You can’t escape Janáček. In Brno, that’s just a general fact, but it’s particularly true at this public university. Leoš Janáček (1854– 1928) is the Czech Republic’s most-played operatic composer who spent most of his life in Brno. Apart from being a phenomenal artistic powerhouse, he also contributed greatly to the development of cultural life in this Moravian metropolis. Though he didn’t find the musical academy, he founded an organ school which then developed into the Brno conservatory. The Janáček Academy of Performing Arts (JAMU) was established on September 12th 1947, a mere two years after the establishment of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.
The dramatic arts are studied in the city centre, on Mozartova street 1. Students can spend three years here studying for their BA, another two for their MA, and also an extra four to earn a Doctorate (the Acting study programmes being an exception, as it follows a so-called Long Master’s cycle which itself takes four years to complete). All programmes can only be studied full-time, with the exception of the Dance and Movement Theatre and Education. Studying here is far from monotonous and takes the form of lectures, seminars, specialized practice, individual assignments, concerts and theatrical, musical or multimedia performances.