Study Music Abroad

The Department of Music encourages its students to study and participate in summer music programs around the world, and is pleased to have two established partnerships for summer music study abroad.

A collaboration with the Franz-Schubert-Institut provides a rare opportunity to study the poetry and music of the German Lied in Austria with world-renowned artists. This leading institute takes place outside Vienna in the town of Baden bei Wien, Austria.

For those interested in global culture, the Department offers a nine-credit study abroad program in West African Music, Dance, Society and Culture. This program is led by Dr. Michael Frishkopf, Associate Professor of Music at the University of Alberta.

Recent opportunities have included courses at the University of Alberta's School in Cortona, and other study abroad opportunities connected with the department are developed periodically. Stay up to date on special opportunities by visiting our website often!

This nine-credit summer study abroad program in Ghana, offered in even-numbered years, comprises social science, humanities, and performing arts components, and is formally equivalent to three semester-long University of Alberta courses, available at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Music and dance performance is central, but no musical experience or talent is required to succeed (only a willingness to try!), and there are no prerequisites for any of the three courses.

Learn more here about the nine credit summer study abroad program, West African Music, Dance, Society and Culture, founded by Department of Music Professor Michael Frishkopf.

In 2009, the University of Alberta and the Franz-Schubert-Institut (FSI) in Baden bei Wien, Austria, announced a new partnership dedicated to cultivating artistic excellence in the performance of the German Lied.

Founded by the late Dr. Deen Larsen, the institute annually offers a five-week summer course that immerses advanced voice and piano students in intensive study of the poetry of the Lied, and provides extensive performance coaching and masterclasses by such renowned performers as singers Elly Ameling and Barbara Bonney, and pianists Julius Drake and Rudolf Jansen. This new partnership between the University of Alberta (Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic, Department of Music, Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies) and the Franz Schubert-Institut, selected University of Alberta students can receive academic credit through participation in the Institut's summer course. Scholarships, provided through the generosity and vision of the University of Alberta's Office of the Provost, Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies, and Department of Music, are available for up to three full-time University of Alberta music students to help defray the tuition and expenses associated with participation in the program.

FSI Scholarships

Three scholarships will be awarded in the amount of $5,000 to be used for participation in the course "Poetry and Performance of the German Lied: Master Course for Singers and Pianists," at the Franz Schubert Institute in Baden bei Wien, Austria. These awards have been made possible by the generous donations of the University of Alberta's Provost's Office, the Wirth Institute, and the Department of Music.

Applicant Criteria

  • Applicants must be students (singers or pianists), presently involved in performance at the University of Alberta, or are alumni of the University of Alberta
  • Consideration is by successful application (see below).
  • Audition Age Limit: 35 for singers, unlimited for pianists

Participation in the Program

There are two possible levels of participation - Full Program or Junior Program

Full Program
  • participant prepares approximately 24 Lieder to bring to study during the course of 5 weeks
  • participant will partake fully of all lessons, coachings and masterclasses
Junior Program
  • participant prepares approximately 10 Lieder to bring to study during the course of 5 weeks
  • participant will partake in lessons/coachings only and will audit all master classes (no active participation in master classes)

Scholarship priority will be given to candidates applying for the full program.

Successful candidates will be awarded admission with performance status (active participant) to the Franz-Schubert-Institut "Poetry and Performance of the German Lied: Master Course for Singers and Pianists," generally held from July through August.

Application Requirements

Please submit your application and materials, and adhere to deadlines as outlined on the Franz-Schubert-Institut website. Further inquires can be directed to office@schubert-institut.at.

Further to our departmental partnerships, the University of Alberta invites students from all faculties and disciplines to take part in a variety of study abroad programs. From Siberia to the south of Spain, students can study in a new land and culture, greatly enhancing their student experience and building valuable life and intercultural skills.

The U of A's satellite school in Cortona, Italy, offers a unique program of study that highlights its unique Tuscan location. Diverse courses in Art History, Roman Civilization, and Italian language studies are offered. If you are interested in taking part in this rich cultural opportunity, please see here for more details.