The Musician in the Profession

At The Barratt Due Academy, we aim to support students in gaining professional experience alongside their studies. If work commitments overlap with scheduled teaching, we encourage you to contact the Study Administration well in advance.

Successfully combining professional work with your studies requires careful planning. By staying organised and planning ahead, it is possible to manage both commitments successfully. Difficulties often arise when students lose track of their schedules and obligations.

Please note that a maximum absence of 20 per cent from regular teaching is permitted.

Many musicians secure orchestral positions or establish successful freelance careers immediately after completing their bachelor’s degree or while undertaking a master’s degree. Securing employment, for example in an orchestra, depends largely on your level of performance, and the stage of artistic development reached after a bachelor’s degree varies considerably from one musician to another.

Our principal study teachers have extensive experience, and many serve on admission panels for master’s programmes and audition panels for some of Norway’s leading orchestras. We therefore encourage you to maintain an open and ongoing dialogue with your principal study teacher throughout your studies to determine the path that is right for you.

Students at The Barratt Due Academy have the opportunity to take on performance engagements requested by private individuals and companies. These opportunities can provide valuable first-hand experience of professional performance work.

Building a freelance career takes time. An important part of securing engagements is developing a strong professional network, promoting yourself and making your work visible. Good communication with clients, responding promptly to enquiries and maintaining a high artistic standard are all essential to building trust and establishing a good reputation.

Above all, building a career is a long-term process. Rather than waiting to be “discovered”, we encourage students to take initiative, find their own path and develop a clear plan for achieving their goals.

We encourage you to discuss orchestral auditions with your principal study teacher, who can provide guidance tailored to your individual development and goals.

We also recommend the elective course Audition Forum, where students practise audition situations in a supportive environment. Preparation for auditions is further integrated into principal study lessons, class sessions and interpretation classes, where students work on both solo repertoire and orchestral excerpts.

Through this combination of individual guidance and practical experience, students develop the skills and confidence needed to prepare for professional auditions.

A bachelor’s degree in Performance Studies from The Barratt Due Academy is equivalent to comparable bachelor’s degrees across Europe. This means that you are qualified to pursue further studies or begin a professional career abroad.

The Barratt Due Academy also offers opportunities for student exchange during the bachelor’s programme, allowing you to gain valuable experience of musical life in another country. If you are interested in studying abroad, further information about exchange opportunities is available here.

Throughout the programme, you will take several courses that provide a strong foundation for building a freelance career, including topics such as marketing, self-promotion and professional development.

The Academy also regularly welcomes external speakers who share their expertise on a range of topics relevant to life as a professional musician.

During your studies, you have a unique opportunity to form ensembles and develop projects together with fellow students. The most important step in creating your own projects or ensembles is to take the initiative. While building projects can be time-consuming, the knowledge and experience you gain are invaluable, especially during your studies when you have the time and opportunity to explore new ideas.

The skills, experience and professional network you develop during your studies will provide a strong foundation and help you establish yourself more quickly in professional life.

Singers often pursue freelance careers to a greater extent than instrumentalists, as permanent positions are more common for orchestral musicians. Nevertheless, there are many professional opportunities available to singers. You may pursue a career as a soloist with opera companies in Norway or abroad, perform at private and corporate events, sing with professional choirs, or explore other paths such as musical theatre.

The most important thing is to identify the direction you would like your career to take and to work purposefully towards that goal, whether you are a singer or an instrumentalist. Some musicians choose to specialise in a particular area, for example by focusing on orchestral auditions or auditions for operatic roles. Others prefer a broader career, combining a variety of engagements, projects and musical styles.

Ultimately, the path you choose is your own. A bachelor’s degree in classical performance from The Barratt Due Academy provides a highly regarded artistic foundation and the technical and musical skills needed to pursue the career that best matches your ambitions and interests.

Many graduates choose to pursue paths beyond performance after completing a bachelor’s degree in music performance, either by working in non-performing roles or by continuing their studies in other fields. At the same time, the skills and experience developed through performance studies are highly valued across the cultural sector. As a result, many professionals working in arts administration and other areas of cultural life have a background in performance, even if they no longer perform professionally.

There are many different paths you can take after completing a bachelor’s degree in classical performance. The most important thing is to use your time as a student to discover what direction you would like to pursue and how you wish to apply your education and experience in the future.