The artists' social security contribution, together with the contribution of the insured persons and a federal subsidy, secures the health, nursing care and pension insurance of freelance artists and publicists insured through the artists' social security fund. According to the statement from the German Cultural Council, it is payable when companies work with freelance artists and publicists.

This year, the artists' social security contribution amounts to 4.2% of the fees paid by companies to freelance artists and publicists. The levy rate has thus been reduced once again, which is also due to the continuous auditing of companies as part of the regular audit by the German Pension Insurance. The German Cultural Council goes on to say that this has led to all companies subject to the levy meeting their obligations.

The draft coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU and SPD also emphasizes the great importance of artists' social insurance, explains Olaf Zimmermann, Managing Director of the German Cultural Council. However, the role of the German Taxpayers' Association, which ultimately wanted to relieve the private sector at the expense of the taxpayer with this action, remains obscure in the attempt to challenge the artists' social security contribution at the Federal Constitutional Court. If the Federal Constitutional Court had declared the artists' social security contribution unconstitutional, the state would have had to use tax revenue to close the gap in the financing of the artists' social security scheme, as artists are not in a position to do so due to their extremely low income.

The upswing in Swiss hip-hop was more noticeable in 2017 than ever before, write the makers of "Lyrics". Nevertheless, the genre is still fighting for acceptance and recognition - both in the local music industry and in society.

The awards are intended to recognize outstanding musical creation "in order to set an example for the entire music scene". In addition, the appreciation and ideology that progress can only be made together should be emphasized and developed in the hip-hop industry.

According to its self-definition, "Lyrics" is "the largest and most relevant urban medium in Switzerland". The hip-hop community in Switzerland discusses, informs and converses on its platforms - the print magazine, the website and the social media channels.

More info:
lyricsmagazin.ch/2018/02/14/best-producer-lyrics-awards-2018/

The already successful history of the Mizmorim Festival began in 2015 with the "New Jewish School", a kind of musical search for traces of the Jewish national style in the 20th century. A year later, American-Jewish composers such as Steve Reich, Aaron Copland and Philip Glass were performed under the motto "America!". Last year, the cardinal point changed to "Go East". Here, exciting encounters with György Kurtág, Felix Mendelssohn and György Ligeti could be experienced.

This year, the artistic director and founder of the festival Michal Lewkowicz once again put a wide range of exciting and stylistically diverse pieces on the program. Under the title "Orient and Occident", the aim was to bridge the gap between East and West. This was achieved in a meaningful way and, as in the past, the performers played at an outstanding level.
 

Some common threads run through the still young festival history: Speeches - this year there was a panel discussion on the Jewish musical tradition - introductions, drama scenes, children's and family concerts as well as artists who can be experienced repeatedly, such as the pianists Noam Greenberg and Menachem Wiesenberg or the Doric Quartet from England. Among the composers is a name that seems to be establishing itself at Mizmorim: Osvaldo Golijov. The Argentinian already amazed audiences in 2015 with The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac The Blindin which he elegantly combined modern sounds with elements of Jewish folk music. He was also present again in 2016 and this year he returned with Ayrea song cycle for soprano and twelve musicians, sound design and conductor (Nicholas Daniel). According to the program text, the work is inspired by medieval Spain, when Christians, Jews and Muslims lived together peacefully for a long time. At the center of this gripping piece was the soloist Nora Fischer, an artist who not only sang songs, but also gave a first-class performance on the stage of the Gare du Nord. She shone vocally in all registers and combined an intense expression with various styles such as classical, synagogal, tango and rock music. In addition, the work aptly conveyed the festival's aspirations: with its mix of styles, it built a musical bridge between the Orient and the Occident.

On the same evening, there were some remarkable contributions from a small ensemble. In an informal atmosphere - all the musicians stayed on stage and listened to each other - Teodoro Anzellotti (accordion) and Hélène Clément (viola) played some songs from Schubert's Winter journeyfrom the original sheet music - a sound variation worth hearing. John Myerscough's interpretation was stunningly brilliant Alone for cello solo, André Klénès' Rose du Vent in the unusual instrumentation for guitar (Adrien Brogna) and double bass (Winfried Holzenkamp) sounded seductive and Teodoro Anzellotti interpreted three wonderfully weird movements from Mauricio Kagel's Rrrrrr...

