Composition and Multimedia Creation Department

If you’re drawn to working with traditional and non-traditional musical instruments, you’ll study at a university full of top performers. Your compositions no longer have to end up as mere MIDI recordings played back by notation software. We’ll even provide you with a real philharmonic for your graduate composition! In addition, your compositions will be regularly included in concerts so you can see how well you’ve managed to translate your compositional ideas into real life.

We will also teach you different types of notation, from classical notation to proportional notation to alternative forms of notation such as graphic scores. Our goal is to equip you with enough arsenal to notate any type of music.

You’ll always have your concert tracks recorded in top quality, giving you a great foundation for your own creative library.

In addition, you will encounter many interesting concepts, such as various extended techniques of playing musical instruments, alternative harmony systems, microtonality and different types of tuning.

The aim is to prepare a graduate with appropriate knowledge, skills and general competences. Knowledge:

• is informed about various styles of the so-called contemporary classical music of the early 21st century,
• has an in-depth knowledge of the instrumental possibilities of musical instruments and various ensembles,
• has knowledge of the principles of synthetic sound creation,
• Demonstrates proficiency in technology and equipment for post-production and presentation of deliverables,
• is informed about music history, aesthetics and the development of artistic movements, including orientation in foreign literature,
• by acquiring comprehensive knowledge at the level of the current state of knowledge in the field, he/she is prepared for original use and development of ideas, attitudes and creative activity,
• is informed about the possibilities of creative or theoretical overlap into other disciplines,
• is acquainted with the principles of pedagogical work and has a detailed orientation in contemporary trends in the teaching methodology of a given field of study, is oriented in secondary literature, including foreign sources,
• knows the basic issues of copyright and its use,
• has basic knowledge of public relations,
• knows the key financial, business and legal aspects of the music profession.

Skills:

• demonstrates high-profile skills in the creation of autonomous works in the field of so-called contemporary classical music of undisputed quality, publicly operable, showing features of individuality,
• is also able to create compositions using a variety of technologies from the field of artificial sound creation,
• can also compose incidental music for various theatrical performances or films or computer games,
• is also able to participate in applied work from the creative industry,
• presents an original artistic performance of his/her own or the whole team’s performance in public, even in an international forum,
• is able to process, present, document and evaluate their practical performance in writing,
• is able to theoretically elaborate a certain topic in the form of a written speech and portray it in an artistic performance at a professional level using an independently chosen method,
• is able to independently define a complex practical or theoretical problem and solve it creatively using selected theories, concepts and methods of the field, including critical reflection,
• Can effectively use knowledge of the environment and the common professional international vocabulary of the field and the artistic environment,
• Possesses a professional vocabulary including foreign language and music terminology orientation,
• creative use of office and presentation applications, working with the Internet and search engines,
• can be a flexible member of creative teams.

General Eligibility:

• in collaboration with the leader of the creative team (dramaturg, conductor, director), is able to choose an appropriate style and genre line and set out the means and timetable to achieve it,
• can communicate with stakeholders of the projects and productions in which he/she works,
• Can clearly articulate the problem, make choices and defend their own stake,
• is able to identify in detail the period and genre context of the work,
• is aware of the ethical dimension of artistic cognition and knows how to take it into account in the work of a composer,
• in collaboration with the creative team is able to identify and assert himself in the management position of the artistic team, while being able to coordinate the work of the creative team, define the roles and tasks of its individual members while respecting and reflecting their opinions,
• is able to follow current trends in the field of study and is able to incorporate them into his/her professional development.
• knows the basic psychological rules, can work in a team, communicates effectively with its members and has the ability of structured verbal expression,
• is capable of abstract thinking, analysis and synthesis,
• is capable of self-reflection, is open to the opinions of those around him/her and knows the principles of democratic behaviour,
• works in a creative way with the acquired knowledge and skills,
• knows the principles of professional text production.

