Welcome!

The Mainz School of Music (HfM) is the only school of music in Rhineland-Palatinate. Currently, nearly 400 young men and women are studying here in over 20 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, as well as in the concert exam/doctorate area.

Our School of Music sees itself as a place where a wide variety of people come together to dedicate themselves to a common passion. We train excellent musicians, researchers and educators and treat each other as equals. We support our students not only in developing their professional potential, but also in their personal development. Creativity, innovation and interdisciplinarity are just as essential foundations of our work as a personal and inspiring cooperation and mutual respect. With innovative projects, we look to the future while at the same time maintaining our sense of preserving the traditional artistic heritage. Cooperation with a variety of institutional partners to promote young musicians is an important concern for us.

As a School of Music, we are not only an educational institution, but also a cultural organizer. Together with our students, we realize numerous concerts of various styles and genres every year and provide impulses to the city of Mainz and the entire Rhine-Main region through projects and workshops. Music knows no boundaries and not only for this reason the School of Music is a place of diversity, mutual respect and mutual appreciation, where discrimination and abuse of power are not accepted. We put the students at the center of our work and promote a free and independent practice of art as well as the reflection of this in social responsibility, so that music can meaningfully develop its social functions.

Prof. Dr. Valerie Krupp
Rector of the Mainz School of Music

The School of Music was founded in 1948 as the “Staatliches Hochschulinstitut für Musik” by Ernst Laaff and integrated into the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in 1973 as the “Faculty of Music Education”. The state government of Rhineland-Palatinate thus decided on a special path within the German educational landscape: Instead of founding an independent School of Music, artistic training was integrated into the university. The courses offered initially included the teacher education in music at grammar schools, Church Music A-Exam and B-Exam and State Music Teacher Examination degree programs. With the establishment of further artistic degree programs, it was renamed “Faculty of Music” in 1986.

The Rhineland-Palatinate University Act from 2003 provides for a special status for artistic training, which was implemented in the basic regulations of Johannes Gutenberg University in 2004: The “Faculty of Music” became the “School of Music” with a complete range of artistic, artistic-pedagogical, and scientific courses offered.

A new building for the School of Music was completed on campus in October 2008.

“The numbers speak for themselves: Mainz is a city shaped by students and a popular place of study. With around 35,100 students, the Johannes Gutenberg University is one of the ten largest higher education institutions in Germany. Its wide range of courses offered is ideally complemented by the two universities of applied sciences, where another 5,000 students are enrolled, with a focus on nursing and social services as well as technology, design and economics.

However, these almost 40,000 young people not only study, they live, shop, have fun in pubs, cafes and clubs, visit museums or start creative projects.”

mainz.de

The HfM recording studio hosts seminars in acoustics, music production, and media literacy, as well as CD productions, audio and video concert recordings, concert sound reinforcement, livestreams, and the production of instructional videos. Students can create demo recordings for competitions or to support their transition to a profession. The heart of the recording studio is a hybrid SSL AWS console, which enables both high-quality fully analog mixes and digital productions, including Dolby Atmos in Pro Tools or Sequoia with 7.4.1 monitoring capabilities (Geithain).

Weekly studio concerts from the recording studio are broadcast as a livestream on our YouTube channel and on cable television via the open channel Mainz as part of the media literacy seminar, under the series “…and we are LIVE!”. The live video direction and high-quality camera equipment enable the documentation of outstanding concerts, including our own series “Achtung, Aufnahme!”.

More than 25 CD productions with students, including those with external labels, as well as radio broadcasts in cooperation with SWR, have been released. The CD “Rinck: Organ Works”, recorded with students on the Dreymann organ in St. Ignaz Church Mainz, was on the longlist for the German Record Critics’ Award 2021, and the audiobook production “The Marriage of Figaro” was awarded the German Audiobook Prize in the category “The Special Audiobook” in 2025. The Gutenberg Teaching College and the Friends of the University recognized and supported innovative teaching projects in the recording studio.

