University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (KUG)

With more than 2,000 students in Graz and Oberschützen, the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (KUG) is an internationally renowned place of education - 17 institutes and 2 doctoral schools offer highly qualified training for artistic and scientific professions. Owing to its geographic situation it knows to combine perfectly Austrian tradition in music and performing arts with the creative potential of Eastern and Southeastern Europe.

With its consequently realized leitmotif, i.e. “Open for the New by Tradition”, its focus on contemporary arts and its really unique living symbiosis between the arts and science, KUG has been able to shape its profile among universities in Europe.

The thirteen disciplines, i.e. Stage Design, Performing Art (Drama), Composition and Music Theory, Conducting, Voice, Music Education – Voice and Instruments (IGP), Instrumental Studies, Jazz – the oldest academic place of education in Europe –, Catholic and Protestant Church Music, Music Education / Music Education – Instruments, Electrical Engineering – Sound Engineering (together with the University of Technology Graz), Musicology (in cooperation with the University of Graz), the Artistic and the Scientific Doctoral Study Program concentrate on essentials in the arts and science.

KUG combines the development and unfolding of the arts (artistic research) and research with university education. Compared to other universities worldwide, the scientific aspect in education is quite well developed and benefits from the vivid practice of music. On the other hand, artists benefit from scientific reflection. A functional and state-of-the-art infrastructure as well as numerous guest lectures, workshops and possibilities to appear in public allow to design studies in the best possible way.

The artistic and scientific activities of some 400 renowned teachers interact directly with teaching and ensure excellent and practice-oriented education this way.

Owing to this highly qualified personal attention KUG can look back on a long list of very successful graduates. At KUG, students and teachers are considered partners in a common cognitive process which animates the concept of “education through the arts and science”.

Moreover, KUG supports the new generation of artists and scientists by opening up to them realistic job chances and career possibilities. To this end, the University’s own Career Service Center (CSC) has been playing a major role since autumn 2008.

Our students from abroad (approx. 45 percent) foster an intercultural diversity and, as a result, a creative climate at KUG. The lively activities encouraging international development and unfolding of the arts (artistic research), and the successful commitment with regard to institutionalized contacts to foreign countries follow the conviction that the arts will gain intensity if they leave their national bonds.

KUG does not only see itself as a place of education but also as a promoter of the arts. Among other things, this is noticeable to the broad public through subscription cycles, international competitions, and the CD series “Klangdebüts” with recordings made just by students.

Every year, students perform in more than 800 events ranging from in-class presentations, drama performances, jazz, chamber music, and orchestra concerts up to operas. Consequently, KUG has established itself as a vivid part of cultural life in Graz. To this end, it disposes of function rooms like historic “Florentinersaal”, multi-purpose “Theater im Palais” (T.i.P.), and the avant-garde “CUBE”, for instance.

Since early 2009, KUG has been able to use MUMUTH, the House of Music and Music Theatre, as new building both for classes and events. This architecturally and acoustically extraordinary building allows to improve practice-oriented education even more.

University of Music and Performing Arts Graz
Leonhardstraße 15
8010 Graz – Austria
Phone: +43/316/389-0
E-Mail: info@kug.ac.at