Graduates can find employment in the following distinctive professions:

• composer of so-called classical music,
• composer of electroacoustic music,
• composer of incidental and film music,
• music director in recording music in radio, television, CD etc.,
• teacher at all levels of music education (ZUŠ, conservatory, college) in various subjects (composition, theory of composition, musicology, history of music, etc.),
• music dramaturge in theatres of all types and cultural institutions,
• music dramaturg of the artistic ensemble,
• music dramaturge in an art agency,
• music dramaturg of the festival.

Are you interested in electroacoustic music – that is, music created by computers, synthesizers, electronic circuits or a combination of the electronic world with the acoustic world?

Then this specialisation may be for you. You’ll spend most of your time in a well-equipped studio with state-of-the-art hardware and software. You’ll try your hand at creating multi-channel music, learn a really good understanding of the principles of creating and working with artificial sound, try your hand at creating your own synthesizers, and even have the opportunity to create interactive electroacoustic works. We are ready for everything! In our electroacoustic studio, you will also encounter a lot of experimental equipment that is unique in the context of our school system.

Thanks to the close cooperation with the Institute of Sonology in Den Haag, you will always have the opportunity to confront your work with the most modern contemporary music at one of the most prestigious music institutes. Or will Den Haag be one of the places where you will go for a study internship and experience the atmosphere of this hyper-modern music centre for yourself?

The aim is to prepare a graduate with appropriate knowledge, skills and general competences. Knowledge:

• is informed about various styles of electroacoustic music and the so-called contemporary classical music of the early 21st century,
• has a deep understanding of the principles of synthetic sound creation,
• also has knowledge of the instrumental possibilities of musical instruments and various ensembles,
• Demonstrates thorough knowledge of technology and equipment for post-production and presentation of deliverables,
• is informed about music history, aesthetics and the development of artistic movements, including orientation in foreign literature,
• by acquiring comprehensive knowledge at the level of the current state of knowledge in the field, he/she is prepared for original use and development of ideas, attitudes and creative activity,
• is informed about the possibilities of creative or theoretical overlap into other disciplines,
• is acquainted with the principles of pedagogical work and has a detailed orientation in contemporary trends in the teaching methodology of a given field of study, is oriented in secondary literature, including foreign sources,
• knows the basic issues of copyright and its use,

• has basic knowledge of public relations,

• knows the key financial, business and legal aspects of the music profession.

Skills:

• demonstrates high-profile skills in the creation of autonomous works of electroacoustic music of undisputed quality, publicly operable, exhibiting features of individuality,
• can also compose incidental music for various theatrical performances or films or computer games,
• is also able to create compositions from the field of so-called contemporary classical music,
• is able to participate in applied work in the creative industries,
• presents an original artistic performance of his/her own or the whole team’s performance in public, even in an international forum,
• is able to process, present, document and evaluate their practical performance in writing,
• is able to theoretically elaborate a certain topic in the form of a written speech and portray it in an artistic performance at a professional level using an independently chosen method,
• is able to independently define a complex practical or theoretical problem and solve it creatively using selected theories, concepts and methods of the field, including critical reflection,
• Can effectively use knowledge of the environment and the common professional international vocabulary of the field and the artistic environment,
• Possesses a professional vocabulary including foreign language and music terminology orientation,
• creative use of office and presentation applications, working with the Internet and search engines,
• can be a flexible member of creative teams.