In addition, the higher education institution is equipped with a multi-channel portable sound system for external concerts and sound installations, as well as permanently installed systems in the concert halls. Two student workstations can be used for video editing, sound recording, or post-production after instruction.

In the master’s degree program Sound Art-Composition, a special aspect lies on spatial sound. Various possibilities of digital sound synthesis as well as a MIDI workstation serve the students in the master’s degree program Sound Art-Composition at three excellently equipped student workspaces for intensive familiarization with the world of electronic sounds, musique concrète and acoustic art. Other multi-channel and complex sound installations can also be realized experimentally.

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In the multifunctional listening lab of the School of Music, computer-aided practice classes and seminars are held in the areas of Music Theory, ear training, harmony, practical piano playing for schools, improvisation, arrangement, composition, production, and piano practice. Preparatory courses for aptitude tests also take place in the listening lab, some as hybrid seminars.

Students have the opportunity to practically understand learning content with appropriate software at 12 Mac workstations. Notation (Sibelius, Dorico, Musescore), DAW (Logic, Pro Tools), transcription (Anytune) and other music programs are used. Professional keyboards (Nord Stage) and mixing consoles with loudspeakers and headphones are available at all locations.

The Music student council of HfM Mainz advocates for the concerns of our students. Not only at the higher education institution, but also in the general student committee (AstA) of the university. In addition to this important function, we organize community events and get-togethers – from the semester opening concert to mulled wine sales, barbecue parties, and pub crawls!

Here is a small insight:

  • Organization of the first-year student mentors
  • Help with course schedule planning
  • Exchange with the university management board
  • Participation in ZeFaR meetings (Central Student Council)
  • Semester opening concerts
  • Pub crawl at the semester start
  • Barbecues, mulled wine sales, torchlight rides and much more.
  • Collaboration with the Green Higher Education Institution
  • And a lot more…

Do you have questions, problems within your program of study, or a special request? Then feel free to contact us either by email (fs-musik@uni-mainz.de) or in person in the hallway or via WhatsApp.

You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram where we frequently give updates on current projects and events. Click on the links to chekc it out.

Group 1

  • Univ.-Prof. Dr. Valerie Krupp (Vorsitz)
  • Univ.-Prof. Jörg Benjamin Bergmann
  • Univ.-Prof. Thomas Dewald
  • Univ.-Prof. Thomas Hell
  • Univ.-Prof. Felix Koch
  • Univ.-Prof. Wolfram Koloseus
  • Univ.-Prof. Peter Franz Kiefer
  • Univ.-Prof. Felix Löffler
  • Prof. Christopher Miltenberger
  • Univ.-Prof. Dr. habil. Birger Petersen
  • Prof. Elisabeth Scholl
  • Univ.-Prof. Sebastian Sternal
  • Univ.-Prof. Daniela Tessmann

Group 2

  • Jan Markus Friedmann
  • David Jakob Schläger
  • Judith Quinker
  • Dylan Zöller

Group 3

  • apl. Prof. Alexander Gelhausen
  • apl. Prof. Moritz Reinisch
  • apl. Prof. Christian Rohrbach

Group 4

  • Barbara Feilen
  • Birgit Wenkel

equality officer (advicing)

  • Janika Löttgen

doctoral student representative (advicing)

  • Philipp Schlosser

Representative of the lecturers (advicing in the public parts of meetings)

