Apply to master’s studies with harp as a main instrument
Admissions guide to the 2.5-year programme in Classical Music Performance (harp as a main instrument).
Degree studies with harp as a main instrument are a part of the Classical Music Performance programme.
Next application period
The next application period for this programme is scheduled for early January 2024. The admissions guide will be updated on this page in November 2023.
Admissions schedule 2023
- Application period: Send your application in Studyinfo portal between 4 January 2023 8 am EET and 18 January 2023 3 pm EET
- Submit required attachments and possible advance assignments at latest 25 January 2023 3 pm EET
- Sibelius Academy confirms your eligibility to apply at latest 17 February 2023
- Submit video recording at latest 24 March 2023 3 pm EET
- Applicants demonstrating their language skills with a language skills certificate: Submit your test result certificate at latest 28 March 2023 3 pm EEST
- Sibelius Academy publishes admissions results 6 April 2023
- Confirm your study place at latest 14 July 2023 3 pm EEST:
- Officially accept your study place
- Register for the academic year
- Conditionally admitted applicants: Submit the required degree certificate
- Students who are required to pay tuition fees: Pay your tuition fee
- Waiting list procedure ends 1 August 2023 3 pm EEST
- New students’ studies begin in August 2023
Who can apply?
A person with the background education required for the degree programme in question and sufficient language skills may apply for studies.
In addition, a person who completes the required background education after the end of the application period, but no later than 14 July 2023 at 3 pm EEST is eligible to apply. In that case, the admission decision is conditional until the applicant submits a certificate of the completed degree. If the applicant fails to submit the certificate by said deadline, the study place will be cancelled.
The Sibelius Academy may, at its discretion, also accept a temporary certificate issued by the educational institution if it indicates that the applicant has completed all studies required for the degree and will receive the degree certificate later.
Sibelius Academy will check every applicant’s eligibility before the entrance examination.
Students are admitted to the Sibelius Academy based on their performance in the entrance examination. Certificate-based admissions or quotas for first-time applicants are not in place.
Master’s degree (2.5 years)
A person who has completed at least one of the following is eligible to apply:
- A lower university degree in music (Bachelor)
- A university of applied sciences degree in music
- A foreign degree or qualification in music that provides eligibility for corresponding higher education studies in the awarding country
- A lower university degree in another field and, additionally, higher education studies in music.
Some programmes may have other background education requirements in addition to those above.
The Sibelius Academy may require that a person admitted to study towards a master’s degree complete complementary studies of a scope equivalent to a maximum of one year of studies in addition to the minimum number of ECTS credits required by the degree programme in order for them to attain the skills required in the training. In principle, complementary studies must be completed in the first year of study, and they must be included in the student’s personal study plan. The applicant is informed of the complementary studies required of them in connection with the admission decision. Such complementary studies must be mentioned in the programme’s admissions proposal.
Exceptions to eligibility
The applicant cannot apply for both 5.5-year and 2.5-year programmes of a single major subject or main instrument in the same year. However, if the applicant submits an application to both programmes, the Sibelius Academy will
- take account of the application for the 2.5-year programme if the applicant is eligible for it, or
- take account of the application for the 5.5-year programme if the applicant is not eligible for the 2.5-year programme.
If you have completed a higher education degree at Sibelius Academy, you cannot apply for the same main subject again, or the same main instrument in the case of Classical Music Performance.
The student admission for bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes applies to applicants who do not have a valid right to study at Uniarts Helsinki at the beginning of the applied right to study, with the exception of persons who have the vice rector’s permission to complete two degrees simultaneously. A degree student registered at Uniarts Helsinki may apply for a change of right to study within the Sibelius Academy or between academies. There are separate instructions for applying for a change of the right to study and for applying for a permission to complete two degrees simultaneously. More information on the rule of one study right can be found here.
Language requirements
The languages of tuition in the Classical Music Performance programme are Finnish, Swedish, and English. You must demonstrate your language proficiency in one of the abovementioned languages by the given deadline. However, the majority of group tuition at the Sibelius Academy is provided in Finnish or English.
How to apply
Submit your application in the spring’s first joint application period from 4 to 18 January 2023 by 3 pm EET in the Studyinfo portal.
Click here to read instruction on how to fill the application form. Please note that registration in the Studyinfo portal is not needed for filling in the application form.
Submit the supporting documents and any advance assignments in accordance with the instructions provided.
Supporting documents
Submit the supporting documents via the Studyinfo portal as PDF files by 3 pm EET on 25 January 2023. If the documents are not in Finnish, Swedish, or English, append a translation by an authorised translator into one of these languages.
