Musikschulen

Music Schools, founded mostly after 1945 as private schools on the initiative of municipalities, societies or individuals (forerunners included the music schools for young people and the music schools of the German adult education institution established by the National Socialists). Their aim is to promote musical talent and to train future musicians and music teachers for their jobs. Regulations concerning organization and financing vary from province to province: in Carinthia, Upper Austria (except Linz), Tirol and Vienna they are administered by the provincial governments, in Styria by municipal authorities, in Burgenland by the "Volksbildungswerk für das Burgenland" society (Adult Education Institution for Burgenland), in Salzburg by the "Salzburger Musikschulwerk" society (Salzburg Music School Institution), in Lower Austria and Vorarlberg by municipalities and private societies. For this reason they do not lie within the authority of the Ministry for Education and are not subsidized by the state.

So far there have not been any uniform standards of qualification for the teaching staff at music schools, but most teachers have graduated from an academy of music or from a conservatory as instrumental or singing tutors. About 150,000 pupils attend music schools; special emphasis is laid on music instruction for young children and on adult education, folk music, jazz and improvisation.

Literature: M. Kubaczek, Das andere Musikland Österreich - Musizieren lernen in den Regionen, 1994.