General Eligibility:

• in collaboration with the leader of the creative team (dramaturg, conductor, director), is able to choose an appropriate style and genre line and set out the means and timetable to achieve it,
• can communicate with stakeholders of the projects and productions in which he/she works,
• Can clearly articulate the problem, make choices and defend their own stake,
• is able to identify in detail the period and genre context of the work,
• is aware of the ethical dimension of artistic cognition and knows how to take it into account in the work of a composer,
• in collaboration with the creative team is able to identify and assert himself in the management position of the artistic team, while being able to coordinate the work of the creative team, define the roles and tasks of its individual members while respecting and reflecting their opinions,
• is able to follow current trends in the field of study and is able to incorporate them into his/her professional development.
• knows the basic psychological rules, can work in a team, communicates effectively with its members and has the ability of structured verbal expression,
• is capable of abstract thinking, analysis and synthesis,
• is capable of self-reflection, is open to the opinions of those around him/her and knows the principles of democratic behaviour,
• works in a creative way with the acquired knowledge and skills,
• knows the principles of professional text production.

Graduates can find employment in the following distinctive professions:

• composer of electroacoustic music,
• composer of incidental and film music,
• composer of so-called classical music,
• music director in recording music in radio, television, CD etc.,
• teacher at all levels of music education (ZUŠ, conservatory, college) in various subjects (composition, theory of composition, musicology, history of music, etc.),
• music dramaturge in theatres of all types and cultural institutions,
• music dramaturg of the artistic ensemble,
• music dramaturge in an art agency,
• music dramaturg of the festival.

If you’d like to delve into the mysteries of theatre, film or computer game music, then you may have discovered the right specialisation. As well as your own work, we’ll teach you the mindset of a stage and film composer. You’ll discover what terms and processes are used, and we’ll teach you how to work with projects where you’re not the lead writer. You’ll discover how adaptive music works and how the world of sound design intersects with the world of music. You’ll create music for a stage play, a short film, a computer animation or a simple computer game, giving you a hands-on experience of the process.

In addition, we will teach you to use modern compositional techniques known from the so-called contemporary classical music, allowing you to stand out from the endless line of genre plagiarists. Because nowadays, only those who take the world of film and stage music a little further will succeed, and we can help you do that.

In addition to the compositional aspect, you will also learn how to work with the latest hardware and software used in professional film music composition today. In the studio, you’ll discover how to build entire sound environments, and in the practicals you’ll then be able to produce music from the idea stage to the final mastering.

The aim is to prepare a graduate with appropriate knowledge, skills and general competences. Knowledge:

• is informed about various styles of stage and film music as well as contemporary classical music,
• has an in-depth knowledge of the instrumental possibilities of musical instruments and various ensembles,
• has knowledge of the principles of synthetic sound creation,
• Demonstrates proficiency in technology and equipment for post-production and presentation of deliverables,
• is informed about music history, aesthetics and the development of artistic movements, including orientation in foreign literature,
• by acquiring comprehensive knowledge at the level of the current state of knowledge in the field, he/she is prepared for original use and development of ideas, attitudes and creative activity,
• is informed about the possibilities of creative or theoretical overlap into other disciplines,
• is acquainted with the principles of pedagogical work and has a detailed orientation in contemporary trends in the teaching methodology of a given field of study, is oriented in secondary literature, including foreign sources,
• knows the basic issues of copyright and its use,

• has basic knowledge of public relations,

• knows the key financial, business and legal aspects of the music profession.

Skills:

• Demonstrates high profile skills in the creation of incidental and film music of undisputed quality, publicly performable, exhibiting features of distinctiveness,
• is also able to create compositions using a variety of technologies from the field of artificial sound creation,
• can also create compositions from the field of contemporary classical music,
• is also able to participate in applied work from the creative industry,
• presenting an original artistic performance of their own or the whole team’s performance in public, even in an international forum,
• is able to process, present, document and evaluate their practical performance in writing,
• is able to theoretically elaborate a certain topic in the form of a written speech and portray it in an artistic performance at a professional level using an independently chosen method,
• is able to independently define a complex practical or theoretical problem and solve it creatively using selected theories, concepts and methods of the field, including critical reflection,
• Can effectively use knowledge of the environment and the common professional international vocabulary of the field and the artistic environment,
• Possesses a professional vocabulary including foreign language and music terminology orientation,
• creative use of office and presentation applications, working with the Internet and search engines,
• can be a flexible member of creative teams.

