The Norwegian Academy of Music is Norway’s leading specialized university of music for performance, composition, conducting, music education, music therapy, church music, folk music, jazz, classical music, contemporary music and artistic research. Established in 1973, NMH has grown into one of the most important music academies in Scandinavia and attracts students who want to pursue serious, performance-based and research-informed music education in Norway’s capital.

NMH is located in the city of Oslo, giving students access to the most vibrant cultural and artistic environment in Norway. Concert halls. Orchestras. Opera. Jazz venues. Churches. Festivals. Recording environments. Contemporary music scenes. Cultural institutions and professional networks. The city has it all. This is a very important place for music students, because artistic growth is not only based on classroom teaching, but also on performance opportunities, collaboration, listening culture, and professional exposure.

The academy is especially well suited for students who want to focus on their artistic development rather than to have a broad university education. It’s academic environment is based on individual instruction, ensemble practice, rehearsals, performance projects, masterclasses, artistic research, music theory, ear training, pedagogy, interpretation, improvisation, composition, conducting and professional preparation. Students need to aim for technical proficiency and artistic individuality.

NMH offers international students study opportunities at bachelor, master and docotoral/artistic research level but the admission is highly competitive and often requires auditions, documented musical background, artistic ability and language requirements depending on program. The institution is performance based and candidates should be prepared for a rigorous environment with high artistic standards.

The academy offers programs in classical performance, jazz, folk music, church music, composition, conducting, music education, music therapy and other music-related fields. Students may take part in one-to-one instrument training, ensemble performances, chamber music, orchestra projects, improvisation, lectures, seminars, music history, analysis, research methods, artistic projects and public concerts. This makes NMH an excellent option for students seeking intensive musical training in a professional conservatoire style environment.

NMH is also important for music research and artistic research in Norway. Its PhD and artistic research activities support musicians, composers, performers, educators and researchers wishing to develop new knowledge through artistic practice, performance, pedagogy, interpretation and music scholarship. Doctoral and research fellowships are generally position-based and highly competitive.

Tuition fees Tuition fees are payable for students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland. NMH says that the tuition fee for performance studies for non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals is NOK 220,000 per academic year. Students are also responsible for semester and institutional resource fees. NMH does not offer scholarships to cover tuition fees and applicants should therefore plan to fund themselves for tuition, living costs, housing, instruments, insurance, books, travel and personal expenses.

All in all, the Norwegian Academy of Music is a good choice for serious musicians seeking high-level artistic education in Norway. It is most appropriate for students pursuing careers as performers, composers, conductors, music teachers, music therapists, church musicians, researchers or professional artists.