The State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart is a professional school for musicians and performing artists in

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. Founded in 1857, it is one of the oldest schools of its kind in Germany. It is one of the oldest and largest universities of its kind in the country and offers programs in music, performing arts, and related disciplines. The university is structured into four faculties and eleven institutes, covering areas such as composition, music education, instrumental and vocal studies, conducting, acting, and puppetry. Its main building, located on the Stuttgart Kulturmeile, was completed in 2002. As of 2023, the university enrolled approximately 800 students and employed over 500 academic and administrative staff. Admission is based on an entrance examination.

History

The school was founded in 1857 as "Stuttgarter Musikschule" (Stuttgart music school) by

Sigmund Lebert Sigmund (Zygmunt or Siegmund) Lebert, born Samuel Levi on 12 December 1821 in Ludwigsburg and died on 8 December 1884 in Stuttgart, was a German pianist and music teacher. Lebert was one of the founders of the Stuttgart Music School. With Ludwi ...

Immanuel Faisst Immanuel Gottlob Friedrich Faisst (13 October 1823 in Esslingen am Neckar – 5 June 1894 in Stuttgart) was a German composer and co-founder of the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart, Stuttgart Music School, whose director he ...

, Wilhelm Speidel and Ludwig Stark. It was named a conservatory in 1865. From 1869 it was named "Königliches Konservatorium für Musik" (Royal conservatory of music) of the

Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg ( ) was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Electorate of Württemberg, which existed from 1803 to 1806. Geogr ...

, and from 1921 "Württembergische Hochschule für Musik" (Württemberg university of music).

Study

The academic structure at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart follows a three-cycle system aligned with the Bologna Process:

First Cycle – Undergraduate (Bachelor)

Bachelor’s programs typically span eight semesters. Fields of study include instrumental and vocal performance, composition, conducting, music theory, church music (category B), jazz/pop, music education, acting, speech training, and puppetry. Admission requires a university entrance qualification and the successful completion of an entrance examination.

Second Cycle – Graduate (Master)

Master’s programs generally require four semesters and offer advanced study in the same fields as the bachelor’s level. Examples include music performance, music pedagogy, composition, church music (category A), and media-related speech disciplines. Admission is based on a relevant undergraduate degree and subject-specific entrance evaluation.

Third Cycle – Postgraduate and Doctoral

The university offers postgraduate artistic qualifications such as the Konzertexamen (concert diploma) and Bühnendiplom (stage diploma). Doctoral studies (Dr. phil.) are available in disciplines including musicology, music education, and related areas. Doctoral candidates must meet university and faculty-specific admission requirements.

Institutional Collaborations

Selected programs incorporate institutional cooperation. These include joint practical training modules with the Stuttgart State Opera, SWR Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, and regional theatre institutions. These collaborations are integrated into the study structure but do not lead to separate degrees.

Notable teachers and students

Iveta Apkalna Iveta Apkalna (born 30 November 1976, Rēzekne, Latvia) is a Latvian organist and pianist. Biography Iveta Apkalna studied piano and organ at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, graduating in both instruments with distinction in 199 ...

* Nicola Bulfone * Adelaide Casely-Hayford *

Cecil Coles Cecil Frederick Coles (7 October 1888 – 26 April 1918) was a Scottish composer who was killed on active service in World War I. Life and career Coles was born in Tongland, near Kirkcudbright, to Frederick Coles and Margaret Coles (née Bla ...

* Johann Nepomuk David *

Jörg Demus Jörg Wolfgang Demus (2 December 1928 – 16 April 2019) was an Austrian classical pianist who appeared internationally and made many recordings. He was also a composer and a lecturer at music academies. In composition and playing, he focused on ...

Melanie Diener Melanie Diener (born in 1967) is a German operatic and concert soprano who appeared at major European opera houses and festivals. She appeared as Elsa in Wagner's '' Lohengrin'' at the Bayreuth Festival, among others. Career Diener was born in ...