General Eligibility:

• in collaboration with the leader of the creative team (dramaturg, conductor, director), is able to choose an appropriate style and genre line and set out the means and timetable to achieve it,
• can communicate with stakeholders of the projects and productions in which he/she works,
• Can clearly articulate the problem, make choices and defend their own stake,
• is able to identify in detail the period and genre context of the work,
• is aware of the ethical dimension of artistic cognition and knows how to take it into account in the work of a composer,
• in collaboration with the creative team is able to identify and assert himself in the management position of the artistic team, while being able to coordinate the work of the creative team, define the roles and tasks of its individual members while respecting and reflecting their opinions,
• is able to follow current trends in the field of composition and is able to incorporate them into his/her professional development,
• knows the basic psychological rules, can work in a team, communicates effectively with its members and has the ability of structured verbal expression,
• is capable of abstract thinking, analysis and synthesis,
• is capable of self-reflection, is open to the opinions of those around him/her and knows the principles of democratic behaviour,
• works in a creative way with the acquired knowledge and skills,
• knows the principles of professional text production.

Graduates can find employment in the following distinctive professions:

• composer of incidental and film music,
• composer of so-called classical music,
• composer of electroacoustic music,
• music director in recording music in radio, television, CD etc.,
• teacher at all levels of music education (ZUŠ, conservatory, college) in various subjects (composition, theory of composition, musicology, history of music, etc.),
• music dramaturge in theatres of all types and cultural institutions,
• music dramaturg of the artistic ensemble,
• music dramaturg in an art agency,
• music dramaturg of the festival.

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The current dates of the talent counselling can be found here.

We are proud of the achievements of our students and recent graduates. We are establishing this column in October 2021 to highlight the great work of our students and faculty.

2023

• Ondřej Kalužák ( Jan Kavan’s class), a 3rd year student of electroacoustic music composition, won the prestigious international competition Palma Ars Acustica with his composition Silent Roof.

2024

• Young composers from the Czech Republic and Slovakia succeeded in the first year of the international SoundChain competition – Marek Krajňák won the first prize.

What are you most proud of during your artistic career?
Not so much the prizes, TV shows, performances at various festivals, EXPOs and other events that I and my ensembles DAMA DAMA and Konvergence were sent to at certain times by various institutions such as the Ministry of Culture or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, etc, but rather to things that nobody really knows about – to my compositions or experimental instruments (which I hardly present publicly), if I feel that I have achieved what I wanted, or even surprised myself with something; but unfortunately or rather fortunately, after a longer or shorter period of time, this passes and I start to redo them, which is perhaps a sign that one is evolving.

Where do you look for a source of motivation and inspiration?
I look for inspiration in various sciences (physics, mathematics, cosmology, psychology), but also in contemporary art and other kinds of art, computer programs, and of course in my own moods, ephemeral feelings, nightmares, etc.

If you had to give one piece of advice to students, what would it be?
To be a fanatic in your field, if possible, because then you are always engaged in your work, and if you are always engaged in something, you may learn something over a long time and perhaps even figure something out (or not, despite your best efforts – this is a necessary but not sufficient condition). But there must be a nature for that, so this advice probably doesn’t make much sense, except perhaps in supporting someone who is not yet sure, perhaps because of age or cultivated self-censorship, whether such an approach to life is appropriate.

What does JAMU mean to you personally?
Considering my three graduate studies there, teaching in two departments, creating new study programmes, etc., JAMU has been a significant part of my life for the last thirty years.

Biography of Dan Dlouhy

What are you most proud of during your time as an artist?

That I didn’t succumb to all the temptations, managed to leave and refuse prestigious and more lucrative positions in time, and remained faithful to freelance composing all my life (as a result of constant existential insecurity), lately with a small part-time job allowing me to meet the younger generation.

Where do you look for a source of motivation and inspiration?