  • Ralf Cetto
Grant Committee 
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Valerie Krupp
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Immanuel Ott
Univ.-Prof. Felix Löffler
Univ.-Prof. Christopher Miltenberger
Univ.-Prof. Thomas Dewald
Univ.-Prof. Gerhard Gnann
Univ.-Prof. Peter Kiefer
Univ.-Prof. Wolfram Koloseus
Univ.-Prof. Thomas Hell
Univ.-Prof. Sebastian Sternal
Univ.-Prof. Anne Shih
apl. Prof. Markus Höller
Moritz Schmitt (Stud.)
Budget Committee 
Dr. Carolin Lauer (Chair)
Dr. Simone Schinz (Chair)
Univ.-Prof. Thomas Dewald
Univ.-Prof. Gerhard Gnann
Univ.-Prof. Thomas Hell
Univ.-Prof. Peter Kiefer
Univ.-Prof. Wolfram Koloseus
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Valerie Krupp
Univ.-Prof. Felix Löffler
Univ.-Prof. Immanuel Ott
Univ.-Prof. Dr. habil. Birger Petersen
Univ.-Prof. Anne Shih
Univ.-Prof. Sebastian Sternal
Ursula Monter (Representative of the Lecturers)
Dylan Zöller (Stud.)
Laurent Kranert (Stud.)
apl. Prof. Markus Höller
apl. Prof. Moritz Reinisch
Committee Learning and Teaching 
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Valerie Krupp
Univ.-Prof. Dr. habil. Birger Petersen
Univ.-Prof. Jesse Milliner
apl. Prof. Hans Christoph Begemann
Janika Löttgen
Dr. Josef Schaubruch
Florian Kluth (Stud.)
Miriam Binder (Stud.)
Dylan Zöller (Stud.)
Examination Committee 
Bachelor's, master’s degree and Diplom degree programs as well as concert exam | Examination committee for aptitude tests

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Valerie Krupp (Chair)
Univ.-Prof. Dejan Gavric
Univ.-Prof. Jesse Milliner
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Immanuel Ott
apl. Prof. Claudia Schellenberger
Birgit Wenkel (Student Advising Office)
Matthea Born (Stud.)
Doctoral Committee 
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Immanuel Ott
Univ.-Prof. Dr. habil. Birger Petersen
Anna Pikulska
Dr. Simone Schinz
Capacity and Allocation Committee 
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Immanuel Ott (Chair)
as well as the department heads:
Univ.-Prof. Thomas Dewald
Univ.-Prof. Thomas Hell
Univ.-Prof. Gerhard Gnann / Univ.-Prof. Hans-Jürgen Kaiser
Univ.-Prof. Sebastian Sternal
Univ.-Prof. Dr. habil. Birger Petersen
Univ.-Prof. Peter Kiefer
Univ.-Prof. Wolfram Koloseus
Univ.-Prof. Felix Löffler
Univ.-Prof. Claudia Bussian / Univ.-Prof. Waldemar Schwiertz
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Valerie Krupp / Univ.-Prof. Christopher Miltenberger
Event Committee 
Mirko Meurer - representing Barbara Feilen (Chair)
Univ.-Prof. Benjamin Bergmann
Univ.-Prof. Thomas Dewald
Univ.-Prof. Dejan Gavric
Univ.-Prof. Gerhard Gnann
Univ.-Prof. Thomas Hell
Univ.-Prof. Felix Koch
Univ.-Prof. Wolfram Koloseus
Univ.-Prof. Jesse Milliner
Univ.-Prof. Christopher Miltenberger
Univ.-Prof. Mihály Zeke
apl. Prof. Moritz Reinisch
Johanna Grausam (Stud.)
Matthea Born (Stud.)
in an advisory capacity: Member of the Orchestra Board
Library Committee 
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Valerie Krupp
Univ.-Prof. Dr. habil. Birger Petersen
Dr. Josef Schaubruch
Sarah Spies
in an advisory capacity: Jonathan Gammert

Information – Advising – Support in matters relevant to Equality and Diversity

The Equality Commissioner of the HfM Mainz

  • acts as an advocate, especially for non-male students and employees, as well as people who are affected by discrimination due to other characteristics (e.g. origin, disability, sexual identity, etc.).
  • is the contact person for students and employees in the event of sexual violence.
  • Is the contact person for questions regarding the compatibility of family and program of study or career.
  • supports the enforcement of equal rights for all genders at the HfM Mainz.
  • works towards the elimination of existing disadvantages.
  • is involved in all staff recruitment procedures at the HfM Mainz and is a member of the Council of the Higher Education Institution.
  • initiates and implements further measures and projects to promote discriminated groups.