(born 1967), soprano *

Árpád Doppler Árpád Doppler (5 June 1857 – 13 August 1927) was a Hungarian- German composer. He was born in Budapest, the son of Karl Doppler, and he studied at the Conservatory of Stuttgart. From 1880 to 1883 he was a teacher at the Grand Conservatory ...

(1884–1927) * Jörg Faerber (1929–2022), conductor *

Sylvia Geszty Sylvia Geszty (born Sylvia Maria Ilona Wytkowsky; ; 28 February 1934 – 13 December 2018) was a Hungarian-German operatic coloratura soprano who appeared internationally, based first at the Staatsoper Berlin in East Berlin and from 1970 at the S ...

(1934–2018), soprano *

Karl Ludwig Gerok Karl Ludwig Wilhelm Gerok (27 January 1906 – 28 June 1975) was a German organist, composer and organ teacher. Career Karl Ludwig Gerok was born in Obersontheim, Oberfischach, the grandson of , a Stuttgart prelate and preacher (''Oberhofpre ...

(1906–1975), organist *

Percy Goetschius Percy Goetschius (August 10, 1853 – October 29, 1943) was an American composer, music theorist, and teacher who won international fame in the teaching of composition and music theory. Career Goetschius was born in Paterson, New Jersey. As a y ...

(1873) *

Harry Plunket Greene Harry Plunket Greene (24 June 1865 – 19 August 1936) was an Irish baritone who was most famous in the formal concert and oratorio repertoire. He wrote and lectured on his art, and was active in the field of musical competitions and examinatio ...

Hans Grischkat Hans Adolf Karl Wilhelm Grischkat (29 August 1903 – 10 January 1977) was a German conductor, especially a choral conductor, also a church musician and academic teacher. He founded the choir for pioneering concerts and recordings of works by ...

(1903–1977), church musician, professor *

Natalia Gutman Natalia Grigoryevna Gutman (; born 14 November 1942), PAU, is a Russian cellist. She began to study cello at the Moscow Music School with R. Sapozhnikov. She was later admitted to the Moscow Conservatory. She later studied with Mstislav Rostrop ...

, cellist *

Joseph Haas Joseph Haas (19 March 1879 – 30 March 1960) was a German late romantic composer and music teacher. Biography He was born in Maihingen, near Nördlingen to teacher Alban Haas from his second marriage, being half-brother to the theologian a ...

(born 1916) *

Eugen Haile Eugen Haile (February 21, 1873 – August 14, 1933) was a German-American composer, singer, and accompanist, primarily known for his songs."Haile, Eugen." ''Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians''. 8th ed. New York: Schirmer Books, 2001. I ...

(1873–1933), composer *

Luise Jaide Luise Jaide (also Louise Jaide-Schlosser) (26 March 1842 – 2 January 1914) was a German operatic mezzo-soprano who had an active career during the latter half of the 19th century. Among her signature roles were Amneris in '' Aida'', Azucena in ...

Udo Kasemets Udo Kasemets (November 16, 1919 – January 19, 2014) was a Canadian composer of orchestral, chamber, vocal, piano and electroacoustic works. He was one of the first composers to adopt the methods of John Cage, and was also a conductor, lecturer ...

Maria Kalesnikava Maria Kalesnikava (Marya Alyaksandrauna Kalesnikava / Maria Aleksandrovna Kolesnikova; born 24 April 1982) is a Belarusian professional flutist and political activist. In 2020, she headed Viktar Babaryka's electoral campaign during the presid ...

, Music teacher, political activist *

Erhard Karkoschka Erhard Karkoschka (March 6, 1923 – June 26, 2009), was a German composer, scholar and conductor. Karkoschka was born in the German linguistic enclave of Moravská Ostrava, Czechoslovakia, and subsequent to World War II became a violinist for th ...

* Gustav Kastropp * Edgar Stillman Kelley (1880) * Eun Sun Kim * Richard Rudolf Klein (1921–2011) * Samuel Kummer, organist *

Helmut Lachenmann Helmut Friedrich Lachenmann (; born 27 November 1935) is a German composer of contemporary classical music and pianist. Associated with the "instrumental musique concrète" style, Lachenmann is alongside Wolfgang Rihm as among the leading Germa ...

