Norbert Möslang is a visual artist, composer, musician and violin maker. He has become internationally known both for his award-winning music for Peter Liechti's films and for his artistic work with "cracked" everyday electronics. He processes hidden levels of electronic systems or devices into sound, develops performances or creates multimedia installations.

Dominik Kesseli has been very active in the St.Gallen music scene for years. His work is characterized by its range from classical to punk as well as his elaborately staged performances.

Tobias Bauer holds a doctorate in economics from the HSG and has been working as a writer since going temporarily blind almost ten years ago. The Kulturkosmonauten project is a mobile, flexible format of participatory artistic workshops for young people. Fabienne Lussmann belongs to the young generation of artists in the city of St.Gallen.

The recognition prize is endowed with CHF 20,000 and is awarded to people who have made a special contribution to the city through their cultural activities. The four sponsorship prizes are endowed with CHF 10,000 each.

The Collegium Novum Zurich is a renowned soloist ensemble for contemporary music. In collaboration with the ensemble's artistic committee, Johannes Knapp will develop new cultural perspectives and shape the program from the 2020/21 season onwards. The aim is also to expand the circle of young listeners through new forms of presentation and strengthen the ensemble's position internationally. Jens Schubbe is still responsible for the concert program for the 2019/20 season. The management remains in the hands of Alexander Kraus.

Johannes Knapp, born in 1990, studied cultural management, violoncello, philosophy and musicology in Frankfurt am Main and Saarbrücken. After working in Salzburg (Biennale) and Lausanne (first as Artistic Coordinator and later as Managing Director of the Swiss Association of Musicians), he was appointed Managing Director of the Concours Nicati in 2018. For the competition, he launched a category for innovative performances at the interface between contemporary music and other forms of expression. Johannes Knapp regularly appears as an author for major music institutions, such as the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin and the Lucerne Festival. He gave up his post as trade union secretary of the Swiss Musicians' Association in September 2019 to devote all his energy to the Collegium Novum Zurich.
 

The three will each receive prize money of CHF 10,000 and an additional scholarship in the form of participation in the Lucerne Festival Academy 2019 worth a further CHF 10,000.

Born in Switzerland in 1991, Martina Kalt studied viola with Geneviève Strosser and violin with Adelina Oprean at the Basel University of Music. She completed her bachelor's degree in 2015 at the Lübeck University of Music with Barbara Westphal. Since 2009, she has already gained a lot of orchestral experience, for example with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich.

Spanish oboist Marta Sanchez Paz, born in 1995, is currently studying at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne. She completed her Bachelor's degree in 2017 at the Hochschule für Musik in Basel under Emanuel Abbühl. In the 2019/20 season, she will complete an internship with the Basel Symphony Orchestra.

Francisco Olmedo Molina, born in Spain in 1990, completed his studies at the Zurich University of the Arts with David Bruchez and at the Basel University of Music with Mike Svoboda. For years, he has dedicated himself primarily to the contemporary repertoire and has already been engaged by the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, the Musikcollegium Winterthur and the Philharmonia Zurich. He also teaches trombone at "Superar Suisse".

The "Fritz Gerber Award" was announced for the fifth time this year via the Lucerne Festival Academy. Musicians were able to apply for the open call, and recommendations from universities and well-known artists were also once again accepted. This year's jury once again consisted of Michael Haefliger, Director of the Lucerne Festival, composer and conductor Heinz Holliger and lecturers from the Academy's Teaching Faculty.

With this decision, the Grand Council is sending out a signal for Basel as a city of music and thus acknowledging the work of recent years and "ultimately also the high capacity utilization figures and continuous increase in concert attendance of the Basel Symphony Orchestra", writes the orchestra. The increase from the 2017/18 season to 2018/19 was around 20 percent.

After the vote, Elisabeth Ackermann, President of the Government, also emphasized "the importance of a standing orchestra (professional orchestra)" and that "the high level of satisfaction of the Basel Theatre with the symphony orchestra" had significantly influenced the unanimous result (with no abstentions or votes against).

