New major in Vocal Performance Global Music at the Popakademie

David-Emil Wickström, Program Director for Global Music B.A. and Pop Music Design B.A.
“We are delighted to have Defne, an accomplished artist, as the head of the Global Music Vocal Performance department. At home in jazz, popular music, and global music, she not only artfully and harmoniously combines these musical languages, but is also an excellent communicator.”

Defne Şahin: “The Vocal Performance program gives students the opportunity to develop an individual musical identity that emerges from their biographies and diverse musical influences. This openness to cultural diversity and new fusions is what makes the Global Music program unique in my opinion.”

The Vocal Performance subject in the Bachelor's program in Global Music at the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg provides cross-genre, practice-oriented vocal training with the aim of developing an individual musical language. The focus is on intensive exploration of vocal styles from different musical cultures, including maqam-based music. These are linked with each other and with styles of popular music in songwriting, arrangement, and performance contexts and developed into an independent artistic expression. The course content includes advanced modern singing techniques, stylistic confidence in multiple genres and languages, improvisation with maqams and other scales, rhythmic precision, and knowledge of harmony and phrasing. Ensemble work, the development of individual concert programs, studio recordings, and targeted training in stage presence comprehensively prepare students for a professional career as singers. Guest workshops with international lecturers and Erasmus exchange programs complement the curriculum and anchor the subject in a global musical context.

Few artists unite so many worlds as Defne Şahin, who is known for her cosmopolitan sound that fuses jazz, pop, and Turkish music. The Berlin-based singer and composer has long established herself as a fixture on the international music scene with her versatile and eclectic style. As the daughter of immigrants from Turkey and shaped by a life between New York, Barcelona, and Istanbul, Şahin effortlessly builds bridges between different worlds and genres with her music. Her new album “Hope” (2023) is a musical odyssey inspired by the poems of Emily Dickinson, which she brings to life with her own compositions and lyrical texts in a modern song cycle. Since her debut, Şahin has performed on renowned stages and at festivals around the world, including Carnegie Hall in New York, the JazzFest in Berlin, and Max Mutzke's German TV show “Lebenslieder” (ARD). She has also performed alongside greats such as Elias Stemeseder, Marike van Dijk, Shai Maestro, Guy Mintus, Joe Sanders, Jay Clayton, and Anthony Braxton. Her music has been recognized with numerous awards, scholarships, and artist residencies from institutions such as the German Music Council, Initiative Musik, and the Goethe-Institut.
Şahin studied vocal jazz at the Berlin University of the Arts and the Escola Superior de Musica Barcelona. In 2014, she earned a Master of Music in Vocal Jazz Performance from the Manhattan School of Music in New York, where she studied under established names such as Theo Bleckmann and Gretchen Parlato. Her studies were supported by scholarships from the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the German Academic Exchange Service, and the Manhattan School of Music. In 2016, she was artist in residence at the Tarabya Cultural Academy of the German Foreign Office in Istanbul.

Starting in the winter semester 2026/2027, it will be possible to study any instrument as a major in the bachelor's program. Applications are open until April 30. More information here.

The Vocal Performance Global Music B.A. program on YouTube.

About the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg: The Popakademie is a state-run higher education institution and center of excellence for the music and creative industries and their pop culture scenes. With its focus on popular music and the creative industries, it offers an academic education that is unique in Germany's public higher education landscape. www.popakademie.de
To apply for Global Music B.A. click here.