The Equality Commissioner works together with her two deputies and other colleagues, so that individually suitable support can be found for your request.

Please do not hesitate to ask and visit the Equality and Diversity team if you have any questions, need advice or have any concerns. Your request will always be treated confidentially!


Gender Equality Plan of the School of Music

HfM Mainz is strongly committed to achieving actual gender equality within the higher education institution. The Gender Equality Plan developed in 2023 specifies the framework plan for gender equality at Johannes Gutenberg University. Based on a current situation analysis, action-oriented perspectives are developed that relate to the dimensions of gender mainstreaming relevant to the School of Music. It is binding for all members of HfM.
You can find the Gender Equality Plan of HfM Mainz here.

Further offers:

The Equality and Diversity Office of the JGU, the General Students’ Committee (AStA) and the city of Mainz provide extensive information and offers that are available to you free of charge.
You will find some links in the navigation bar on the right or at the bottom of this page.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any specific need for advice.

Further links:

  • bukof (Federal Conference of Women’s and Equality Commissioners at higher education institutions): https://bukof.de/kommission/kuenstlerische-hochschulen/
  • Recommendations for dealing with sexualized discrimination and violence at art and music higher education institutions:
Recommendations-for-dealing-with-Sexualized-Discrimination-and-Violence-at-Art-and-Music-higher education institutionsDownload

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We maintain numerous collaborations to promote career-related, practical training for our students. We work particularly closely with the following institutions:

We work with many ensembles in the Rhine-Main region:

In their first engagements, young artists experience that success depends not only on their vocal abilities: in addition to vocal perfection, the audience and direction expect scenic and dramatic skills. Max Reinhardt’s famous dictum points to the necessity of enabling up-and-coming opera singers to encounter the theater system during their program of study.

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In the Young Ensemble, qualified vocal students receive training in the subjects of scenic instruction and theater history. In addition, members of the Young Ensemble are offered the opportunity to participate in productions of the Staatstheater Mainz. This allows them to gain stage experience under professional conditions.

The training phase in the Young Ensemble covers the period of one season, with the possibility of a one-time renewal for another year. There are no fees for participating in the Young Ensemble.

Admission to the Young Ensemble requires completed basic scenic training (usually after the sixth academic semester) and passing a two-stage admission procedure in which the vocal and acting skills of the applicants are tested.

In cooperation with:

The Young Ensemble Philharmonie (JEP), a collaborative project between the Philharmonic State Orchestra Mainz and the School of Music, provides students of orchestral programs of study (Bachelor’s, master’s degree, or concert exam) early insights into professional practice. Since the winter semester 2007/08, students who have passed an audition at the Staatstheater can participate in rehearsals and performances of works from all genres – concert, musical theater, ballet. In addition to work-oriented activities, the program also includes 1-2 audition training sessions and supervision primarily by the respective section leaders of the Philharmonic State Orchestra. Qualified students are usually accepted into the Young Ensemble Philharmonie for the duration of one season. Starting next season, Mr. Gabriel Venzago will be the new General Music Director of the Philharmonic State Orchestra Mainz.

Another collaborative project between the Philharmonic Orchestra Mainz and HfM Mainz includes a sponsorship award that can be granted within the framework of the concert exam competition of the School of Music: The award winners perform a solo concert with the Philharmonic State Orchestra. The Chief Conductor of the Philharmonic State Orchestra and General Music Director of the Staatstheater Mainz, Mr. Gabriel Venzago, decides on this.

We are particularly grateful to our generous foundations, the Dres. Göbel Foundation , the Elke and Franz Waldeck Foundation and the Andreas Gepp and Anne Strube Foundation Fund:

We are also particularly grateful to our foundations, friends and sponsors: