Janáček Academy of Performing Arts

About Janáček Academy of Performing Arts

JAMU is an independent public higher-education institution recognized in the Czech national system. It was established on 12 September 1947, following earlier efforts to create advanced music and dramatic-arts education in Brno and to develop Leoš Janáček’s artistic legacy. The academy remains operational in 2026, with both faculties publishing admissions information for the 2026/2027 academic year. The institution has two core faculties: the Faculty of Music and the Faculty of Theatre. Other units include the JAMU Library, publishing operations, the Theatre on Orlí Street, Studio Marta and the Astorka Information, Teaching and Accommodation Centre. This structure matters for applicants because teaching is not confined to conventional classrooms. Rehearsal rooms, stages, recording facilities and student productions form part of the educational environment. JAMU is a specialized choice rather than a broad comprehensive university. Its degree portfolio is focused on performance, composition, conducting, theatre-making, scenography, dramatic writing, arts education, media-related practice and cultural production. Prospective students should compare individual specializations carefully: availability, required prior education, application materials, examination format and teaching language vary by faculty and program. The institution’s English pages use both “Janáček Academy of Performing Arts” and the longer “Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts” as English renderings, while its legal Czech name remains Janáčkova akademie múzických umění.

Applications are submitted electronically through the JAMU Information System. Applicants choose a degree type, program and specialization, enter their educational history, upload the attachments required for that specialization and pay a non-refundable admissions fee. A separate application, set of attachments and fee is required for each specialization. Selection is program-specific and normally includes a talent or entrance examination; portfolios, repertoires, recordings, curricula vitae or other evidence may be required depending on the field. For 2026/2027, applicants must consult the relevant faculty notice because deadlines and examination formats differ. The Theatre Faculty’s published process describes its procedure as usually having two rounds. It lists 31 March 2026 for several continuing master’s specializations and 15 May 2026 for the Dramatic Arts doctorate, while some bachelor’s applications closed on 28 February 2026. The Music Faculty publishes separate 2026/2027 notices for bachelor’s, continuing and long master’s, and doctoral admissions. These dates should not be generalized across JAMU. Applicants educated abroad may need formal recognition of previous qualifications. Those entering Czech-taught Theatre Faculty bachelor’s or continuing master’s study must demonstrate the required Czech proficiency; the faculty lists a CZK 3,000 verification examination while allowing certain external examinations to be recognized. International applicants should check the precise language rule, document legalization or translation requirements, and recognition deadline with the relevant faculty before applying. Admission to JAMU does not itself guarantee a place in Astorka.

JAMU awards bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees across its two faculties. The Theatre Faculty lists undergraduate study in areas including theatre education, directing and dramaturgy, scenography, theatre management and stage technology, and dramatic media. It also offers continuing master’s programs, direct-entry long master’s study in acting, and doctoral study in Dramatic Arts. The Music Faculty’s published portfolio covers performance and interpretation, conducting, voice, opera directing, composition, music production, multimedia creation and related pedagogical fields. Programs are highly specialized, and the published study plans show that the dominant language of full-degree instruction is Czech. International applicants should therefore verify the language attached to the exact program in the JAMU Information System. One clearly identified English-taught option is the two-year European Master of Early Music in Historical Performance, delivered with the Royal Conservatoire The Hague; students study at both partner institutions and combine artistic development, research and professional practice. Academic work is closely connected to artistic production. JAMU operates Theatre on Orlí Street, its recording studio and Studio Marta, while Astorka contains teaching rooms, rehearsal spaces, a dance hall, a radio studio and the specialist university library. This setting supports practical work alongside historical, theoretical and research-based study. Program availability is not static: for 2026/2027 the Theatre Faculty states that Musical Acting, Physical Theatre, and Dance and Movement Theatre are not opening, and the Music Faculty states separately that Piano Pedagogy is not opening. Applicants should use the current faculty admissions notice, not the general program catalogue alone.

Key Highlights

• Public, university-type higher-education institution recognized by the Czech Ministry
• Established by law in Brno in 1947
• Organized around the Faculty of Music and Faculty of Theatre
• Operating and conducting admissions for the 2026/2027 academic year

Student Life & Environment

Student life is shaped by the academy’s production and performance calendar. Theatre students work with Studio Marta and Theatre on Orlí Street, while music students have access to rehearsal and recording facilities. These venues make performances, rehearsals and collaborative projects a visible part of everyday study rather than an activity separate from the curriculum. The specialist JAMU Library supports both music and theatre work with printed, periodical and digital resources. Astorka, in Brno’s historic centre, combines student accommodation with academic facilities. Its published accommodation information describes twin and triple rooms, shared bathrooms within room units, floor kitchenettes, Wi-Fi, laundry access and a continuously staffed reception. Housing is limited and admission to a degree does not automatically provide a dormitory place, so applicants should follow faculty instructions and apply early. The institution’s English accommodation pages currently disagree about Astorka’s total bed capacity; students should request current availability directly rather than relying on either figure. A JAMU student card provides identification and access to facilities and also functions as a discount card for selected JAMU and partner theatre or concert events. Support documented by the Music Faculty includes psychological counselling and individual career consultations. International and exchange students receive faculty orientation and can access beginner Czech courses offered with the regional Centre for Foreigners. Degree-seeking students should confirm which services are available through their own faculty.

Location & Surroundings

JAMU is based in Brno, the principal city of the South Moravian region. Its facilities are distributed across central locations rather than arranged as a self-contained suburban campus. The rectorate is on Beethovenova Street, the Music Faculty is at Komenského náměstí, and the Theatre Faculty’s main building is on Mozartova Street. Studio Marta, Theatre on Orlí Street and the Astorka centre add further teaching and performance sites. This central arrangement places students near Brno’s historic core and its cultural, entertainment, shopping and public-service infrastructure. Astorka stands on Novobranská Street near landmarks including Špilberk Castle, the Cathedral of St Peter and Paul, St James Church and the Měnín Gate. Its location can reduce travel between housing, rehearsals and central teaching venues, although students should check the address attached to their particular specialization and allow for movement between buildings. Parking is not available directly at Astorka, making public transport, walking and cycling more practical for day-to-day travel. International students living outside university accommodation must also follow the applicable Czech residence-registration rules after arrival.

Costs & Career Outcomes

JAMU’s rectorial notice for the 2026/2027 academic year sets the general admissions-procedure fee at CZK 1,050. Because applications are specialization-specific, applying to more than one option can require multiple fees. The same notice sets the charge for exceeding the standard study period by more than one year at CZK 23,800 for each additional commenced six-month period. Study conducted in a foreign language can carry a separate fee, so applicants to the English-taught historical-performance master’s should obtain the current program-specific amount before making a financial commitment. The newest accessible official dormitory price page still labels its figures as valid from 1 October 2024: CZK 4,500 per month for a triple room in a connected unit, CZK 4,800 for a separate triple room and CZK 5,000 for a twin room in a connected unit. These are not verified as 2026/2027 rates and should be treated only as the last published figures. Students must also budget for food, transport, artistic materials, instruments or equipment, health insurance where applicable and Brno’s municipal waste fee for qualifying stays. Career preparation is embedded partly through performances, productions and professional practice. The Music Faculty’s career centre offers individual consultations on artistic direction, portfolios, curricula vitae, fees, auditions and domestic or international opportunities. JAMU does not publish sufficiently current, institution-wide salary or employment-rate data on the reviewed pages, so applicants should evaluate likely pathways by specialization rather than infer a uniform graduate outcome.