High-quality musical education has a long tradition at the University of Augsburg. The Augsburg music school was founded in 1873 and became a conservatorium in 1926. Since 2008, music education under the namesake of Leopold Mozart has been located under the roof of the university. Now, after 15 years and a move to a new building in 2020—the former main post office in Grottenau—the Leopold Mozart Centre has re-orientated itself as part of an ongoing transformation process, which has included revising its musical education programmes and giving itself a new name.

“With its new name, the Leopold Mozart College of Music at the University of Augsburg presents itself as international as it has long been,” says university president Prof. Dr Sabine Doering-Manteuffel. “It makes it internationally more visible, while also emphasising its qualities as a diverse and well-networked music education institute with a regional connection.”

The structure of the new Leopold Mozart College of Music is rather unique in Germany: it offers a high-quality, well-supported music education, well-integrated into the university. “We and our students benefit enormously from the inter-disciplinarity, the future-oriented research, and the various intra-university networks, exchanges, and stimulating ideas,” says Prof. Dr Franz Körndle, acting director of the institute. There are always joint projects and research projects with other subject areas. The approximately 300 students at the LMC have the opportunity to take non-musical courses at three faculties as well as in-depth language courses at the language centre. They also have many opportunities to perform at university events.

Well-equipped for professional life

The bachelor’s degree programme in music, which will start in its new format in the winter semester, has been modernised. The many sometimes highly-specialised fields of music have given way to an artistic and pedagogical education that prepares students for as many career opportunities as possible within the field of music. As well as artistic training, teaching and music communication will be taught. The degree programme also includes content related to personal development and self-marketing, as well as legal topics relevant to performance and freelancing.

“Our graduates will be better prepared for the multiple career paths that are a reality in the life of a professional musician,” adds Dominik Wortig, also acting director of the LMC. Wortig says that almost all musicians today have several professional career paths with individual focal points. The new bachelor’s degree in music at the Leopold Mozart College of Music is excellent preparation for this.
 

An important part of the Augsburg-Swabian musical landscape

“The promotion of highly talented young musicians is also an important part of the new LMC,” says Franz Körndle. “Likewise, we see it as our obligation to contribute to participation and social cohesion through music here in the Swabian region.” The institute’s move to Grottenau three years ago also contributes to this. In the middle of the city centre and at the heart of urban society, music lovers can enjoy concerts of old and new music, matinées, and vocal performances in the historic concert hall with its excellent acoustics.