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Jazz & Pop
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Application and admission

Application and admission

Want to learn everything about jazz and pop? Do you have broad musical interests and do you want to become a specialist in your major and learn about business and organisation? And do you want to become part of the tight-knit course in the centre of Zwolle? If so, apply for Jazz & Pop in Zwolle.

Admission dates

Admissions are in June 2025, register before  May 1st 2025.

Are you a Non-EU/EER citizen? Please get in touch with the course ASAP but before January 15th.
Non-EU/EER citizens have to do their admission before April 1st
Applications received after 1 June will only be considered if there are still enough places available on the course.

Apply

Preparing for audition

  • If you are seriously considering applying for admission, you can take an introductory class. During this class you will get to know your teacher better and get an idea of your level and your possibilities. You can also discuss possible programme elements for the entrance examination with the teacher.
    Request a Introducory Class

    Please note: you can request an introductory class until 31 March.
    For vocals, it is not possible to arrange an introductory class. The vocals department organises a special introductory evening.

  • To prepare for your theory and listening test, you might want to use the intensive course.

  • A Preparatory Course at the ArtEZ Academy of Music will prepare you as much as possible for admission to one of our bachelor's programs in Arnhem, Enschede or Zwolle.

    Discover the possibilities

Jazz & Pop admission requirements

These are the diploma and language requirements you must meet.

  • Pre-university education (VWO), upper general secondary education (HAVO), secondary vocational education (MBO: level 4) or foreign equivalent level of education;
  • Dutch language requirements apply to this course;
  • Entrance examination pass (audition and theory exam). In this exam, we assess your chances of successfully completing the course.

Entrance examination

To be admitted to ArtEZ Jazz & Pop Zwolle, you do an entrance examination. The entrance examinations for this course take place in April and June.

The entrance examination consists of two parts. Firstly, you do a practical entrance audition. You are given the result immediately after the audition. If you pass the audition, you take a theoretical test. You will also hear the result immediately after the test.

If you pass both parts, the Board of Examiners at the Academy of Music will check whether you fulfil the other admission requirements, such as the required preparatory course and any language test. The Board of Examiners then decides whether you can be admitted to the course for which you have auditioned. 

The practical and theoretical part are separate from each other and often held on different days. The practical part takes around 30 minutes, while the theoretical part takes 45 minutes.

Starting from the academic year 2024-2025, we will initiate a four-year pilot program in which we offer a few spots for international students. These students will have a modified admission program. If interested, please contact the head of the Jazz & Pop program at the ArtEZ Conservatory in Zwolle: Yuri Honing / y.honing@artez.nl

  • General

    The practical part is also called the audition. During the audition, we mainly look at your mastery of your instrument or voice, your creativity and your musical skills and qualities in general. It is important to present your strengths, both in terms of craftsmanship and artistry. It is also important to let us hear and see that you have broad musical interests. For Vocals there can be an (online) preselection.

    You are also expected to have acquired some experience in one or more styles in jazz and/or pop music, preferably in a band.
    Furthermore, your (verbal) motivation is an important part of your admission. 

    Admission requirements

    For the practical entrance audition, there are some general admission requirements which are described here. There are also some additional, specific admission requirements, depending on your chosen major. 

    Check out the additional requirements per major

    For each major, you must prepare a programme of five pieces for the entrance audition. These five pieces should vary from each other in terms of musical style, character and tempo. Including your own work in the programme is very much appreciated. Your own work may consist of one or more compositions, or your own texts, etudes or exercises.
    You also submit five copies of a programme and the motivation form. The programme includes the following information: 

    • Your name;
    • The major for which you are auditioning;
    • The day and date of the entrance audition;
    • The titles of the prepared pieces;
    • The composer(s) and/or lyricists of the prepared pieces;
    • The players for each prepared piece;
    • The names of the band members if you are accompanied by your own band.

    Procedure, points for attention, supervision and results

    During your audition, a board of at least three and a maximum of five examiners assess your talent and development potential. This board of examiners consists of teachers from ArtEZ Academy of Music with various majors and from various musical backgrounds.

    You choose the first piece you will play from your list. The examiners then choose themselves or based on your verbal motivation another or several pieces. You will probably play a total of two or three of the five prepared pieces.

    You will then be asked to demonstrate specific skills, such as playing/singing exercises like scales or rudiments, playing/singing a fragment at sight, playing or singing a fragment on hearing or improvising a harmonic and/or rhythmic piece.

    Attention points during the assessment of the practical entrance audition include:

    • Enjoyment of playing and singing;
    • Mastery of the main instrumental or vocal basic techniques;
    • Expression, tone, sound, interaction, playing together, creativity and presentation;
    • The ability to improvise;
    • Affinity with jazz, pop and/or one or more associated music styles, for example Latin or fusion;
    • Broad musical interest.

    To get a good sence of who you are as a musician and where your qualities lie, we ask of you to perform with your own band. After the practical part of the entrance audition, the examiners consult and you are immediately told their decision.

  • In the admission process, we also want to find out your level of knowledge of theory and your ear so that we can determine whether you could be placed in the theory part of the first year or preparatory course. You also do this theory test if you are only auditioning for the preparatory course. The theory test consists of a written and verbal part. We check what you already know, what you already hear, what you can do and what you cannot yet do. If you don't know, can't hear or do something (immediately), we also observe how you deal with any instructions.

    During the theory and listening audition, we check:

    1. A good basic knowledge of music theory

    • Knowledge and command of reading and writing tones and scales with associated symbols, including the term parallel minor.
    • Knowledge of music notation: Keys, beat, symbols and repeats.

    2. Read and play melodies and write the notes after listening

    • The ability to read, play and write notes (in dictation form) of melodies, at the level of these sample melodies.

    3. Read and play rhythms and write the notes after listening

    • The ability to read, play and write notes (in dictation form) of rhythms in the 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 and 6/8 beats.

    4. Identify intervals, triads and extended chords, both read and listened

    • Identify intervals, triads and certain inversions
    • The ability to identify the tones in a chord based on a chord symbol and determine a chord symbol based on given tones. Notes on this part are available here.

    As with the practical part, the examiners consult immediately after the theory test and tell you their decision. Depending on the results of the theory test, you are placed in the preparatory course, in the first year or you are rejected. To prepare for your theory and listening test, you might want to use the intensive course.

Result and validity

The examination committee advises the Academy of Music's Board of Examiners on the admission. The board checks whether the procedure has been followed properly and ultimately decides whether you are admissible as a candidate. You will be informed in writing.

An admission is only valid for the course for which you have applied. If you wish to be admitted to a course or specialisation at a different location, you must apply for this separately. The admission is only valid for the academic year immediately following the entrance exam. If you wish to start one year later, you can submit a written request to the Board of Examiners to prolong the validity of the results for a period of one year.