A new composition commission was awarded in 2018, this time to Josef Bardanashvili; the "composer in residence" track is to be continued next year. The octet Desert Wind for clarinet, bassoon, horn, string quartet and double bass by the Georgian-born Israeli was able to captivate the audience. Bardanashvili sees his piece as a kind of mirror image of Franz Schubert's Octet in F major with the same instrumentation. It was therefore also performed by the same artists on the same evening. The Doric Quartet, double bass and winds stimulated the audience with their enchantingly light and dance-like playing.

In addition to the aforementioned octet, Schubert was also present at the festival with the Piano Sonata No. 21 in B flat major, the Variations for Piano Four Hands (D 813) and the Fantasia in F minor for Four Hands (D 940). The festival director was particularly looking forward to Mizmor (Psalm) 92 for four-part choir (with the Basel Girls' and Boys' Choir), a piece that represents a special feature in Schubert's oeuvre, as he set a Hebrew text to music in it.

On the final evening, the audience felt they had arrived in the Occident. Visitors to the Bird's Eye Jazzclub were treated to a tango evening of the finest kind. The renowned Argentinian composer and bandoneonist Marcelo Nisinman played his stylistically idiosyncratic tangos and originals by Astor Piazzolla, among others, with a band consisting of flute, piano and double bass. 

The study "Unself-employed, self-employed, unemployed" consists of two parts: a legal part, which has already been published, and the social science part, which is now available. The latter deals with central problem and conflict areas with which artists are confronted in the area of unemployment-related social security systems in Austria.

Methodologically, the study section is based on a qualitative, content-analytical evaluation of eight guided expert interviews with an explorative character. The selection of experts focused on members of central interest groups (IGs) in the art field or of relevant authorities and institutions in the field of social security.

The study can be downloaded here: kulturrat.at/kulturrat_studie_2017.pdf

It's familiar from childhood: Two tin cans transport sound if they are connected with a taut thread. Marianthi Papalexandri-Alexandri uses this principle, but colors it in an adult way. The sound artist, who works in Zurich, Berlin and Ithaca in the USA, combines a cello with surfaces made of gray cardboard. Sometimes something like the scraping sounds of the bow come from the cardboard surfaces, sometimes rounder sounds from the cello. What sounds simple develops an incredible pull over the course of the 30-minute performance. Papalexandri-Alexandri simply has a knack for visual staging and for the sensitive "sound actions" of cellist Séverine Ballon. Born in Thessaloniki in 1974, she already impressed the audience with her sound installations at the most recent Donaueschingen Music Days. With Distance she has once again succeeded in creating an all-round coherent work, this time also developed with the resourceful kinetic artist Pe Lang.

Multimedia is still "in" - due to our smartphone worlds, efforts to breathe more "life" into music, and perhaps also - on the negative side - due to a certain helplessness about what music alone can still achieve. One thing is certain: Not all composers succeed in "fusing the arts". As part of the Eclat Festival, Clemens Gadenstätter from Austria presents an extensive piece of music theater called Daily Transformations with instrumental and vocal ensemble, video and spoken texts. It lasts more than an hour, but petered out early on in a noncommittal mishmash. The music is monotonous, the lyrics and videos incomprehensible. Anyone who embarks on a search for meaning can only come to one conclusion: Apparently it's about narrative denial, about torn continuities, which - somewhere - also have to do with our lifeworlds.
 

"Less is more" - the architect Mies van der Rohe had already recognized this. Unfortunately, however, word has not gotten around among Stuttgart's composers and artists. At the Eclat Festival, there are not only 24 world premieres, but also many videos and, unfortunately, populistically pimped concerts with cheap cabaret interludes, which the Stuttgart vocal ensemble Neue Vocalsolisten in particular makes its own. The audience no longer has more than a friendly smile for it. Nevertheless, almost no Vocalsolisten concert is complete without exaggerated facial expressions or cheap gags such as a musician looking into the audience through his flute. Aha, a telescope then!

"What the hell is wrong with music?" Swiss music theorist and cellist Urs Frauchiger asked this question back in the early 1980s. Frauchiger also had his sights set on the festival business, which no longer trusted music, the joy of pure listening. Naturally, this is a dangerous development for music, which could be averted if dramaturges and concert organizers once again develop a sense of substance and good programming. Márton Illés, born in Hungary in 1975, writes wonderful music: substantial, authoritative sounds can be heard in his work presented by the Neue Vocalsolisten - now without gags. Hang-Rajzok. Before that came a very dense passwords for six voices by the old master Georges Aperghis. Between the vocal pieces, an impressive piece composed on natural tones Ultimi Fiori by the Italian composer Francesca Verunelli. This uninterrupted 45-minute concert was a highlight of the Eclat Festival.

