Official Master’s Degree “Barcelona Jazz Master”

ECTS60
SpecialtiesPerformance and Composition
DurationSeptember 9, 2024 - May 23, 2025
Teaching languageCatalan, Spanish, English
ModeAttending. It is necessary to attend 80% of classes in order to be evaluated
Fees credit68.95 €

The Master’s Degree in Advanced Artistic Studies in Jazz and Modern Music Performance and Composition “Barcelona Jazz Master” focuses on the artistic development of students with the utmost rigour and level of excellence.

The two specialisations offered by the programme are built around the student’s individual study project and their Final Master’s Project (TFM), which must revolve around a theme that they wish to explore in depth and which must be detailed in the admission process.

  • In the performance speciality, the TFM will consist of a written research project, a public concert, a recording in a professional studio and the post-production of a master record.

  • In the composition speciality, the TFM will consist of a written research paper and the preparation and performance of a public concert with the interpretation of the work or set of works written by the student for a specific instrumentation.

This master’s degree can be completed in a single academic year or in a maximum of three.

Access and admission

To be admitted to the Barcelona Jazz Master’s you must have a higher education degree.

This qualification may consist of:

  • An official higher degree in musical artistic education issued in Spain.

  • An official bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, issued by an institution of the European Higher Education Area, which allows access to master’s degree courses in the country of issue.

  • A degree from systems outside the European Higher Education Area without the need for official recognition of their qualifications (see specific cases), subject to verification by the competent educational administration that the qualification accredits an equivalent level of training.
    Access by this route does not, under any circumstances, validate the qualification provided.


Documentation to be submitted

1. Audiovisual portfolio

  • For the interpretation specialty:

    Video with three pieces between 15 and 20 minutes long in total (or three videos, with each of the pieces separately) where the applicant’s artistic identity is shown through own arrangements or own compositions. The recording must be less than one year old and must not contain any editing.
    The applicant’s face and hands must be visible.
    The pieces may be solo or with accompaniment. In the case of polyphonic instruments (guitar and piano), at least one piece must be solo.

  • For the composition specialty:

    Video with three pieces between 15 and 20 minutes long in total (or three videos, with each of the pieces separately) where the applicant’s artistic identity is shown through own compositions.
    Music score of each piece, using a musical notation program.

2. Motivation letter: brief personal presentation of the applicant, detailing his or her reasons for pursuing the master’s degree and his or her expectations.

3. Master’s research plan, which should include:

  • Introduction explaining the applicant’s artistic interests that he/she intends to work on in the master’s program and mentioning some of the artists he/she has as a reference.

  • Careful and complete description and justification of the research topic to be developed during the master’s degree.

  • Approach to the methodology to be used.

  • Estimation of how the completion of the master’s degree can help the applicant in his or her artistic and professional future.

4. Resume, with basic personal information, photograph, academic, professional and language proficiency data.

5. Copy of ID card / passport

6. Copy of higher education degree


Admission criteria

The admission procedure has two phases:

Phase 1: assessment
The following documents will be assessed by the selection board:

1. The audiovisual portfolio

  • In the interpretation specialty:

    – The technical instrumental level.
    – The quality in the interpretation of the works.
    – Phrasing, creativity and coherence in improvisation.
    – Knowledge of jazz language.
    – Interaction and musical communication with the group.
    – Tempo and rhythmic precision.

  • In the composition specialty:

    – Creativity and musicality in the compositions.
    – Harmonic, melodic and rhythmic originality.
    – Formal coherence.
    – Mastery of compositional and musical resources.
    – Mastery of instrumentation.

2. The motivation letter

3. The Master’s research plan

If the selection board considers that the applicant has a good profile, he/she will be invited to phase 2, which is carried out telematically..

Phase 2: Test and interview

1. Written test (online), consisting of:

  • Harmonic and melodic transcription of a fragment.

  • Harmonic analysis of a fragment and say the associated scales.

  • Performance of a 5-voice spread over a given progression.

2. Interview (online), where the board may ask for a verbal explanation of some elements described in the documentation of the admission process or aspects that the board has not been able to see in the documentation submitted. On the other hand, the applicant will be able to raise any doubts he/she may have about the master’s degree..

Curriculum

The curriculum is focused on excellence in the interpretative and compositional field through a deep work with the instrument, creativity, ensemble dynamics and external commissions. It also allows contact and deepening in one of the autochthonous styles, such as flamenco, through elective subjects.

