PhD Candidate, 60%

ZHdK, with around 2100 bachelor and master students, is one of the largest and most diverse art universities in Europe. The study and research areas include Art Education, Design, Film, Fine Arts, Music, Dance, Theatre, and Transdisciplinarity. Located in the heart of Zurich, ZHdK is a dynamic place where passionate people from over 75 countries work, study, teach, research, and continue their education. The university includes numerous exhibition and performance venues where students' project works are publicly presented.

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For the three-year project Electronic_Music_School funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the German Research Foundation (DFG), we are looking for a candidate starting May 1, 2026:

with an artistic-pedagogical profile and focus on electronic music practice in music school teaching

Context:
The project "Electronic_Music_School" is an interdisciplinary research project of the Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST) at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) led by Prof. Germán Toro Pérez and the Music Institute (IM) of the University of Education Freiburg i. Brsg. (PHF) led by Jun. Prof. Johannes Treß. The goal is a comparative study of the fundamental processes and pedagogical principles of teaching creative electronic music practices in schools and music schools. The project is conducted in two parallel subprojects: one at ICST in the context of music schools in Zurich and surroundings, the other at IM in the context of general music teaching at schools in Freiburg. Both subprojects draw on existing cooperation networks with local schools and share goals, questions, and methods. Therefore, a parallel qualification position with a focus on school music teaching (https://stellenangebote.ph-freiburg.de/stellenangebote.html) is advertised at the Freiburg location.

Your tasks:

• Planning, implementation, and research of teaching formats in the context of electronic music practice in music lessons at cooperating music schools in Zurich and surroundings with a focus on artistic creation processes.
• Conducting a dissertation project applying documentary developmental research (in cooperation with the University of Education Freiburg). The combination with methods of artistic research is explicitly desired.
• Participation in internal project workshops, research workshops (in Zurich and Freiburg), as well as involvement in dissemination (scientific publications, conferences, public relations) and reporting to the funding institutions.
• Organizational collaboration and networking activities in school contexts.

Your profile:

• Completed master's degree or equivalent qualification in a music education program
• Solid theoretical, artistic, and technical experience in the field of electronic music: composition, instruments and live electronics, improvisation, interpretation and performance practice, sound design, studio production, or similar.
• Aesthetic openness and interest in current developments in electroacoustic and contemporary music
• Teaching experience with students at music schools or comparable practical school experience
• Interest in systematic, practice-oriented research based on documentary teaching research and design-based research, as well as music pedagogical experience in mediating and initiating creative group music-making processes is desirable

The candidate will be employed at ICST in Zurich and simultaneously enrolled in the doctoral program at the University of Education Freiburg.

For questions regarding the position, please contact lucas.bennett@zhdk.ch, scientific staff at ICST.

We gladly accept your application documents (CV with links to artistic works or performances as well as a motivation letter) by February 20, 2026, via the "Apply online now" link at the end of this advertisement. Please note that we can only consider online applications for this position.