10 years Youth Academy Münster

The Münster Youth Academy, the successful cooperation project between the Westphalian School of Music and the University of Music, celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2021. Three anniversary concerts and a two-day symposium under the motto "Parents. Giving roots - giving wings" took place from October 7 - 10 in Münster. Program details can be found on our anniversary website or in the program flyer. - We look forward to the next 10 years!

Youth Academy

The Youth Academy of Münster is a joint programme offered by the University of Music and the Westphalian School for Music. Up to 30 places are available for especially gifted children and adolescents in the years prior to university study.

The Youth Academy offers optimal, comprehensive training to musically gifted children and adolescents from around the region. The programme combines the qualities of two institutes which have consistently proven their outstanding competence in promoting exceptionally talented young people.

The successful work of the Youth Academy is exemplified in the career of the young violinist Suyoen Kim, who received training at both institutes, the international prizewinning achievements of the violinist Won Ho Kim and the recorder player Tabea Debus, as well as the distinctions and prizes regularly awarded to the ensembles and soloists of the Youth Academy at the state and federal music competition "Jugend musiziert". 

You can find further biographies of our Young Academics on the homepage of the Westphalian School for Music.

Academic programme

The Youth Academy of Münster offers the following academic package to max. 30 students:

• up to 90 minutes of individual instruction, normally a 60-min. lesson in one's major subject and a 30-min. lesson in a minor subject
• instruction in ensemble, chamber music and orchestral performance, as well as singing, physical condition, theory and co-repetition, if necessary
• group visits to concerts and opera performances, meetings with prominent artists
• organised and supervised concert performances, participation in competitions and master courses

The University of Music and the Westphalian School for Music jointly recommend which package is suitable for each student based on his/her academic, personal and artistic development. This also includes determining which instructor or pedagogical tandem from the University of Music and School for Music is assigned to provide instruction in the student's major. These considerations are discussed with the parents and the general schools to ensure that the children can grow up in a healthy, "normal", familiar and academic environment where they also have the possibility of cultivating friendships and participating in recreational activities.

In order to specifically focus on musical education, the Youth Academy works together with general schools to ensure that particularly gifted children and adolescents are afforded the time and space they need to devote themselves to their musical practice. This could come as permission to attend a lesson in one's major in the morning (if possible, using the "revolving door" model so that students won't always miss the same subject at school) or permission to take several days off to attend a master course or participate in a competition or concert tour.

Anchored in the region


The success of the Youth Academy depends just as much on the many years of mutual coordination between the University of Music and the Westphalian School for Music, as it does on the excellent cooperation it has cultivated with the music schools around the region.

All families and music schools in the region of Westphalia are invited to contact the Youth Academy with regard to talent promotion – without having to worry about losing especially promising pupils, for they normally remain enrolled at their respective music schools. We make a point of working together with successful instrumental instructors on location and commission them to supervise these students to ensure a more organic, trust-based development.

Youth Academy rules

The rules of interaction at the Youth Academy are very simple and can be found here.

Cost of instruction and financial aid

The cost of attending courses at the Youth Academy is practically the same as the price of a normal hour of instruction at a music school (115,10€ per month in 2026). All additional services and extras are funded by the Westphalian School for Music, the University of Music and our sponsors.

Application

The next applications for admission to the Youth Academy will be possible for the winter semester 2026/27. Here you will finde the application portal

Application period: Friday, March 27, 2026, to Sunday, May 3, 2026. 

The next auditions for admission to the Youth Academy will take place on Saturday, 27 June 2026. The selection audition consists of a 10 to 15-minute recital in the main subject with freely chosen works from at least two stylistic periods. An accompanist cannot be provided.

Consultation interviews for applicants who have passed the aptitude test will take place on Saturday, 11 July 2026.

 

Musical contributions

You can view some of the musical contributions of our Young Academics on YouTube.

Successes

Selected success stories of our young academy students can be found here and also listed among the prize winners of the Münster University of Music.

Management team and contact persons

 The leadership team of the Münster Youth Academy currently consists of: Heribert Koch (Associate Dean of the University of Music and Professor of Piano), Peter Nagy (Director of the Westphalian School of Music), and Gudula Rosa (JA email contact and adjunct professor of recorder)

At the “Jung und wild!” concert on May 16, 2025, Elisabeth Fürniss was bid a fond farewell with heartfelt thanks after many years of dedicated service on the Youth Academy’s leadership team. She has taken over the cello class previously led by the late cello professor Matias Pinto and is fully committed to this new role. Prof. Heribert Koch was warmly welcomed as the new associate dean, succeeding Prof. Michael Keller, who has retired.

Patrons and sponsors

We thank the following patrons and sponsors for their generous support:

• GWK (Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Westfälischen Kulturarbeit e.V.)
• NRW Bank
• Sibylle-Hahne-Stiftung
• Sparkasse Münsterland Ost
• Soroptimist International Club Münster
• Inge Wolf
• Amrei Thränhardt
• Heike Paraknowitsch