With the award, which is endowed with CHF 10,000, Ambrosetti wants to honor personalities who have rendered outstanding services to jazz in Switzerland. They combine "different genres, generations and grooves and speak an open, curious language with playful musicality at the highest level". In addition, they carry Swiss jazz into the world with their extensive international network.

This year's winners are Känzig & Känzig. Anna Känzig reached number 6 in the Swiss charts with her album "Sound and Fury". Now the versatile singer has teamed up with her uncle: Heiri Känzig is one of the leading jazz bassists internationally - he has performed with the Vienna Art Orchestra, Charlie Mariano and Chico Freeman, among others. What Känzig and Känzig have in common is their open musical horizon. For their first joint project, they have chosen the Great American Songbook as their source of inspiration.

The prize will be presented in person by Franco Ambrosetti on July 30 at the Hotel Walther, Via Maistra 215, Pontresina.

The website https://lieder.giigaebank.ch brings around 350 song lyrics from "Ä altä Älpler" to "Zwüscha Bärgä" into the trouser bag - thanks to smartphones. According to the website, these are songs that are often sung at social gatherings in the Muota Valley and Illgau, but whose lyrics are not always remembered correctly. The aim is to preserve the tradition of open singing in the Muota Valley.

This online collection is based on two songbooks, one published in Muotathal in 1979 and the other in Illgau in 1988. The association points out that many of the authors of these songs are unknown and are therefore "in a gray area of copyright law". Individual entries could therefore be deleted on request.

A search function leads to specific song texts, but you can also use the alphabetical index for inspiration.

At the moment texts are available, perhaps audio files will be added at a later date.
 

© Giigäbank Association

Screenshot of the website lieder.giigaebank.ch

Who has ever heard a symphony by Fritz Brun (1878-1959)? You may still recognize his name, as he was chief conductor of the Bernische Musikgesellschaft (now the Bern Symphony Orchestra) for over 30 years. But few people know this: Brun was the most important Swiss symphonist of the early 20th century, although not the most important Swiss composer of his time. Others, such as Arthur Honegger, Frank Martin and Othmar Schoeck, carried more weight. But Fritz Brun was the only one to devote himself primarily and with eminent talent to symphonic music, comparable to Anton Bruckner, for example - even in his underestimated importance. It is to be hoped that this will soon come to an end. The publication of Fritz Brun's complete orchestral works in this recording could provide an impetus for him to finally receive the recognition he deserves. It is true that many Swiss symphony orchestras have performed works by Brun in recent decades, there have also been radio recordings, and some of his symphonies have been released on LP and CD. But it is not without irony that an outsider conductor has had to bring his work to the public's attention, and with two foreign orchestras to boot.

The conductor is Adriano, born Adriano Baumann in Fribourg in 1944. He realized this complete recording with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra and the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra in the period 2003-2015. After studying music at the Zurich Conservatory, Adriano worked as a film music composer, editor of Honegger's film music and prompter at the Zurich Opera House. At the suggestion of Ernest Ansermet and Joseph Keilberth, he finally turned to conducting and from then on devoted himself to the interpretation of little-known works under the stage name Adriano, including the film music of Arthur Honegger as well as orchestral works and operas by Ottorino Respighi. He also champions little-performed Swiss composers such as Hermann Suter, Albert Fäsy, Pierre Maurice and Emile Jaques-Dalcroze.
The idea of a complete recording of Fritz Brun's symphonic oeuvre was born in 2002, when Adriano approached Hans Brun, Fritz Brun's son, with a request for financial support for his project. He and subsequently the Brun heirs, now represented by the composer's grandson, Andreas Brun, provided significant support for the ambitious undertaking over the following years.

