Top Specialist Music Education
We are extremely proud to offer the IB Career-related Programme in Music, where students get to pursue their musical career whilst receiving a top international academic education.
Mr Paolo Tornitore
Head of Music Department &
IBCP Coordinator and
Music Teacher
Begin your Professional Music Studies at AMADEUS International School Vienna
I invite young instrumentalists, singers, and composers to join the IBCP Music at AMADEUS International School Vienna!
The programme is designed to provide aspiring musicians with a unique opportunity to develop their musicianship in a number of areas. Through different modules and units, students train their performative skills, learn how to compose and record music, explore a variety of musical genres from both a technical and cultural perspective, and gain insight into the organisations and job roles that operate within the music industries.
In the second year of the programme, students compile their portfolios and prepare for the auditions at the universities and conservatoires of their choice.
Join the IBCP Programme with a focus on Music and begin your exciting journey to become a professional musician!
Why AMADEUS Vienna should be your first choice for top-level music education
The AMADEUS IBCP Music programme focuses specifically on Music and provides the perfect pathway for students who wish to become professional musicians or aim to study Music at a university level. The CP’s educational framework allows schools to meet the needs, backgrounds and contexts of students. CP students engage in a rigorous two-year study programme that genuinely interests them while gaining transferable and lifelong skills.
Students who pursue the IBCP with a focus on Music delve into an extensive programme, which provides a well-rounded foundation for a career in music or further education. The programme consists of three elements: a career-related study, a selection of at least two IB Diploma Programme subjects and CP core.
The IBCP Core consists of the following 4 components: Personal and professional Skills, Language and Cultural Studies, Community Engagement, Reflective Project.
LEARN MORE ABOUT IBCP CORE COMPONENTS HERE:
Personal and Professional Skills
The PPS course enables students to develop and apply a range of intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, critical and ethical thinking, and intercultural understanding through inquiry-based learning engagements. The course connects and deepens the learning and skills developed in the other CP Core components and programme elements, preparing students for their future pathways in higher education, further training or employment.
Language and Cultural Studies
The language and cultural studies (LCS) component invite students to better understand and expand their own linguistic and cultural repertoire and imagine how they could further engage with a range of linguistic and cultural groups. As partners in inquiry, students and teachers explore their linguistic and cultural repertoire and reflect on them in the context of local and global communities.
Community Engagement
The community engagement (CE) component offers opportunities for students to learn in, from and with communities and to apply knowledge and skills acquired in other learning areas. CE invites students to situate themselves in the context of community and to identify, explore and understand issues that are relevant to them and their communities, and that they can respond to through engagement in and with communities.
Reflective Project
The reflective project (RP) is an independent body of work focused on the exploration of an ethical dilemma in a career-related area. It is developed and reflected upon over an extended period of time and, as a product of students’ own initiatives, provides a thoughtful representation of their cumulative personal experience, knowledge and skills gained over the course of the CP. Students have the option to develop their reflective project using a variety of formats including written, verbal, visual and audio-visual modes of communication.
Possible Direct University Admission
Through its close collaboration with JAM MUSIC LAB Private University, AMADEUS Vienna offers students a possible pathway into higher music education. This partnership provides access to professional recording studios, shared academic and artistic resources, and valuable insight into a university-level creative environment. While the standard university application process applies, AMADEUS students benefit from focused preparation that meaningfully strengthens their admission prospects.
Pre-College Programme (Vorbereitung)
Students in Grades 9 to 12 also gain exclusive access to JAM MUSIC LAB Private University’s Pre-College Programme (Vorbereitung). This specialised programme supports artistic development, refines performance and production skills, and provides structured preparation for university study.
Complementing this pathway, the AMADEUS Vienna curriculum equips graduates with a strong competitive advantage for university applications. By combining academic excellence with advanced artistic training, students meet both the academic standards and creative entry requirements expected by leading music institutions, including JAM MUSIC LAB Private University.
Leading University in Jazz, Popular and Media Music
JAM MUSIC LAB Private University is Austria’s first university dedicated entirely to jazz, popular music, and media music. Located in Vienna’s Gasometer Music City, it offers pioneering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programmes in music performance, music education, and music production.
Watch our video, listen to our compositions, and explore our IBCP Programme!
Background compositions by AMADEUS students Kento Yu, Navid Owji, and Rabbina Uzykhanova.
IB Career-related Programme Qualification and University Pathways
The IB Career-related Programme is a framework of international education that incorporates the vision and educational principles of IB into a unique programme specifically developed for students who wish to engage in career-related learning. For their career-related study, students choose either Music or Art & Design. Both courses provide learners with solid knowledge and skills in their field of choice. Students are required to choose two DP subjects: English (either A or B) is compulsory for all learners. As a second subject, students can opt for History, Psychology, Business or a language other than English.
What Qualification Do Students Receive After the Programme?
The career-related study assessments are distributed across the two-year course and are internally marked and then externally moderated. The two DP subjects are assessed both internally and externally through a combination of coursework and exams that take place at the end of Grade 12. All the components of the IB CP core are assessed internally with the exception of the Reflective Project, which is externally marked by the IB.