Documents required from all applicants:
- Degree certificate of the background education and a transcript of study records
If you complete your degree after the end of the application period, it is adequate to submit the degree certificate by 3 pm EEST on 14 July 2023.
In case of a foreign degree, the Sibelius Academy may request clarification on the degree’s status within the awarding country’s education system.
- Certificate demonstrating language proficiency
If you demonstrate your language proficiency based on your previous studies, the degree certificate or its appendix must clearly indicate the language in which the degree was completed. The degree demonstrating language proficiency must be completed by 3 pm EEST on 14 July 2023.
You will NOT need to submit a certificate of your prior education or language proficiency if they are based on one of the following:
- You have completed the Finnish matriculation examination in 1990 or later.
- You have completed a Finnish vocational upper secondary qualification in 2017 or later.
- You have completed a Finnish further vocational qualification or specialist vocational qualification in 2018 or later.
In the above cases, we will receive your information from the electronic qualification register. If necessary, the Sibelius Academy will ask you for further information by e-mail.
Applicants applying for an entrance examination which includes sections that are organized remotely or by video recording shall also be required to:
- Official proof of identity
Append a copy of your passport, EU identity card or Finnish driving licence to your application.
Applicants to programmes organised in English are also required to submit:
- A document exempting from tuition fees
If you apply to study in English, you will be liable to pay tuition fees unless you submit a document indicating that you are exempt. For more information on tuition fees, see Tuition fees and scholarships.
Refugees, persons in a refugee-like situation and asylum seekers:
If you are unable to submit documentary evidence of your degree, you may still be deemed eligible to apply. Submit a reliable report on the completed degree that grants you eligibility to apply and an additional report explaining why the documents are not available. In addition, submit an official decision on your refugee status (asylum decision or residence permit based on protection, or a proof that such an application is pending). Submit the required documents by email to the Admissions Office by 25 January 2023 3 pm EET. The Sibelius Academy will make a decision on your eligibility based on the submitted report. Applicants with refugee status must provide proof of their language skills required for the studies in one of the ways specified in the selection criteria (in Language requirements).
Advance assignments
Any advance assignments are mentioned in the target programme’s admissions criteria. The advance assignments must be submitted as attachments to the application.
The advance assignments must clearly state the applicant’s name and the programme to which they relate. Do not submit any other advance assignments than the ones requested. Upload the materials to the Studyinfo portal as early as possible. Large files may take several hours to upload if there is a lot of traffic in the system.
Entrance examinations
You can be invited to the entrance examinations if:
- you have submitted an electronic application form and the required attachments at Studyinfo portal, and
- the Dean of the Sibelius Academy deems you eligible based on the submitted documents.
The implementation of the entrance examinations for each programme is described in the programme’s admission criteria. The entrance examination schedules of separate programmes may overlap. If the applicant has applied for multiple programmes, they must choose which examinations they attend in case of overlaps.
A programme’s entrance examination may consist of several stages and contain multiple sub-tests. If the applicant does not participate in all of the examination’s compulsory sub-tests, they cannot be admitted as a student.
The Sibelius Academy will send applicants instructions for participation in entrance examinations in the entrance examination invitation. The exact times for individual entrance examinations are confirmed at the latest in the morning of the entrance examination day. Individual examination times cannot be changed except for compelling reasons not attributable to the applicant. Such reasons include the matriculation examination (or a corresponding event) and an accident or sudden illness (a medical certificate is required). In such cases, the examination time can only be rescheduled within the limits of the Entrance Examination Board’s working timetables.
The entrance examination is a closed event attended by the applicant, the Entrance Examination Board and the agreed assistants (for example, an accompanist, a training choir, a board assistant or the applicant’s assistant). Entrance examinations may not be recorded.
If you wish to cancel your participation in the entrance examination, notify the Sibelius Academy Admissions Office by email as soon as possible.
Individual arrangements in the entrance examination
If you require individual arrangements in the entrance examination because of a sensory or physical disability or other corresponding reason, more information on individual arrangements can be found here.
Harp entrance examination
Applicants for this programme are not required to complete advance assignments. All applicants who have submitted their applications by the deadline and who have been found to be eligible will be invited to the entrance examination.
The entrance examination will be carried out remotely by video. You are responsible for producing the video required and for finding an accompanist to play on the recording, if necessary. Submit the video recording via the Studyinfo portal by 24 March 2023, 3pm EET (Finnish time).
