Early music on historic instruments has a long-standing tradition at the Berlin University of the Arts. At the start of the twentieth century Curt Sachs established a collection of historic instruments, which has since been incorporated into the Berlin Musical Instrument Museum. Paul Hindemith and his teacher-colleagues often would meet to enjoy playing early music on early instruments. Since the 1930s Early Music is being taught on historic instruments.

Today around 50 students study at the Institute for Artistic Training in Early Music and Historic Performance Practice In addition to 90 minutes of weekly private tuition, the Institue in collaboration with the musicology department offers a wide range of courses and workshops: lectures on historical topics, chamber music coaching, basso continuo, ornamentation, baroque dance, tuning courses, contemporary music on early instruments etc., as well as a variety of guest lectures and events presented by the Early Music Society.

Our students and alumni have received numerous awards and prizes, notably a first prize at the Festival van Flanderen, Brugge, the Telemann competition Magdeburg, the Graun Wettbewerb Liebenwerda, the Deutsche Musikwettbewerb Bonn/Berlin and the Berliner Bachwettbewerb.

Harpsichord: Wanda Landowska, Fritz Neumeyer, Gerhard Kastner, Bradford Tracey, Bob van Asperen, Mitzi Meyerson

Recorder: Thea von Sparr, Linde Höffer-Winterfeld, Jeanette Cramer-Cheminpetit, Michael Schneider, Gerd Lünenbürger

Lute: Nigel North, Liz Kenny, Yasunori Imamura, Björn Colell

Baroque Cello: Phoebe Carrai, Markus Möllenbeck, Thomas Pitt