History

The JAM MUSIC LAB was founded in 2011 by Marcus Ratka, Johannes Valentin and Andreas Bartosch as a private music conservatory with public recognition as an education institution. It has developed into one of the leading domestic institutions for professional music education in the areas of jazz and popular music. The development towards acquiring private university status had been the goal ever since the initial founding phase. Under the strategic direction of Marcus Ratka, an application for initial accreditation as a private university was introduced in autumn 2015 and was finally granted approval by the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria (AQ Austria) at its 38th meeting on December 13, 2016. On January 23, 2017, the decision was approved by the Federal Minister for Science, Research and Economy. The decision has been in implementation since February 1, 2017.

Currently, JAM MUSIC LAB Private University for Jazz and Popular Music is the first music university in Austria that’s geared towards focusing holistically on jazz, popular music and media music. At its location in Gasometer Music City, JAM MUSIC LAB also plays a pioneering role throughout Europe with its bachelor and master's degrees in music, music education and music production. With Vienna’s already distinguished reputation as a music world capital in the great classical tradition, JAM MUSIC LAB strives to extend this prominence in the areas of jazz, rock and pop.