(L-R) Gilles Lacour, Government Commissioner for Music Education; Marc Meyers, Director of Luxembourg City Conservatory; Minster Claude Meisch; Micky Thein; Romain Asselborn, Director of Grevenmacher Regional Music School;
Credit: MENEJ
On Monday 19 January 2026, the Luxembourg Ministry of Education, Childhood and Youth announced the implementation of reforms to modernise content and teaching methods in relation to music education in the Grand Duchy.
The ministry noted that music education is a cornerstone of the Luxembourg education system and to align content and teaching methods with current developments, a reform of music education will be implemented, focusing particularly on the branch of musical training, commonly referred to as solfège.
The main points of the reform were presented during a press conference on Monday 19 January by Minister of Education, Childhood and Youth, Claude Meisch, and the coordinator of the working group in charge of the solfège reform, Micky Thein.
The ministry highlighted that the introduction of free tuition for much of the music curriculum for under-eighteens in 2022 represented a “genuine democratisation of access to music education” and allowed for the expansion of existing offerings and opened up learning in music, dance and the performing arts to more children and young people, regardless of their socio-economic background.
According to the ministry, the number of students has steadily increased since then, rising from 19,644 in 2022 to 22,650 in 2026. The cultural sector has also benefited from this development, which stimulates artistic creation, supports employment in the field and contributes to the enrichment of the local cultural fabric.
To better meet the needs of students and the expectations of institutions, the ministry stated that Luxembourg music education continues to evolve. Content and teaching approaches are being modernised and aligned more closely with contemporary musical practices. Within this context, the musical training (solfège) branch will undergo a comprehensive reform, which will come into effect in the 2026/2027 school year.
Solfège, the mandatory branch of music education, will now be organised around a common core of five years of study (FM 1 to FM 5), allowing students to continue their instrumental or vocal studies to the most advanced levels (middle, specialised middle and higher divisions). Central importance will be given to two fundamental aspects of learning: voice (singing) and bodily movement. These elements are now considered key vehicles for a lively and sensory-based foundational musical education. The ministry said: “This active approach will help strengthen students’ musicality from the earliest stages of their studies”.
The new five-year programme, accessible from the age of six, was defined by the Consultative Commission for Music Education Programmes during the 2024/2025 school year. On this basis, a working group of teachers from various music education institutions developed the new syllabus for musical training, taking into account the number of study years and weekly lesson durations.
A feature of this reform is the creation of new textbooks by the Service for the Coordination of Pedagogical Research and Innovation (SCRIPT) of the ministry, in collaboration with experts from music education. These textbooks will be provided to students free of charge by the ministry.
In addition, the National Education Training Institute (IFEN) will organise sessions from February 2026 to present the new syllabus to teaching staff at music education institutions. Further continuing professional development, notably on the new textbooks and vocal technique within the musical training course, will support teachers ahead of the programme’s implementation.
Moreover, methods of student assessment in music education will also be adapted. Until now, assessment was based on two exams before a jury. Henceforth, students will only need to sit one examination before a jury, which will account for two-thirds of their final grade. One-third of the grade will be based on continuous assessment throughout the year. The ministry remarked that this change will better recognise students’ work over the course of their studies, beyond the exams alone.
The new solfège common core:
- Level FM1: Weekly Lessons = 1 x 60 minutes (from the age of six)
- Level FM2: Weekly Lessons = 1 x 60 minutes
- Level FM3: Weekly Lessons = 1 x 90 minutes
- Level FM4: Weekly Lessons = 1 x 120 minutes (Lower division certificate: option to continue instrumental and vocal studies up to the 2nd-cycle diploma - representing at least eight years of study)
- Level FM5: Weekly Lessons = 1 x 120 minutes (Middle division certificate: option to continue instrumental and vocal studies to the most advanced levels, namely the 3rd-cycle diploma, 1st prize diploma and higher diploma - representing at least fifteen years of study)