The concert with the Ensemble ascolta was incomparably louder. Stefan Keller, born in Zurich in 1974 and awarded the Composition Prize of the City of Stuttgart in 2004, wrote a world premiere of the piece hybrid gaits for drumset, keyboard and ensemble. One focus of the almost 20-minute piece is on the rhythmic level; consequently, the drums and the brilliant soloist Daniel Eichholz take center stage. A drumset commonly used in rock music provides the sound balance. Only loud wind instruments and a keyboard with synthesized and sampled sounds can compete with a snare. Keller thinks little of stylistic pigeonholing. In the end, his hybrid gaits but still reminiscent of free jazz - which is not necessarily a bad sign when you think of its freshness and unpredictability.
 

The megatrends of age, migration and digitalization are changing our lives. Looking at them in conjunction with music education innovation attracted a record number of visitors to the VMS symposium: On Friday, January 19, 230 participants made their way to the Trafo in Baden, followed by another 190 on Saturday.

The essence of the two intensive days could be this: Those who set out on the path perceive change as liberation - those who close their eyes to it as a threat. Change can mean a new beginning, but it can also be dangerous if it happens too quickly or in the wrong direction. The audience was made aware of this when it came to digitalization, which is now almost synonymous with change: "You don't have to go along with everything, but you do have to examine which networking technologies have which advantages and disadvantages," was how thought leader Joël Luc Cachelin put it.

The Baden Seniors' Orchestra with soloist Michelle Süess (trumpet) provided a harmonious musical prelude with works by Mozart and Friedrich Dionys Weber. On the second day, it was the turn of Trio Dolce Vita, winner of 1st prize with distinction at the Swiss Youth Music Competition and the VMS special prize. The trio, consisting of recorder, violin and cello, delighted the audience with pieces by Frescobaldi, Telemann and Matteis.

The Duo Calva needs no further introduction. With a witty show and breathtaking virtuosity, they proved that classical music and humor need not be mutually exclusive.

Jonathan Bennett, Professor and Head of the Institute of Ageing at Bern University of Applied Sciences, spoke about a relatively new market, music lessons for older people. He presented the results of his study on the needs, objectives and limitations of music lessons for older people from the perspective of pupils and teachers. The motives of older people who are willing to learn are just as varied as their biographies. Bennett describes the lowest common denominator as follows: "Everyone is aware of what needs they want to satisfy." In the classroom, older people are demanding and critical, even of themselves. They want to understand and not just do. Teachers should therefore play more of a questioning, guiding and explaining role.

The President of the Swiss Association of Music Schools, Christine Bouvard, was particularly keen to give her German-speaking neighboring countries the opportunity to present their own music school traditions. She invited Michaela Hahn as a representative from Austria. The managing director of "Musikmanagement Niederösterreich", the central competence center for the music school system, spoke about the structure and tradition of extracurricular music education, the goals and strategies of KOMU (Conference of Austrian Music Schools), the broadest possible access to music education and offers for talents.

Ulrich Rademacher, Professor of Song Interpretation and Chairman of the Association of German Music Schools (VdM), emphasized the values of music-making in his speech, but also stressed the importance of appropriate working and employment conditions for teachers. The VdM's mission statement for public music schools is regarded as the basis of German music school work. It sets out guidelines for music education that do not differ significantly from the Swiss principles, except perhaps in terms of the importance of the framework curricula.

The seven project entries selected for the second VMS Best Practice Competition showed in an exemplary way how new paths can be taken in music education in an imaginative and future-oriented way - for the benefit of schools and pupils.

First prize went to the Image & Sound department for a cooperation project between the Basel Music School and the K'Werk of the Basel School of Design. The Allgemeine Musikschule Oberwallis (amo) and the Zeughauskultur Brig (ZHK) were awarded second prize for their interdisciplinary joint project "Culture for the little ones and their companions". The Lucerne Music School came third on the podium with "Musikschule auf Reisen - zu Besuch im Schulhaus". The Audience Award went to the École de musique Bienne / Université populaire Bienne-Lyss for "Initiation musicale pour enfants issus de la migration". The music schools of Bern, Oberland Ost and Schüpfheim were also in the running with remarkable entries. Jodok Kobelt wittily hosted the presentation.