Specialty InterpretationSpecialty Composition
SubjectsECTSSemestre
Individual speciality teaching
Instrumental interpretation I101
Instrumental interpretation II102
Professional Practices
External Artistic Practices (interpretation)41 o 2
Master Work / End Concert
Recording and Post-Production Techniques32
Composition, direction and premiere of a work or set of works for a particular musical template92
Interpretive set practice
Combo31 & 2
Improvisation (rhythmic format)21
Additional theoretical training
Improvisation (practical/instrumental)21 o 2
Settings and Orchestration (jazz)41
Composition and counterpoint techniques42
Analysis and Transcript31
Optatives
Flamenco Companion32
Flamenco Analysis31
Professional Promotion31
Physiological and psychological aspects of interpretive practice32
Documentary resources and research methodologies31
SubjectsECTSSemestre
Individual speciality teaching
Composition I101
Composition II102
Professional Practices
External Artistic Practices (direction)41 i 2
Master Work / End Concert
Recording and Post-Production Techniques32
Composition, direction and premiere of a work or set of works for a particular musical template91 i 2
Interpretive set practice
Improvisation (rhythmic format)21
Improvisation (practical/instrumental)21
Additional theoretical training
MIDI Sequencing31 o 2
Settings and Orchestration (jazz)41
Composition and counterpoint techniques42
Analysis and Transcript31
Optatives
Flamenco Composition Techniques31 i 2
Instrumentation and Orchestration Foundations31
Flamenco Analysis31
Documentary resources and research methodologies31
Objectives and competencies

The general objective of the Artistic Master’s Degree in Advanced Studies in Jazz and Modern Music is to train professionals with a high degree of specialisation.

Specifically, the master’s degree aims to:

  • Promote in each student a process of continuous and high quality artistic development.

  • Provide the necessary tools to deepen musical research.

  • Encourage the development of students and their consolidation as musicians, expanding and integrating the intellectual, emotional and physical resources that will be reflected in the practice of musical excellence, and planning and implementing personal projects.

  • To provide an environment of learning and reflection that allows the student’s potential to be recognised and developed in order to overcome limits.

Who is it for

The master’s degree is aimed at students who want to:

  • Develop their artistic identity and research and deepen their knowledge of a topic of importance to the musical artistic community.

  • Access advanced training and professional specialisation in the field of performance and musical composition in Jazz and Modern Music.

  • Prepare for entry into the professional world of work at the highest level and acquire the knowledge, flexibility, imagination and assessment tools necessary to contribute to the development of a professional practice in today’s artistic life.

Professors

The Master’s is taught by professors from the Department of Jazz and Modern Music and by external teachers with a recognized artistic and professional background.

Coordination : Lluc Casares and Néstor Giménez

Teaching staff

NameSubject
Alcina, IsmaelInstrumental Performance: Bass
Asensio, JoanFlamenco Analysis; Flamenco accompaniment
Baecker, RolfDocumentary Resources and Research Methodologies
Barbal, MargaridaPhysiological and psychological aspects of interpretive practice
Benítez, GorkaInstrumental Performance: Flute; Instrumental Performance: Saxophone
Bover, AlbertInstrumental Performance: Piano; Improvisation
Camps, JonathanPhysiological and psychological aspects of interpretive practice
Canela, CarmeInstrumental Performance: Voice
Capella, FrancescInstrumental Performance: Piano; Improvisation; Composition
Carod, Apel·lesInstrumental Performance: Fiddle
Casares, LlucCombo; Improvisation
Cassanyes, ÀlexArrangements and orchestration
Conangla, FerranAudio recording and post-production techniques
Díaz, JoanComposition; Instrumental Performance: Piano; Instrumental Performance: Keyboards
Dubuclet, JohnInstrumental Performance: Trombone
Figuerola, XavierInstrumental Performance: Clarinet; Instrumental Performance: Saxophone
Fina, XavierProfessional Promotion
Finger, AnaInstrumental Performance: Voice
Font, GerardAudio recording and post-production techniques
Forcada, DanielInstrumental Performance: Percussion
Giménez, NéstorComposition
Guinovart, AlbertFundamentals of instrumentation and orchestration
Gómez, DavidInstrumental Performance: Drums
González, ArecioCombo
Ibáñez, XavierInstrumental Performance: Keyboards; Combo
Krause, JoInstrumental Performance: Drums
Lara, MireiaInstrumental Performance: Voice
Martin, CarlosInstrumental Performance: Trombone
Mercader, NanInstrumental Performance: Percussion
Monné, JoanInterpretació Performance: Piano
Mora, MireiaPhysiological and psychological aspects of interpretive practice
Pérez, DaniInstrumental Performance: Guitar; Improvisation
Prieto, JesúsInstrumental Performance: Guitar
Reig, IreneCombo
Reinón, EladioInstrumental Performance: Saxophone
Rossy, MarioInstrumental Performance: Double Bass; Analysis and transcription
Sánchez, JoaquínFlamenco composition techniques
Sanmartí, JoanComposition; Instrumental Performance: Guitar
Sanpablo, AlbertoProfessional Promotion
Saña, OriolInstrumental performance: jazz violin
Simon, MatthewInstrumental Performance: Trumpet
Tancredi, EduardoInstrumental Performance: Piano
Tapscott, AlfredMIDI
Terraza, IgnasiInstrumental Performance: Piano; Improvisation
Vidal, JoanComposition techniques and counterpoint
Vidal, LluísComposition; Instrumental performance: Piano
Xirgu, DavidInstrumental Performance: Drums
Zamora, IgnasiInstrumental Performance: Electric Bass
Master’s degree verified by the Agency for the Quality of the University System of Catalonia
Mjimm Esmuc

Do you want more information?

    PERSONAL DATA