In collaboration with the Academy for Theatre and Dance (ATD), the Conservatorium van Amsterdam is launching a new focus master: Composing for Theatre and Dance. In this two-year master’s programme, students deepen their understanding of the dramaturgy of theatre and dance, while gaining extensive hands-on experience in composing, arranging, and producing music for a wide range of stage productions.
We spoke with initiator and artistic leader Kaveh Vares about this new master’s programme.
What does composing for theatre and dance involve, and what makes this master’s programme unique?
Composing for theatre and dance means learning how to work closely with theatre makers and choreographers, and mastering the techniques and professional workflows needed to function as a composer in this field. Students are trained specifically for collaborative, interdisciplinary practice.
Our strong two-year focus on composing for theatre and dance is something no other master’s programme in Europe currently offers. We are proud to be pioneers in this area.
Who is this master track intended for?
The programme is particularly suited to composers who enjoy collaboration and are eager to work with other disciplines. It is a hands-on, two-year programme in which students learn by making, supported by continuous coaching throughout the process.
What does the collaboration with the Academy for Theatre and Dance (ATD) look like in practice?
The programme is developed in close collaboration with the ATD. In practice, this means that composers become active crew members in theatre and dance projects developed at the ATD.
The master’s curriculum will be closely intertwined with the ATD’s bachelor programme. Composers, theatre and dance makers will work on projects together, follow joint classes, and learn from each other’s disciplines to support clear and effective communication.
What kind of skills can students expect to learn and develop?
Alongside the collaborative projects with the ATD, the programme will offer classes focused on developing the professional skills composers need to work in the field. These include working with DAW-programmes, music technology and sound mixing for stage performance, and collaborating with musicians on stage.
The single most important skill in mastering composition for theater and dance is a profound understanding of dramaturgy. It is dramaturgy that enables creators to truly meet one another in the act of making and to touch the hearts and minds of their audiences. Throughout the two-year programme, we examine dramaturgy from a wide range of analytical viewpoints. This encompasses theoretical classes on the functionality of music, focusing on emotion and rhetoric, as well as hands-on coaching during the creation process, where we analyze the dramaturgical relationships between overlapping artistic disciplines.
Which class within the programme are you excited about?
One of the classes I am particularly excited about focuses on teaching composers how to behave in the space of theatre and dance. Understanding the stage as a physical space is crucial.
Composing is basically about timing. On stage, timing is shaped by movement and the physical body. This makes composing for theatre and dance very different from composing for film or autonomous music. You cannot just cut a scene or make someone appear somewhere else. These physical realities set the limits for the composer.
In this class, composers learn by being on stage, moving in the space, and understanding it from the perspective of actors and dancers.
What kinds of professional paths do you envision for graduates of this master?
One of the main goals is that graduates will know how to work within theatre halls and professional theatre productions. At the end of the programme, they will be prepared to be hired as crew members within a production.
In addition, students will develop strong skills in theatre sound design. They will become highly proficient in DAW-based production and modular synthesis, enabling them to create music with a high level of technical skill and production value.