PhD Position / Research Fellow (f/m/d)

Research Assistant Music & Drama 70% (Composition & Music Theory)
LUCA School of Arts
LUCA School of Arts is a creative hub for almost 5,000 people: more than 4,000 students and 800 colleagues. LUCA offers them an educational and research environment to further develop their creative talent. We do this through higher education courses in the broad domain of the arts, and through artistic research, embedded within an associated Faculty of Arts at KU Leuven. LUCA School of Arts is a member of the KU Leuven Association.
We believe that art and design have an impact on society and the world in many ways. Respect and integrity are our guiding principles, diversity and sustainability are our assets, and quality is our driving force.
We are currently working on the role of LUCA as an actor in society, on opening up our multi-campus reality to a network, on the evolution of the five original training institutes into a joint laboratory, and on responding to training and research questions from the outside world.
The Artistic Practices expertise network of LUCA School of Arts offers a position for a candidate interested in pursuing a doctoral research project in the arts, embedded within the Composition & Music Theory expert team.
You will develop an artistic research project that investigates multilayering in music as a contemporary continuation and reinterpretation of contrapuntal thinking. This research approaches counterpoint not merely as a historical or technical frame of reference, but as an epistemological model of thought. The musical core of the research lies in the compositional organisation of simultaneous layers in time and form, with particular attention to polyrhythm, polymetre, and polyformal structures (formal layering), textural layering, and the ways in which these parameters contribute to perception and cognitive tension for both listener and performer. While the performative arts constitute a logical interdisciplinary constellation in this perspective, the application remains explicitly open to a wide range of disciplines.
the deepening and rethinking of multilayering in relation to contrapuntal thinking, conceived as a contemporary translation thereof, whereby counterpoint is approached not merely as a historical-technical practice but as a framework for musical organisation; the research connects a reflection on contrapuntal principles with experimental and conceptual approaches to simultaneity, and systematically investigates the underlying structural, perceptual, and compositional mechanisms, which are artistically explored and elaborated;
# the transposition and further articulation of the multilayered framework developed in the first objective into a transferable compositional and conceptual framework, capable of structuring inter- and multidisciplinary artistic practices, and of being implemented and critically evaluated within composition education at LUCA School of Arts.

The artistic output consists of a compositional portfolio and associated interdisciplinary performances, which function as the primary research practice.
In addition, the trajectory results in an autonomous research output in which systematic reflection on the artistic practice is undertaken, with the aim of making the generated insights explicit, analysing them, and positioning them within the context of doctoral research.
Pieter Schuermans (LUCA School of Arts/ KU Leuven).
In addition, your assignment includes a teaching component of 20%, for example within composition, music-theoretical courses, analysis, research methodology, or through supportive and organisational tasks within the programme.
Your appointment as a researcher can only commence once your PhD proposal has been approved by the Doctoral Committee in the Arts (LUCA – KU Leuven).
Responsibilities within the 50% research assignment
You develop and realise an artistic research project on multilayering in music as a contemporary continuation of contrapuntal thinking, as described above.
You actively participate in the activities of the Co-creation in Music cluster (seminars, exchanges, presentations) and in the broader research life within LUCA and KU Leuven.
You regularly present the progress of your research at internal and external forums, both nationally and internationally.
You provide a limited teaching contribution, for example within composition, music-theoretical courses, analysis, research methodology, or related domains.
You supervise students in their artistic development, using your own research and practice as a source of inspiration for teaching and mentorship.
Where applicable, you take on supportive and organisational tasks within the programme, always in dialogue with the team coordinator and involved lecturers.
You hold a master’s degree in music (preferably in composition, music theory, music creation, or a related field).
You have demonstrable compositional skills and a strong interest in artistic research.
You have an affinity with concepts such as counterpoint, texture, multilayering, perception, and interdisciplinarity, and are willing to deepen these in a research-oriented manner.
You are capable of independently developing and documenting an artistic research project, both through artistic output and through written and oral reflection.
You have strong communication skills and can express yourself fluently in Dutch and English in accordance with the language requirements of Flemish higher education. At the start of your teaching assignment, you must hold CEFR level B1 in the language of instruction (Dutch).
You collaborate constructively within an interdisciplinary team and actively contribute to an open research and learning environment.
You have good organisational skills and can manage deadlines, planning, and the combination of research and teaching.
You are willing to further develop your professional practice and expertise and take initiative within research groups, seminars, and presentations.
You endorse the mission, vision, and core values of LUCA School of Arts and contribute to an inclusive, respectful, and dynamic artistic-academic climate.
You are willing to participate occasionally in international collaborations or working visits.
At LUCA, you will work in an environment where respect and integrity define our basic attitude, where sustainability and diversity are seen as strengths, and where quality is our driving force. In the coming years, LUCA aims to position itself as an active societal actor, transform its educational institute into a laboratory, complement its offer with demand-driven initiatives, and unlock its multi-campus reality as a network.
LUCA School of Arts seeks to create an environment in which all talents can fully develop, regardless of gender, age, cultural background, nationality, or disability. We therefore welcome all talented individuals who recognise the added value of diversity and wish to help shape an inclusive organisation.
We offer a fixed-term appointment (70% mandate) for a period of two years in the position of assistant (salary scale 502), starting on 1 September 2026. Applications must include a dossier consisting of:
a developed research proposal (template for doctoral research proposal in the arts:
Applications can be submitted up to and including 15 May 2026 via CV Warehouse. Only complete applications will be considered.
During the interview, shortlisted candidates will be asked to present their research project and their vision on education and research to the selection committee. For further information on the application procedure, please contact Voir email sur luca-arts.cvw.io.