Sibelius Academy Guide for Doctoral Studies in Music: III Instructions for artistic committee member

1. OVERVIEW

In the Arts Study Programme, the demonstration of proficiency consists of Artistic Demonstration and a Thesis.

Artistic Demonstration: a combination of five entities called Components. Together, the Components of an Artistic Demonstration must be equal to five Demonstration Recitals, both in terms of duration and artistic ambition. The Components are defined in the Candidate's doctoral study plan.

Demonstration Recital: a recital constituting a Component in the Candidate's Artistic Demonstration.

Component: for example, a demonstration recital, a recording of such a recital, a publically available recording of some other kind, a performance, an artistic presentation or a display, a liturgy, a composition or a score.

Artistic Committee: the five-member panel of experts evaluating the Components of the Artistic Demonstration. Every Candidate has an individually appointed Artistic Committee.

Evaluation Meeting: a meeting of the Artistic Committee, to be held immediately after evaluating an artistic Component. In the meeting, the Committee makes an initial decision about approving or rejecting the Component.

Feedback Discussion: a meeting between the Candidate and the Artistic Committee, to be held immediately after the Evaluation Meeting, during which the participants discuss the artistic Component(s) the Committee has just evaluated.

Grade Committee: a committee convening immediately after the public examination of the demonstration of proficiency. It consists of the Chair of the public examination, who will also be the Chair of the Grade Committee as a non-voting member, the Chair of the Artistic Committee and one of the Thesis Examiners. The Grade Committee proposes a grade for the demonstration of proficiency, to be confirmed by the Academic Council.

An Artistic Committee and a Committee Chair will be appointed to each candidate in the Arts Study Programme to evaluate all Components in the Artistic Demonstration, such as concerts, compositions or recordings. The Committee is appointed by the Academy Board on the proposal of the Doctoral School. The Committee listens to and evaluates the performances and either approves or rejects them immediately after the concert. If the Component is a publically available recording, it is to be evaluated according to a separate evaluation procedure. If the Artistic Committee rejects a component, it can ask the Candidate to renew it. In addition to the approval or non-approval, the Committee gives the Candidate feedback and advises him/her in preparation for the following Artistic Components. If necessary, the Committee can suggest supplementary studies or changes in the remaining artistic Components.

2. THE ROLE OF AN ARTISTIC COMMITTEE MEMBER

A member of the Artistic Committee

• listens to all Artistic Demonstration components
• familiarizes him/herself with the contents and objectives of the Artistic Demonstration
• participates in evaluating the Artistic Demonstration component in the Evaluation Meeting
  • gives the Candidate verbal feedback about the content and quality of the concert
  • gives his/her feedback in a critical but constructive fashion
  • adheres to the instructions and recommendations given by the Chair of the Committee
  • takes notes and keeps them for the eventual preparation of the final statement of the Artistic Committee
• after evaluation, writes a statement about the Artistic Demonstration and delivers it to the Chair of the Artistic Committee within one week
• participates in writing the final statement under the guidance of the Artistic Committee Chair; in rare cases an individual member of the Committee can, if felt necessary, write a separate statement
• participates in the public examination of the demonstration of proficiency and the discussion therein; reads the possible separate statement
• informs the Artistic Committee Chair immediately if he/she cannot attend a scheduled concert or meeting.

3. EVALUATING A COMPONENT OF AN ARTISTIC DEMONSTRATION

In the evaluation process, attention should be paid to at least the following notions:

• originality and intensity of the Candidate's artistic expression
• command of style(s) and performance practices
• technical skill and mastery
• artistic accomplishment and originality, with respect to both the Artistic Demonstration as a whole and the individual performances
• the design of the Artistic Demonstration in general and the individual Components in particular (in terms of relevance of objectives and success in realizing those objectives)
• success in organizing and realizing the whole Artistic Demonstration and its individual Components (e.g. in choosing the assisting artists)
• Candidate’s development as an artist during his/her doctoral studies
• Candidate’s command of art forms other than music if his/her Artistic Demonstration contains works utilizing those art forms; if art forms other than music have a prominent position in the Artistic Demonstration, or in some of its Components, the Artistic Committee should be suitably expanded with persons with appropriate expertise.

• quality of program notes and other supplementary materials
• new perspectives and possibilities offered to music and other art forms by Candidate’s Artistic Demonstration.

4.EVALUATION MEETING AND FEEDBACK DISCUSSION

After the event containing performances of the artistic Components, the members of the Artistic Committee participate in the following two meetings, arranged immediately after the concert or event:

1. Evaluation Meeting, where the committee makes an initial decision about approving or rejecting Component(s)
2. Feedback Discussion, with the Candidate's participation, after which the Artistic Committee Chair informs the Candidate about approval or non-approval

5. EVALUATING INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS OF THE ARTISTIC DEMONSTRATION

An individual Component of the Artistic Demonstration will be evaluated either as “approved” or “non-approved”.

• If the Artistic Committee is not unanimous, the grade will be settled by a vote; if the vote results in a tie, the Chair has the casting vote.

6. DETERMINING A GRADE FOR THE ENTIRE ARTISTIC DEMONSTRATION

When all Components in the Artistic Demonstration have been approved, the Artistic Committee agrees on a provisional grade for the entire demonstration. The grade can be either “approved” or “passed with distinction”. The latter can be bestowed upon an Artistic Demonstration that undisputedly fulfils the criteria of an exceptionally high-grade entirety, in terms of artistic quality, the Candidate's artistic development during the demonstration, the ambitiousness of the objectives of the doctoral project and the functionality of the Components. The grade “passed with distinction” can be given only if the Artistic Committee is unanimous.