University of Music, Drama and Media

Around 360 teachers - including numerous internationally renowned personalities from the arts, education and science - are involved in the education of almost 1,400 students from all over the world. The balance between music, drama, pedagogy and science as well as the commitment to excellence in both top-level and general education form the core of its self-image. To this end, the HMTMH offers a diverse range of 33 degree courses, supplemented by numerous master classes. Interdisciplinary work is carried out in almost all areas through interdisciplinary artistic and academic projects.

Right to award doctorates and habilitations since 1978

The origins of the HMTMH can be traced back to the State Music School and the Hanover Drama School, both of which were founded in the 19th century. In 1950, they merged to form the Academy of Music and Theater, and in 1973, the State of Lower Saxony became the institution’s governing body. In 1978, the University of Music and Theater was granted the status of an artistic-academic university with the right to award doctoral and postdoctoral degrees. In 2010, it added the word “Media” to its name. Among the 24 music conservatories, 13 drama schools, and approximately 30 media studies institutes nationwide, the “University of Music, Theater, and Media Hannover” is a leading institution.

Eleven institutes as places of networking

The Institutes for Chamber Music, Contemporary Music, Early Music, and Jazz|Rock|Pop provide important artistic inspiration. Since 2001, the Institute for the Early Development of Highly Gifted Musicians has been dedicated to the professional training of national and international talent. The Institutes for Journalism and Communication Research, Music Education Research, Music Physiology and Music Medicine, Musicology, and the Research Center for Music and Gender also excel in research. A professorship in ethnomusicology links the HMTMH with the “Center for World Music” at the University of Hildesheim Foundation. The European Center for Jewish Music exemplifies the various special collections at the HMTMH.

Lively exchange with the region

As the only university of music in Lower Saxony, the HMTMH also holds a unique position within the state’s cultural landscape. With up to 500 public events per year, it is one of the largest cultural organizers in Lower Saxony. To sustainably strengthen the cultural region of Hanover and Lower Saxony as a “land of music,” the university engages in ongoing dialogue with the community, maintains networks, and initiates a wide variety of music education projects, including collaborations with Hanover’s theaters and opera houses, the NDR, regional event organizers, and academic and media institutions. As a member of the steering committee, the HMTMH supported Hannover’s successful bid for the title of UNESCO City of Music in 2014.

In the heart of the state capital since 1972

The main building of the HMTMH on Emmichplatz was constructed in 1972, based on plans by architect Rolf Ramcke, in the heart of the state capital of Hannover, directly adjacent to the Eilenriede city forest, specifically to serve as an art college. Today, the college’s departments and students are spread across various locations throughout the city—from the Oststadt to the Expo grounds.

Films of the HMTMH

The University of Music, Drama and Media in Hanover provides additional useful information about daily life as a student and researcher through multimedia resources at wissen.hannover.de.