Selected projects will be presented in detail on the VMS Association website in the coming months.

The charismatic Swiss sociologist Ueli Mäder built on a socially liberal world view in his input presentation "Social change: migration and integration": "Integration is a process in which everyone moves." Dealing with migrants is not about understanding, but about accepting the foreign, about coming to terms with what is different and with the foreign in ourselves. Mäder explained how our world functions politically, socially, economically, socially and educationally and how these sub-areas develop with and against each other. He eloquently drew a picture of opposing trends: A few get richer and many others have to spell back. He described the educational model of the post-war period as "behaviorist". In the seventies, educators had to learn to argue, but today a return to mechanistic recipes can be seen.

At a time when economism prevails, music lessons are becoming increasingly important because they promote sensory perception and togetherness. Instead of globalization, which is only economically oriented, Mäder would rather see a "globalization" that also includes social and cultural areas.

Joël Luc Cachelin reassured those who fear digitalization. According to the so-called "Oxford Study", around half of our jobs are likely to be eliminated by computerization and robots in the next 20 years. Three fields of activity are listed that cannot be replaced by machines. These include professions that have to do with "perception and manual skills", "social intelligence" and "creativity" - these are precisely the things that make up music-making, Cachelin noted. "Work that brings joy to others is never under threat," he reassured. Ultimately, it's about finding an attitude towards digitalization, coming to terms with it and making intelligent use of the new opportunities.

Music village: This is what a music school as a place of learning could look like according to Andreas Doerne and Stefan Doeritz. Photo: Niklaus Rüegg

"What does the music school look like that we would have liked to go to ourselves?" This was the premise of the two teachers Andreas Doerne and Stefan Doeritz from the Freiburg/Br. music academy. They were guided by the basic idea that the traditional music classroom should be transformed into a place of learning where different forms of learning are possible. The two started with the architecture of what they saw as an ideal music learning space, inspiring the imagination of those present with a virtual tour of a "music village" with paths, glazed, bright, separate and multifunctional rooms. The floor plan was designed to invite people to linger, facilitate spontaneous contact and encourage communication. Particularly noteworthy was the "Silent Arena" with musical instruments that can be practiced silently. Stefan Goeritz has already implemented some of these ideas at his music school in Waldkirch. The usual question and answer session after the lecture was replaced by a text messaging service - a clever idea to involve the audience in the discussion.

The duo received the nomination for their 2017 album "Comme on respire". They were also signed to Warner Music France in 2017. Aliose was founded in 2004 after a chance encounter at the Nyon Festival. The pair, who fuse chanson and folk rock, now tour all over the world. They are particularly appreciated for their "close harmony" vocals and their flair for good melodies. 

For Les Victoires De La Musique, the equivalent of the Grammys and the British Brit Awards, three nominations are made in each category. In addition to Aliose, Juliette Armanet and Petit Biscuit were nominated in their category. Although the award went to Armanet at the ceremony on February 9, the performance in front of a large television audience is nevertheless a significant career boost for both of them.

The fascinating power of music can be felt everywhere in Leipzig. Around 500 composers have lived and worked here over the centuries, including Johann Sebastian Bach, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Clara and Robert Schumann and Richard Wagner. The rich musical heritage also includes ensembles with a worldwide reputation such as the St. Thomas Boys Choir, the Gewandhaus Orchestra and Leipzig Opera. Leipzig also boasts a globally unique density of authentic places where many famous composers lived and worked. This treasure can be experienced through the Leipzig Music Trail. The unique music and route guidance system connects the 23 most important original locations in the city center over a distance of 5 km. You can find detailed information at www.leipzig.travel/musik.

Photo: Kirsten Nijhof

Ulf Schirmer 2016

Artistic Director and General Music Director Prof. Ulf Schirmer on Richard Wagner in Leipzig

If the proposal is rejected, the canton writes that, among other things, technical systems are likely to fail. In addition, urgent construction and renovation measures would have to be carried out on an ongoing basis. Partial renovations over several years would be considerably more expensive than a complete renovation and would have a significant impact on theater operations. Energy, safety and labor regulations could not be implemented on time. There is a risk of being severely restricted by official requirements, up to and including the withdrawal of the operating license.

The total costs for the renovation and conversion of the St.Gallen Theater amount to CHF 48.6 million. Of this, CHF 38.9 million will be spent on value-preserving measures and CHF 9.7 million on value-enhancing measures. If the loan is approved, the renovation work can begin in summer 2020. The work will take two years. The budgeted amount also includes the costs of CHF 4.5 million for a temporary solution. The theater will operate in the temporary facility for two seasons.

