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Festive start to the 2026/2027 academic year

Festive start to the 2026/2027 academic year

13. October ’26

As every year, the matriculation ceremony in the »Großer Konzertsaal« marked the start of a new academic year at the HMTM: on Monday 12 October 2026, we welcomed our new students and introduced new professors.

This year, Alma Čermak and Lukas Petraska, representing the Student Council, co-hosted the event alongside President Prof. Lydia Grün. Alongside musical performances by Prof. Philipp Schiepek (Jazz Guitar) and Prof. Severin von Eckardstein (Piano), Prof. Lydia Grün introduced the two female professors, Prof. Dr Janine Droese (Historical musicology) and Prof. Tanja Spatz (Ear Training), in an interview. Another highlight of the programme was the presentation of the DAAD Prize to Marcell Csuka, a student on the Master’s degree course in Accordion and Contemporary Music under Krassimir Sterev.

In her speech at the start of the academic year, Prof. Lydia Grün turned her attention – alongside the many changes at the HMTM – to current social developments: »Let me be quite clear: the agenda of modern right-wing extremism targets artists, educators, researchers and journalists, as well as women and other marginalised groups.« In doing so, she emphasised the HMTM’s stance: »Over the past four years, we at the HMTM have been preparing for this moment, for this phase. We are ready, and we will not back down a single millimetre. We draw strength from overcoming difficult situations. This is how we are building our future: for a university that stands for artistic excellence – that is our core. For a university that stands for pedagogical expertise – that is our foundation. For a university that stands for scientific reflection – that is our collective exploration of the future.«

Before and after the matriculation ceremony, the »life@hmtm« event not only provided a space for socialising, but also an opportunity to find out about the university’s various departments and services – an opportunity that many new students, in particular, made the most of. At various stands in the southern atrium and in the »Kleiner Konzertsaal«, organisations including the library, the Confidants, the Munich and Upper Bavaria Student Services (Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern), the artist agency Forwart e. V., the Venture Team Kultur, the AICA project, the Wavelab, the associations Live Music Now e. V. and Musicians for a better life e. V., the Student Advisory Service, advice on BAföG and scholarships, the Examination Office, the International Office, the Communications Department, the »Virtuelle Hochschule Bayern«, the Arts and Health Department, and the Career Centre, which once again organised »life@hmtm«. A performance by the vocal ensemble Urban 8 rounded off the event.

As part of the Welcome Days, which took place this year from 6 to 8 October 2026, the new students were also able to get to know the HMTM, Munich and one another through an extensive programme of events. Finally, on 15 October, the Student Council is hosting the Semester Opening Party.

We wish everyone at the university a good start to the semester and would like to thank everyone involved for giving our new students such a warm welcome!