Graduation Requirements
To graduate with the IB Career-related Programme certificate, students are required to:
- make satisfactory progress in the Career-related study in Music and PPS, by achieving a grade of ‘Pass’ or higher,
- achieve a grade of ‘3’ or higher in the two DP subjects,
- meet all the requirements for Language and Cultural Studies (LCS) and Community Engagement (CE)
- achieve a grade of ‘D’ or higher in the Reflective Project (RP),
- meet school requirements for attendance (at least 90%).
Access to Top Music Universities and Colleges
AMADEUS Vienna has a strong global network with alumni represented at more than 40 top universities and colleges in countries all over the world. A Specialist Music Education Certificate from AMADEUS can kickstart your musical career, as it has for many of our successful alumni, and give you the opportunity for further study at places such as:
- The Royal Academy of Music, London
- University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW)
- University of Graz
- Mozarteum University, Salzburg
- Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (MUK)
- Anton Bruckner Private University, Linz
- Jam Music Lab Private University, Vienna
- The Juilliard School, New York
- Berklee College of Music, Boston
- Berlin Music College (BIMM)
Find the full list of universities where our alumni have studied here.
Having experience supporting talented students achieve their dreams of entering the best universities and conservatories worldwide, we know what it takes to balance academics with time to practise.
With the additional IB academic courses, students can also decide to apply to non-music universities.
The IBCP Music Curriculum
| GRADE 11 CURRICULUM |
|---|
| Unit 1: Solo & Ensemble Performance Students develop their instrumental skills and learn ensemble performance across various genres and musical traditions. Unit 2: Creating & Recording Unit 3: ABRSM Music Theory Unit 4: Analytical & Contextual Listening Unit 5: Exploring the Music Industry |
| GRADE 12 CURRICULUM |
|---|
| Unit 4: Analytical & Contextual Listening Students learn to listen to and analyse repertoires from musical and historical/cultural perspectives. Unit 5: ABRSM Music Theory Unit 6: Personal Portfolio Unit 7: Marketing & Self-Promotion Unit 8: Collaborative Live Music Event —————– In addition to these eight units, students are required to complete a work experience component, supporting the Music Department by performing in and/or organising school concerts (AMADEUS Gala, AMADEUS Insider, AMADEUS Soirée, etc.). |
Read why our IBCP Students & Alumni have happily chosen the IBCP Programme!
Panna VÁCZI (Grade 12)
“I like the CP programme because it lets me focus on something I’m passionate about in my last two years of school. It also pushed me to do live performances, which I had never done before, helping me build confidence and new skills. The programmme challenges me and helps me grow.”
Yiyang (Elvis) ZHANG (Grade 12)
“The CP programme allows me to explore more about the world of music. It has not only expanded my understanding of the music itself but also how the music industry works. This program has been a great platform for personal growth, constantly challenging me to push my limits and explore my full potential.”
Fong Teng (Arianna) WONG (Grade 12)
“The Career-related programme has made me diversified. It allows me to develop skills in different areas, such as composing and performing. It has also help me to effectively balance my academic studies with my instrumental practice.”
Viacheslav BUTIKOV (Alumni)
“What I like about CP, is that there are no normal people, including students, staff, and the BTEC creators themselves. Everyone is unique and having fun in their own way.”
Gabriel COSSIO ALLOCCO (Alumni)
“What I really like about the CP is that the timetable and classes are organised in a way that gives us a lot of time to focus on our instrument and practising, which is amazing!”
Yian GAO (Alumni)
“In the process of studying in IBCP, not only my professional level has been improved rapidly, but also I have come into contact with and learned a lot of music knowledge that I did not know before. You can really learn a lot here.”
Yumian (Kristina) JIANG (Alumni)
“I really like that CP gives me the amount of time to focus on music; at the same time, we could also expand our knowledge of music in BTEC classes, such as Music Industry.”
Maria KARAPANOU (Alumni)
“The CP allows me to develop a variety of skills in both performance and composition, which I would have probably never explored if I were not in this programme.”
Jacopo VANOLI (Alumni)
“I enjoy that in CP, we learn about composition, recording, and mixing, and we get to perform regularly. I also have the chance to expand my knowledge about new genres which helps me find my style.”
Kento YU (Alumni)
“What I like about the CP Programme is that it provides students with many career choices whilst focusing on one subject, which is the main focus of the whole IB. For me, I developed many skills that I was not aware of, for example, composition and web development. It was also easier to have a balance between school and piano practice.”
Hou Jing WONG (Alumni)
“The CP Programme is well-organized and is catered for students who want to pursue a music career in the future. We are provided various opportunities to explore music from different angles (composition, recording, and most importantly performance). This is a great chance for us to develop our current interest and at the same time discover other talents in us.”
We welcome the opportunity for prospective students and their families to visit AMADEUS Vienna and learn more about our unique programme and inspiring school environment. Contact our Admissions team to ask your questions or schedule a tour.