The result now available is something to be seen (and heard!): a complete recording of Brun's orchestral works comprising eleven CDs. Adriano has combined all of Brun's published works for the ten symphonies, including the Rhapsody for orchestra, the symphonic poem From the Book of Jobthe concertos for piano with orchestra and violoncello with orchestra. Plus the vocal cycles 3 Songs and chants for alto and piano by Othmar Schoeck (orchestrated by Fritz Brun) and Brun's 5 songs for alto and piano - arranged by Adriano for mezzo-soprano and string sextet.

This comprehensive appreciation is a unique achievement that allows us to get to know Brun's oeuvre as a whole. Like many of his composing contemporaries, Brun began in the footsteps of Beethoven, Schumann, Bruckner and Brahms; he developed his style independently in the area of gradually expanding tonality, without ever questioning it. He found his personal musical language as early as 1901 in the First Symphony and remained true to his style until the Tenth, which he composed at the age of 75.

Characteristic of Brun's style are the chamber music structures that loosen up the orchestral flow and give it character, the tangible shaping of large movements and the rich late Romantic harmony. This is particularly evident in the first movement of the Fifth, which Brun himself considered problematic. In movements 2 and 4, he creates virtuoso fugati with twelve-note themes in the free tonal space, as Bartók and Hindemith also did.

This publication is enriched by a recording of the Eighth, which Fritz Brun realized in 1946 as conductor with the Beromünster Studio Orchestra. And the Variations for string orchestra and piano on an original theme can be heard in a recording by the Collegium Musicum Zürich under the direction of Paul Sacher and with Adrian Aeschbacher from the same year.

Olivera Tičević, Montenegrin soprano, completed her Master's degree in Specialized Music Performance at the HKB with Christan Hilz. She has won numerous competitions. In 2010 and 2013 she was voted the most promising artist of the Baroque Austria Academy, followed by an international career with concerts in Vienna, Stockholm, Heidelberg and Tokyo.

French pianist Valentin Cotton completed his master's degree in interpretation at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris in Michel Dalberto's class. He has won prizes at several international competitions, including first prize at the Concours de France and the Montrond International Competition, as well as the Schenk Prize from the foundation of the same name in Switzerland.

For the first time, however, the other four specializations of the Master's course were also taken into account in the judging process: Music Mediation, Research, New Music and Chamber Music. The music educator and clarinettist Laura Müller was able to assert herself within this reorientation of the competition with a transdisciplinary education project at the Creaviva Children's Museum at the Zentrum Paul Klee.

Every year, HKB students completing their Master's degree in Specialized Music Performance Classical Music perform at a soloist diploma concert. The Sinfonie Orchester Biel Solothurn accompanied this year's concert in Biel under the direction of its chief conductor Kaspar Zehnder. Afterwards, the students with the best overall score in the demanding three-part Master's examination were once again awarded the Eduard Tschumi Prize, each worth CHF 5,000.

"Instead of patting an artist on the back with an award after the fact, we are now investing more of the money available to us in the future," said Urs Schnell, Director of FONDATION SUISA, a year ago, explaining the new funding policy adopted by the Foundation Board. The aim is to promote rather than judge and "to focus more on the future".

No sooner said than done. The first call for applications for "Get Going!" resulted in over 90 applications. This huge interest in something completely new was simply overwhelming for him, says Schnell. "We really struck a chord with the times. We couldn't have expected it to this extent, as such an openly formulated call for applications was an innovative shot in the dark despite all the analysis."

Bertrand Denzler, Michael Künstle, Beat Gysin and the duo Eclecta (Andrina Bollinger and Marena Whitcher) were the first recipients of the "Get Going!" award. They were awarded CHF 25,000 each because they were able to convince the expert jury with their creative visions. As the start-up funding is not tied to a result, it allows the musicians to work free from financial and time pressure. "I believe that in an increasingly hectic environment, time has become a precious commodity that should not be underestimated," says Schnell, explaining one of the advantages of "Get Going!".

