Princeton in Leipzig
Program
J.S. Bach / Altes Rathaus (Old City Hall)
Set in Leipzig, renowned for its ties to J.S. Bach and Felix Mendelssohn, the Princeton in Leipzig summer program draws on the extraordinary musical offerings of the international Bach Festival held there every year in June. Seminars by Princeton’s Prof. Wendy Heller explore the music performed at the festival. Dr. Ruth Ochs, conductor of the Princeton Sinfonia, provides coaching on students’ performance of relevant repertoire, culminating in a public recital. Language classes at each student’s level are provided by interDaF, supplemented by weekly one-on-one tutorials with Dr. Jamie Rankin of the German Department. And all of this takes place in Leipzig, considered by many to be one of the most exciting cities in Germany.
This collaborative program runs from June 1 to June 26, 2026, inclusive of arrival and departure dates.
Enrollment through the Global Program System (GPS) begins on November 15, 2025 and ends on March 1, 2026. The billable charges for the program in the summer of 2026 are TBA.
Funding assistance for tuition is available through the Dean’s Fund to students who receive financial aid. To apply for this funding, you must submit an application in Student Activity Funding Engine (SAFE) before March 1, 2026.
Course Description
City center (Leipzig)
GER 233G / MUS 233G The Music and Culture of J.S. Bach in Context
Two Music Department faculty members oversee this component of the course. One faculty member will provide two afternoon seminars weekly on musical background and context during the first three weeks of the month, and another faculty member will offer coaching and mentoring for the student musicians during weeks 2–4 of the program, culminating in a student performance in the historic Alte Börse, Leipzig’s oldest Baroque building.
Integrated into the musical program are guided visits to sites at the heart of Leipzig’s musical and political culture, including the Bach Museum, the Bach Archive, and the Mendelssohn house; and various sites throughout the city connected with the 1989 “peaceful revolution” that brought down the wall between West and East Germany, during which Leipzig played a central role.
The language component of the program takes place at the interDaF language school, the pedagogical arm of the Herder Institute at the University of Leipzig, with additional one-on-one tutoring for conversation and pronunciation.
Grading will be based on the InterDaF assessments, overall participation, and a final reflection paper that integrates the experiences of studying, hearing and performing music over the course of the month.
Costs
Arcade (Leipzig: Altes Rathaus / Old City Hall)
The program’s direct costs, which are billed by the University, cover all instructional costs, course books, housing, selected activities, and other cultural excursions. These charges do not include airfare, board/meals, nor day-to-day personal expenses.
For general planning and financial aid purposes, here is an estimated breakdown of the costs involved:
- Tuition (this includes a $500 non-refundable deposit): $TBA
- Program Fee: $TBA
- Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment: $0
- Housing: $0
- Food: $600
- Transportation: $1,500
- Miscellaneous personal expenses: $500
Applying to the Program
Gewandhaus (Home of the Leipzig Symphony Orchestra)
The online application opens on November 15, 2025.
The application deadline is March 1, 2026.
To apply, please complete the online application in Global Programs System (GPS) before midnight of the deadline.
Notifications of acceptance to the program will be sent out on March 6, 2026, and the deadline to accept the offer is March 15, 2026.
For more information, contact @email.
Applying for Funding
University of Leipzig
To request funding for your participation, you must also submit an application in SAFE before March 1, 2026.
Apply to all of the SAFE funding opportunities for which you are eligible, even though you do not yet know if you are going to be accepted into Princeton in Leipzig. If necessary, you can withdraw your funding application later.
Please also note that for summer courses taken for credit, the Office of Financial Aid offers aid recipients student loans to help meet the costs of summer courses. Princeton in Leipzig satisfies these criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Students gathered in front of portrait of J.S. Bach.
1. If I receive financial aid, do I have to apply in SAFE officially? Or is it automatic? The funding is not automatically given. You must apply officially for the Dean’s Fund in SAFE, even if you know that you are a financial aid recipient.
2. What do we do for the travel registration confirmation? After you have completed all steps Enroll My Trip, watch out for an email titled “Travel Receipt for Princeton in Leipzig.” Make a PDF of that email and upload it into the travel registration confirmation step in GPS.
3. What if I see somebody else’s plane/train details in Enroll My Trip? There is a glitch in Enroll My Trip that forces us to enter the faculty leader’s travel information for everybody. Simply skip those steps and continue to answer the required questions and sign the required forms. Please do not make any changes to the “Itinerary” page.
4. Is the Princeton in Leipzig orientation mandatory? Yes! Do not miss the orientation, and make sure to stay for the entire session.
5. If I don’t commit by the deadline in GPS because I don’t know my summer plans by then, can I accept/commit later? It’s very important for us and our partner institution in Leipzig to know the number of students who will be participating, so you should commit by the deadline.
6. Can I apply if I don’t play an instrument and have no vocal training? We welcome all students with an interest in music, regardless of skill level, and will work with you to find a way for you to participate in the final recital. Students with little background in music were able to sing with the group.
7. Will there be one-on-one lessons during the four weeks, if our skills are beginner level? There will be extensive group coaching for ensembles, and individual instrumentalists and vocalists with piano accompanists, but we cannot promise one-on-one lessons.
8. Can I attend both Princeton in Vienna and Princeton in Leipzig? No, you may only attend one study abroad program each summer.
9. Am I required to perform at the recital? We encourage as many students as possible to perform, but of course will consider your comfort and skill level, and if necessary, will find other ways for you to participate. Our goal is to include as many students as possible in this amazing experience!
