Magdeburg/Halle (dpa/sa) - The Evangelical University for Church Music Halle will be supported by the state with almost half a million euros until 2025. As the Ministry of Science announced on Tuesday, the contractually agreed subsidy for 2023 is around 479,400 euros and will increase to 492,500 euros by 2025. Around 60 students are currently enrolled in Halle. The bachelor's and master's courses include church music, choir and orchestra conducting, concert and oratorio singing and artistic organ playing.
In cooperation with the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, music teachers are also being trained in a combined course for teaching at grammar schools. The Church Music Academy is supported by the Evangelical Church in Central Germany (EKM), which finances the majority of the university's budget with at least 800,000 euros a year.
Science Minister Armin Willingmann (SPD) explained that church music is a valuable part of culture. The Evangelical University for Church Music in Halle cultivates a rich musical heritage. At the same time, she is turning to new developments, such as new master's courses in church popular music.
The university was founded in 1926. It is the largest and oldest of its kind in Germany. According to the ministry, Saxony-Anhalt has been supporting the church music college in Halle since the late 1990s.
