»Jazz«, being a musical and an individual form of artistic expression, always includes both: mastering and continuing the tradition on the one hand, and looking for new possibilities of expression, crossing boundaries and merging diverse musical styles on the other.

In keeping with the words of Gustav Mahler – »tradition is not to preserve the ashes but to pass on the flame« – an essential part of the education is communicating traditions in order to impart an understanding of the history, language and expression of jazz. But it is also important to create enough space for research and experiments in order to not only enable but also to initiate and encourage further development.

By offering specific modules in combination with a wide array of elective courses, the jazz programs at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich aim at helping students to develop artistic personalities and, moreover, training them to become professional musicians and educators with a promising future.

The central teaching and learning principles of the program focus on showing the students how to take responsibility in a vocational course of study that not only meets the instrumental requirements but also calls for crossing (musical) boundaries without reservations.