OpenFieldKMH Salaried PhD Employment in Artistic Research in Music
Four-year salaried doctoral research appointment developing innovative musical performance practice, embodied music cognition, or interactive electroacoustic composition.
Royal College of Music: Electroacoustic Music, Performance & Doctoral Studies
Founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, the Royal College of Music (Kungliga Musikhögskolan / KMH) in Stockholm is Sweden's oldest and foremost institution for higher education in music. Renowned for its avant-garde electroacoustic studios, world-class jazz, classical performance, and innovative artistic research in partnership with KTH.
Verified degree programs and opportunities
Review checked academic pathways and funding options below:
Swedish Institute (SI) Scholarship for Global Professionals at KMH
Prestigious Swedish government scholarship funding international master's candidates committed to cultural leadership, community arts development, and creative innovation.
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Electroacoustic Composition
Two-year master's program utilizing KMH's world-famous surround studios, exploring spatial sound diffusion, live electronics, granular synthesis, and sound art.
KMH & KTH Sound and Music Computing Collaborative Laboratory Assistantship
Joint research post between KMH and KTH Sound and Music Computing lab exploring machine learning for musical gesture recognition and binaural acoustic simulation.
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra & Berwaldhallen Orchestral Practicum
Prestigious orchestral placement performing side-by-side with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Music Acoustics & Embodied Instrument Interaction
Two-year postdoctoral appointment examining acoustic wave propagation in traditional Nordic instruments, haptic feedback in virtual instruments, and room acoustics.
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Jazz Performance & Improvisational Systems
World-class jazz master's degree training elite improvisers in advanced harmonic concepts, Nordic jazz aesthetics, ensemble leadership, and cross-genre fusion.
Admissions, language requirements & application process
- Master's admission eligibility
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music (180 ECTS) or equivalent degree; admission is determined primarily through rigorous musical auditions, portfolios, and interviews.
- Doctoral admission eligibility
- Artistic doctoral degree (240 ECTS) in music performance, composition, or music education; conferred in partnership with Malmö Academy of Music or KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
- Language proficiency
- English 6 / English B (IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band below 5.5, or TOEFL iBT 90 with minimum 20 in writing).
- Research statement / Proposal
- For artistic doctoral calls: 5-page artistic research plan outlining musical problematics, methodology, performance outcomes, and contextualization.
- Application fee
- 900 SEK application fee via Universityadmissions.se (EU/EEA students exempt).
- Required documentation
- Bachelor's degree certificate, academic transcripts, audio/video audition portfolio, CV, and letters of recommendation.
Tuition fees and verified scholarship systems
Tuition is free for Swedish, EU/EEA, and Swiss citizens. For non-EU/EEA students, master's tuition is approximately 190,000 to 220,000 SEK per year. PhD candidates are employed as full-time university researchers with monthly salaries starting at ~31,500 SEK/month, paying zero tuition fees.
Verified faculty profiles and research leaders
Distinguished researchers and laboratory heads at Royal College of Music:
Dr. Henrik Frisk
Professor of Music & Head of Research at KMH · Artistic Research, Interactive Music Systems, Improvisation & Technology, Electroacoustic Music
Dr. Bill Brunson
Emeritus Professor of Electroacoustic Music · Multichannel Sound Diffusion, Electronic Composition, Studio Technology, Sonic Arts History
Dr. Cecilia Ferm Almqvist
Professor of Music Education & Didactics · Music Pedagogy, Philosophical Didactics, Inclusion in Music Education, Sociology of Music
Important verification note
Facts reflect official Royal College of Music documentation reviewed 2026-10-15. Degree admissions, scholarship awards, and employment positions are subject to formal university review. OpenField does not charge students application fees.
Reviewed 2026-10-15 · Editorial standards · Report an issue