Call for applications "Get Going!" 2019 from the end of June

From the end of June, creators, authors and musicians who can demonstrate a clear connection to current Swiss or Liechtenstein music creation can once again apply for a "Get Going!" contribution. In 2019, four such start-up grants of CHF 25,000 each will be awarded by an expert jury.

It is also important to mention that "Get Going!" neither competes with nor affects FONDATION SUISA's other funding programs, in particular the current application system, existing partnerships, trade fairs and events abroad and classroom music-making.

"On the contrary," explains Schnell, "the new model is an important start-up aid that complements the previous funding. We want to identify new creative spaces and prevent certain projects from falling between a rock and a hard place in future."

Urs Schnell knows that the deliberately open wording of the "Get Going!" call for proposals could be a little confusing at first: "In recent decades, musicians have been conditioned by traditional funding instruments to think in terms of applications. Our aim with the new focus is to move towards the artists as a funding body in order to bring free creative thinking back into focus with this reversal." To demonstrate the possibilities of "Get Going!", portraits of the recipients of last year's "Get Going!" grants will therefore be published on the FONDATION SUISA website as well as on the SUISA blog over the next few weeks.

> www.fondation-suisa.ch

> www.suisablog.ch

The Haute Ecole de Musique Vaud Valais Friborg (HEMU) is an educational institution recognized for its demanding and comprehensive training, as well as for its complicity with professional circles and its commitment to musical life. Multidisciplinary and multi-style, it covers all training profiles in classical, jazz and contemporary music. The HEMU is located in the heart of Europe and French-speaking Switzerland, and offers university-level education to more than 500 students of 39 different nationalities. Emphasizing both theory and practice, its Bachelor's and Master's study programs are established in such a way as to promote good access to the professional world. Its teaching staff, made up of many internationally renowned artists, guarantees its students high-level supervision. Historically present in the Lausanne Conservatory (before the Bologna reform), classical music has been taught at the HEMU for more than 150 years. Alongside it, the jazz and contemporary music departments, offered exclusively in French-speaking Switzerland, were created in 2006 and 2016 respectively. tradition, creation, research and development always with the aim of achieving, and helping to achieve, excellence. Each year, the HEMU produces more than 300 public performances: concerts, workshops, etc. The masterclasses given by prestigious musicians and the partnerships concluded with world-renowned institutions provide students with rewarding educational experiences and, above all, allow them to create a network. Its Bachelor and Master studies are accredited by the Swiss Confederation and recognized internationally. Since 2009, the HEMU has been part of the 'Music and Performing Arts' area of the Western Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (HES-SO), the largest network of higher professional training in Switzerland, which had nearly 21,000 students. at the start of the 2018-2019 school year.

Matthias von Orelli - Noémie L. Robidas, violonist and until now Director of the Living Spectacle Department of the Toulouse Institute of Fine Arts, is the new General Director of these two institutions. Québécoise, she is the beneficiary of a wealth of professional experience as a musician, teacher, researcher and director of the establishment.

Madame la Directeur, I am delighted that you have taken the time to talk to us. You took over the management a few months ago. What are your first impressions?

I am happy and delighted to be at the bar of such a great musician who welcomes musicians from a very young age until they receive their Master's degree. I have the impression of being able to contribute to an ecosystem of music. I found the professorial and administrative teams motivated and ready to work at the HEMU-CL. I also got to know the students, who are many and full of talent! This is a great source of inspiration for me!

You have known Switzerland for a long time. Has your perception of the country changed since you took up this new post?

Switzerland is a country where I've been living permanently for a dozen years and which I actually feel close to, probably because of my Swiss origins. However, from a professional point of view, I feel more at home in the Swiss countryside than in France, where I spent the last 7 years. I believe that this is due to the fact that the values of simplicity and accessibility to the hierarchy have been restored there, but this doesn't mean that the functions are disrespected. I also hope to see this collective search for consensus in Switzerland. However, the emphasis is different! (rires)

You are confronted with an institution that has gone through a period of crisis and tension, which has forced the former director to resign. Has this affected your work?

