exams.
What to bring
The audition rooms will be equipped with all relevant instruments—according to the nature of the audition—i.e. harp, cembalo, organ, percussions, and pianos. Candidates for all percussion Majors must inform the secretary office about the required instrumentation for their auditions. Candidates for all harp Majors must coordinate with the secretary office the use of their own instruments for the audition.
The theory test, which consists of a written and an oral test, is held in Italian according to the following procedure:
Important note
Due to the nature of the theory test (structured in two different parts, a written and an oral one), candidates must reserve the whole day for the examination.
At the end of the audition, candidates will be interviewed on topics related to their musical education, their future career goals, and their professional development.
Candidates receive an invitation to the various examinations by e-mail, with information on the date, time and location of each test. Candidates who do not take the admission examinations are automatically excluded from the selection process.
The admission examinations take place in April at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana in Lugano (Switzerland). The presence of all candidates in Lugano is required as the live auditions are of fundamental importance in order to guarantee a complete, fair and objective evaluation. Only those who have completed the registration process by 20 March will be invited to take the admission exams.
Before the admission examinations in Lugano, candidates from non-EU countries can apply to receive feedback on their instrumental level by sending a video recording. This feedback may allow candidates to decide whether or not to sit the admission examinations in Lugano, but under no circumstances it replaces the admission examination as such. Candidates interested in receiving feedback on their instrumental level must submit their request by 20 February to the Secretariat by email (servizi.accademici@conservatorio.ch) and complete the online registration process. Links to the video recordings must then be uploaded to the applications portal no later than 23 February.
The University of Music reserves the right to make changes to the schedule of the examinations at any time.
Different rules apply according to the nationality of the candidates:
Candidates are invited to pay attention to the customs and import regulations established by the Federal Customs Administration, with regard to traveling with musical instruments. Information on this regard may be found on the website of the Federal Customs Administration. When leaving Switzerland, candidates must observe import regulations in their destination country.
Candidates who pass all the admission examinations will receive a letter of admission and a registration confirmation form by ordinary post and by email. This form must be signed and returned to the Academic Services Office of the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana as instructed in the letter of admission. Once registration has been confirmed, you will officially become a student at the Conservatorio. Registration confirmation is binding.
(Deadline applications 20.01.2025)