Inspiration comes unexpectedly from different directions, you just need to tune your perception.

If you had to give one piece of advice to students, what would it be?

Don’t take yourselves seriously, be genuine in what you do – “all glory is grass”…

What does JAMU mean to you personally?

Contact with the emerging generation, sometimes mirroring and reflecting a certain, often unconscious, backwardness of our generation. Thanks for that.

Biography of Zbyněk Matějů

Peter Graham (1952) – composer and improviser. Under the name of doc. Jaroslav Št’astný, PhD., teaches at the JAMU in Brno. In the context of Czech music, however, he represents a rather non-academic type with an interest in unconventional approaches to composition – he has been a budding composer for over fifty years. Throughout this time he has successfully resisted the acquisition of “musical craft”, the principles of “correct composition” and the creation of “his own style”.

Since the early 1970s he has been creating graphic and conceptual scores, but his compositional range is much broader – from electroacoustic compositions to pieces for children. His music has been performed by performers such as the Arditti Quartet, Ensemble recherche, English Chamber Orchestra, Kammersveit Reykjavíkur, Ostrava Banda with conductors Peter Rundel and Roland Kluttig, VENI ensemble, flutist Áshildur Haraldsdóttir, pianists Jonathan Powell and Daan Vandewalle, harpsichordist Barbara Maria Willi, etc. For the Easter Festival in Baden Baden 2019, the Berlin Philharmonic commissioned him to perform In uns liegt es, performed by Ensemble Berlin – Prag.

In 2021, the Jazz Goes to Town festival featured the composition JOGOTOTO for large orchestra and four improvising soloists (Susana Santos Silva – trumpet, Sofia Jernberg – vocals, Frank Gratkowski – saxophone and Michal Nejtek – synthesizer), the Hradec Králové Philharmonic was conducted by Marko Ivanovic. At the Prague Music Performance 2022 festival, the composition Jen tóny pro RADOST Ensemble JAMU was performed.

As a pianist-improviser he performs in the duo Palagrachio (with Ivan Palacki – amplified knitting machine and home made electronics), in Pavel Zlámal’s projects: Brünnwerk, Divergent Connections Orchestra, Heterofón and Next Phase, is a member of the Didrik Ingvaldsen Orchestra and leads his own Peter Graham Trio.

In 1993-2009 he was the dramaturge of the Exposition of New Music festival. He is also the author of numerous articles and professional publications. He has written, among others, a book devoted to the work of the Brno composer Josef Berg(Josef Berg and his Dreaming, JAMU, Brno 2002, 2nd edition 2018). He has published a number of studies on contemporary composers, in particular on John Cage – his visit to Czechoslovakia in 1964 was featured at the Beyond Cage festival (New York, 2012). He also managed the team of translators of the Czech edition of Cage’s books Silence (Tranzit, Prague, 2010) and John Cage: Selected Letters (Volvox Globator, 2018).

What are you most proud of during your time as an artist?

Pride passes the fall! I have nothing to be proud of in my artistic career – I still see more work ahead of me than behind me. But as an educator, I was flattered that a number of students in the required New Music Interpretation class signed up for the optional one this time around. That has never happened to me in my entire school career.

Where do you look for a source of motivation and inspiration?

Inspiration is not a problem, it’s everywhere. Motivation is in me. But where to find the time that is always disappearing somewhere?

If you had to give one piece of advice to students, what would it be?

I often remind students of Jasper Johns’ statement, “To be an artist is to give up everything – including the desire to be a good artist!”

What does JAMU mean to you personally?

I never wanted to be a teacher. I originally came to JAMU as a “researcher”, but when the grant ended, I had no choice but to teach. I took it as a loss in life. In the end, I’m glad it turned out that way. I realized that I actually like to teach – those who are interested in what I have to say. And what does JAMU mean to me personally? Full of people I like to see, colleagues I respect – what more could I ask for?