I would like to inform you that this does not affect my work at all. I'll help the team to hoist the big cloud after the break. Some people are still worried that the wind will blow again, but that's normal. What I sense is that the whole world wants to see what's ahead! This accompaniment to change is inherent in all new governance, it is a challenge that I am ready to tackle!

You are originally from Canada and have been working in France for a long time: what are the differences - or similarities?

I got to know the music scene in Switzerland through the network of conservatories and music schools, where I had the opportunity to continue my training for many years. I was also initiated into the new developments in music at the school after a 6-month replacement at the HEP-Bejune. As far as the musical scene itself is concerned, I would like to get to know it now. I think that musicians in Switzerland, like in Europe, have the chance to have the support of the state, many musical structures and a public that appreciates art and culture. In the North of America, musicians often have to carry out all their projects and initiatives independently. Entrepreneurial qualities are almost as important as talent for a musician's success.

You have a very international career. How do you perceive the Hautes Ecoles de Musique Suisse in an international comparison?

There are many establishments that offer high quality training programs which, according to me, are highly competitive internationally, which also explains our great attractiveness and the fact that our students come from all over the world!

The Swiss music schools are also facing some major challenges. What are the most important and urgent ones in your opinion?

I believe that the main challenge for the future of our schools lies in their ability to adapt to a constantly changing professional environment. Our higher education institutions must not only be attuned to the needs of their students, but also anticipate the context in which their graduates will be confronted in the next 10-15-20 years. Nowadays, it is no longer enough to be an excellent instrumentalist to succeed and live music. It is therefore necessary to provide our students with a wide range of skills to ensure their professional success. To this end, we must also question certain of our pedagogical habits and revise our study plans carefully.

Recently, a Swiss journal declared that many musicians often live for music, but not from music. In Switzerland, few people choose music as a profession. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that children in Switzerland are not specialized from a very young age, which is essential for music, but they are offered different options. On the other hand, many Swiss people are not only able to live "for" music, they want to live "from" music. Where do you see your school in this context?

This is a big question! I believe that the HEMU-CL has a role to play in boosting the Swiss music ecosystem in Switzerland by better supporting the talents of the region. Present in the cantons of Vaud, Valais and Fribourg, I believe more than ever that the HEMU-CL must act in synergy with conservatoires and music schools so that we can create a desire among young people to surpass themselves by providing them with models, by creating mentoring systems, by encouraging the teachers and directors of the various institutions to work even harder in the classroom. We need to find ideas of competition for ideas of complementarity.

Digitalization is an omnipresent topic. Where do you see the opportunities of this technology for your high school?

I would like to point out that we are a little behind schedule on this front. Whether it's digital learning environments, applications, the creation of digital learning communities or working in a recording studio, there are several opportunities to explore that are efficient and much more accessible than one might think. Furthermore, we will be inaugurating a large-scale studio in Flon this spring! However, we must ensure that all these technological innovations remain at the service of education and music.

You said that you want a constructive dialog within the institution and that innovation and creativity are just as important to you as excellence. What does this mean in terms of concrete implementation?

I believe that today we do not represent all the ecological and social issues of the future. In this sense, while excellence remains for me a fundamental value for the HEMU-CL, it seems to me primordial to create musicians who are more open to the issues of the world today and capable of contributing to the evolution of our society through their art. Concretely, we must teach them to diversify their practices in terms of aesthetics, we must provoke encounters with other forms of art, with contemporary creation, with diverse publics. The students must certainly learn to defend a musical heritage, an aesthetic and their instrument, but they must also develop an inventiveness that must always be renewed. This is one of our biggest challenges as a school!

Although I like several musical styles, my heart always comes back to an inexhaustible source of inspiration: Jean-Sébastien Bach... and, being a trained violinist, when I have a little free time (laughs), I dive back into happiness in the manuscript version of his Sonatas and partitas. His simple pen already lets the music be heard.