* Nathan Laube *

Kolja Lessing Kolja Lessing (born 15 October 1961) is a German violinist, pianist, composer and academic teacher. His focus as a soloist and chamber musician has been the neglected repertoire by composers who were ostracised under the Nazi regime. His recordin ...

(born 1961) *

Karl Marx Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...

Barry McDaniel Barry McDaniel (October 18, 1930 – June 18, 2018) was an American operatic baritone who spent his career almost exclusively in Germany, including 37 years at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He appeared internationally at major opera houses and fest ...

(1930–2018) *

Elke Neidhardt Elke Cordelia Neidhardt AM (5 July 194125 November 2013) was a West German born actress and opera and theatre director. She spent most of her career after 1967 in Australia and became an Australian citizen in 2007. She appeared in theatre, tele ...

(1941–2013) *

Tilman Michael Tilman Michael (born 1975) is a German choral conductor. He has been choral conductor at Oper Frankfurt since 2014. There and in his previous position at the Nationaltheater Mannheim he led the opera chorus to be voted opera chorus of the year b ...

opera chorus master *

Lauren Newton Lauren Amber Newton (born 16 November 1952) is an avant-garde jazz and Contemporary classical music, contemporary classical singer and founding member of the Vienna Art Orchestra. Biography Newton earned a degree in music at the University of O ...

(1974) * Anja Petersen * Marlis Petersen * Felix Petyrek * Dionys Pruckner *

Sigurd Rascher Sigurd ( ) or Siegfried (Middle High German: ''Sîvrit'') is a legendary hero of Germanic heroic legend, who killed a dragon — known in Nordic tradition as Fafnir () — and who was later murdered. In the Nordic countries, he is referred t ...

Hermann Reutter Hermann Reutter (; 17 June 19001 January 1985) was a German composer and pianist who worked as an academic teacher, university administrator, recitalist, and accompanist. He composed several operas, orchestral works, and chamber music, and especi ...

Harald Schmidt Harald Franz Schmidt (born 18 August 1957) is a German actor, comedian, television presenter and writer best known as the host of two popular German late-night shows. Early and private life A son of refugees who fled from Sudetenland (now Cz ...

* Benyamin Sönmez * Ewandro Stenzowski (born 1984) * Marco Stroppa *

Hermann Suter Hermann Suter (28 April 1870 – 22 June 1926) was a Swiss composer and conductor. Biography Born in Kaiserstuhl, Aargau, Suter studied in the conservatories at Basel, Stuttgart and Leipzig, under Hans Huber and Carl Reinecke. He was an organ ...

Ernest Torrence Ernest Torrence (born Ernest Torrance-Thomson, 26 June 1878 – 15 May 1933) was a Scottish film character actor who appeared in many Hollywood films, including '' Broken Chains'' (1922) with Colleen Moore, '' Mantrap'' (1926) with Clara Bow a ...

* Kathe Volkart-Schlager * Michael Volle (born 1960) * Karl Wendling (born 1929) * Florian Wiek (born 1972) * Yehuda Yannay *

Karl Maria Zwißler Karl Maria Zwißler (12 August 1900 – 15 September 1984) was a German conductor, and academic. He was for decades the Generalmusikdirektor and Intendant of the Staatstheater Mainz. He taught conducting at the music universities of Stuttgart and ...

Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, Cello, cellist and conducting, conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and co ...

(1859-1924), operetta composer

Library

The university library currently consists of 18,000 books, 80,000 scores and 9,000 recordings.

References

External links

*
Official website in English
{{authority control Music schools in Germany Education in Stuttgart 1857 establishments in the German Confederation Universities and colleges established in 1857 Arts organizations established in 1857 19th-century establishments in Württemberg Universities and colleges in Baden-Württemberg Music in Stuttgart