Submit for assessment a video recording with the following programme:
- One of these pieces: Gabriel Pierné: Impromptu-Caprice op.9 OR L. Spohr: Fantasia in C minor Op. 35
- Two freely selected compositions representing different stylistic periods (total duration 5 to 20 minutes)
- One of these compositions may have a piano accompaniment.
- The free-choice compositions may also be a movement or movements of a concerto or a sonata.
- A brief introduction (2 to 5 min) in Finnish or English, in which you talk about your educational background, motivation and goals as a musician.
The compositions do not have to be played from memory.
An individual piece must be recorded in one continuous, unedited take. However, not all pieces need to be recorded at the same time.
You must play facing the camera so that your face and hands are visible at all times. The video must not be shot from too far away. You must be visible in the frame from head to knees. If you need further information on what would be a good camera angle for video recording, please contact paivi.severeide@uniarts.fi.
Entrance examination assessment
Applicants’ performance in the entrance examinations is assessed by programme-specifically appointed Entrance Examination Boards. The boards assess the knowledge, skills and capabilities of each applicant and their capacity to complete the degree studies within the normative duration for the completion of a degree. The assessment takes account of how the applicant’s previous education and experience reflects in their competence and assesses their competence in relation to the objectives set in the curriculum.
In addition, the Entrance Examination Board for harp will assess, based on the applicant’s performances, the applicant’s technical capabilities, performance skills, learning capabilities, their understanding of the styles of different periods, and the applicant’s potential to develop artistically and technically during their studies.
Scoring of the entrance examination
The Board will assess the applicant’s performances on a scale of 0 to 25 points.
Admissions results
The boards rank the applicants of each programme based on their entrance examination score. The final decision on students admitted to the programmes and those placed on the waiting list is made by the dean of the Sibelius Academy.
A study place is offered to highest scoring applicants who meet the selection criteria. Applicants ranked behind the admitted students may be placed on a waiting list in the order of their score. The waiting lists are either programme-specific or group-specific if there are several groups in a single programme. A study place will become vacant and can be offered to an applicant on a waiting list only if one of the applicants admitted to the same degree programme (or group) chooses not to accept the study place, or if someone who has been conditionally admitted fails to submit the necessary documents by the end of the deadline.
If there are no applicants who meet the admissions criteria, some programmes may choose not to admit new students. If a specific degree programme does not admit any new students, applicants to that programme cannot be placed on a waiting list.
Announcement of results
Admission results, including the names of the applicants who have given the permission to have their names published online, will be published on the Uniarts Helsinki website. In addition, each applicant can view their situation in the Studyinfo portal. Admitted applicants and those placed on the waiting list are informed of the results by email.
Feedback
Applicants may request feedback on their entrance examination performance. The feedback provides the applicant with information on how the evaluation criteria stated in the admission criteria were applied in the assessment of their entrance examination. Instructions for requesting feedback will be published on the Uniarts Helsinki website in connection with the publication of the admission decision.
Rectification procedure
If you believe that the Sibelius Academy has acted contrary to its admission criteria, you can request for rectification to the student admission decision from the Sibelius Academy in writing within 14 days of the publication of the admission results.
The rectification procedure is not intended as a means for receiving feedback, asking for further information about the admission or requesting unjustified re-evaluation. Instructions for submitting a request for rectification will be published on the Uniarts Helsinki website in connection with the publication of the admission decision.
More information about the rectification process can be found here.
Accepting the offered study place and starting your studies
An offer of admission can be accepted either via the Studyinfo system or by filling in the confirmation form attached to the letter of acceptance and by delivering it to the admissions office. You must accept your study place by the given deadline. If the confirmation arrives late, it will not be considered.
Accepting an offer of admission is a binding choice, which cannot be changed or cancelled later on.
You must also register as attending at the Sibelius Academy before the academic year begins – more information will be sent to you along with your acceptance letter.
First-year studies begin in mid-August with an orientation period that is compulsory for all new students.
Questions or comments?
You can contact us via e-mail at siba.admissions@uniarts.fi.
If you have any questions, please check first if your question has been already answered on our frequently asked questions page. This page will be updated constantly. Please check it regularly to see if new questions have been answered. Please note that in principle we do not explain the entrance examination assignments. The instructions are in the admissions guide.
If you have any questions regarding student life at the Sibelius Academy or in Helsinki, you can contact our Student Ambassadors at siba.student.ambassadors@uniarts.fi.
The Sibelius Academy Admissions Chat
What is it like to study at the Sibelius Academy and live in Helsinki? How do you apply to the Sibelius Academy? To find out answers to these questions please watch the recording of our 2022 Admissions Chat event that was organized on 24 November 2022 from Youtube by following the link below.