PhD student in music

About the company

Kungl. Musikhögskolan i Stockholm, KMH, is Sweden's only independent university within the field of music. We educate students at the highest international level in various music genres, conducting, composition, music and media production, as well as within various teacher education programs focusing on music. KMH also conducts research and doctoral education in music and music pedagogy, and participates in extensive artistic and pedagogical research and development projects in Sweden and internationally. KMH hereby announces two vacancies as PhD student in music at one of the departments for Folkmusik; Jazz; Musikproduktion; Komposition, Dirigering och Musikteori or Klassisk musik. At KMH, artistic research is conducted in the subject of music. Here, the musician – in a broad sense – is given the opportunity, based on their special competencies, to conduct research whose results can enrich musical life as well as adjacent disciplines. The research may, for example, concern interpretation and performance practice, improvisation, composition, interactivity, human-machine interaction, and many other fields. Tasks Dissertation work with the aim of obtaining a doctoral degree in music. This involves regular supervision and regular seminars in both artistic work and theoretical deepening. The work is divided into regular sub-seminars (25, 50, and 75%). It may also include departmental service up to a maximum of 20% of working time. This may involve teaching or supervising students as well as administrative duties. In music as a doctoral research subject, artistic creation and artistic knowledge formation in the field of music are explored and developed. Artistic research projects shall be anchored in and stem from the doctoral student's musical practice and activities, which means that artistic research projects in music are conducted by interpreters, improvisers, composers, music producers, and other professional music practitioners. Through innovative, often experimental, projects, artistic research aims to deeply investigate, creatively challenge, and critically illuminate traditional forms of musical performance and creation from the perspective of artistically active music practitioners. As a doctoral student, you are expected to contribute to the development of the artistic research field in music and participate actively in KMH's research environment. Eligibility

Requirements

To be admitted to education at the doctoral level, the applicant must have basic and special eligibility in accordance with what is stated in the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 7, Section 35, and the applicant must otherwise be assessed to have such ability as is needed to undertake the education. Basic eligibility to be admitted to education at the doctoral level is held, according to the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 7, Section 39, by those who have completed a degree at an advanced level, or completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 higher education credits are at an advanced level, or in some other way, within or outside the country, have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge.

Special eligibility to be admitted to doctoral education in music is held by those who have completed a bachelor's degree of at least 240 higher education credits within educational programs for musicians and composers at an arts university or comparable education, have performed artistic work of such independent character that the applicant's suitability for this part of the education can be assessed, and have a good ability to both understand and write texts in English.

The university may, for an individual applicant, grant an exemption from the requirement of basic eligibility if there are special reasons. Application procedure and assessment criteria

How to apply

In connection with the application, the applicant shall attach the following: a research plan (3-4 pages) where the candidate describes their intended research project. The plan shall contain a project description and a sketch of the research work's implementation and be written in English.

certified curriculum vitae degree certificates for basic and advanced levels including thesis work

Contact subject representative prof. Henrik Frisk, tel. 073 867 17 38. Union representatives are: Karl Asp (SACO-S), mailto:karl.asp@kmh.se and Erik Metall (ST), mailto:erik.metall@kmh.se Welcome with an application marked 25/146 no later than 1 December 2026. You apply via our recruitment system Reachmee, which you reach via the ”ansök” button below.

Other

contact information for 1–2 referees other documents that may be relevant for the employment The final selection will be made based on an overall assessment of the requested documentation as well as the competence and abilities of the applicants who are assessed to contribute most to research and development within the field of music at KMH. If necessary, the admissions committee may request supplementary documents. In connection with the application process, applicants who are deemed relevant will be called to an interview on January 7-8 or January 11, 2027. KMH strives for ethnic and cultural diversity as well as an even gender distribution. Employment information

The employment as a doctoral student is time-limited according to HF Chapter 5, Section 7. The scope of the position is full-time. The stationing location is Stockholm, but the doctoral student is admitted to education at the doctoral level at Lunds universitet. Commencement 2027-03-01 or by agreement. Additional information