The loss of CHF 438,880 is below budget. According to the company's press release, this is due to "the massive own contributions made by the Tonhalle-Gesellschaft Zürich for the investments in the Tonhalle Maag".

Attendance figures remained stable despite the expanded program, with around 108,472 people attending concerts at the Tonhalle Zurich. Due to cancellations and the absence of the Zurich Festival at the end of the season, attendance fell from 70.4 to 67.1 percent. Overall, however, more subscriptions were sold.

Income from concerts and events was down on the previous year. The cancellation of Lang Lang, who was unable to perform two planned subscription concerts at the end of April 2017 for health reasons, played a particular role here.
could play. Although an artistically outstanding replacement was found in Jean-Yves Thibaudet, the loss of income was considerable due to lower ticket prices and reduced audience interest.

The Idagio catalog, which already contains over half a million tracks, will be expanded with immediate effect to include the complete catalogs of Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, Philips Classics and all classical productions of the Munich-based quality label ECM. Currently, 15,000 tracks in lossless audio quality are added to Idagio every week.

As part of the partnership, there will be customized playlists on IDAGIO, curated by Deutsche Grammophon and its artists, as well as a range of supporting marketing and promotional activities.

Till Janczukowicz, founder and CEO of Idagio: "Hardly any classical music lover on this planet has not grown up with the legendary Deutsche Grammophon recordings. They stand for uncompromising quality and great moments in music. The combination of the large catalogs with our technology enables user experiences that were previously unthinkable. For example, music lovers can now compare a Beethoven symphony by conductor Carlos Kleiber with that of Leonard Bernstein and hundreds of other conductors in a matter of seconds. IDAGIO thus transforms every smartphone into the ultimate collection of classical music."

Dr. Clemens Trautmann, President Deutsche Grammophon: "IDAGIO has enriched the dynamic streaming market with an innovative and user-friendly solution especially for classical music fans. We look forward to working together and are confident that Idagio will enable us to make many exciting musical discoveries from Deutsche Grammophon's historic catalog - from important new releases by our artists to timeless rarities."
 

The Idagio catalog, which already contains over half a million tracks, will be expanded with immediate effect to include the complete catalogs of Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, Philips Classics and all classical productions of the Munich-based quality label ECM. Currently, 15,000 tracks in lossless audio quality are added to Idagio every week.

As part of the partnership, there will be customized playlists on IDAGIO, curated by Deutsche Grammophon and its artists, as well as a range of supporting marketing and promotional activities.

Till Janczukowicz, founder and CEO of Idagio: "Hardly any classical music lover on this planet has not grown up with the legendary Deutsche Grammophon recordings. They stand for uncompromising quality and great moments in music. The combination of the large catalogs with our technology enables user experiences that were previously unthinkable. For example, music lovers can now compare a Beethoven symphony by conductor Carlos Kleiber with that of Leonard Bernstein and hundreds of other conductors in a matter of seconds. IDAGIO thus transforms every smartphone into the ultimate collection of classical music."

Dr. Clemens Trautmann, President Deutsche Grammophon: "IDAGIO has enriched the dynamic streaming market with an innovative and user-friendly solution especially for classical music fans. We look forward to working together and are confident that Idagio will enable us to make many exciting musical discoveries from Deutsche Grammophon's historic catalog - from important new releases by our artists to timeless rarities."
 

The 642 placement projects generated 44,483 admissions. With a total budget of CHF 25,730,395.52, the income statement for 16/17 closed with a positive result of CHF 76,332.15. The self-financing ratio increased slightly to 20.02%.

The motto for the 16/17 season was "New Spaces" and stands for the
concept of spatial theater, which is "based on the principle of altered perception", according to the theater's press release. This can be the use of non-theatrical locations, the repurposing of the theater or a new perspective on a character, as well as "the change of visual axes, the relinquishment of interpretative sovereignty and thus the coexistence of artists and audience in the space".

At the same time as the change of artistic director, an internal reorganization process took place, the theater continues, with the aim of introducing a contemporary corporate structure involving all employees. A corporate identity was defined and a new corporate design implemented.

The artistic realignment increased visitor numbers, more than doubled the number of Friends members and boosted online traffic on all channels: the number of newsletter subscribers rose by 32.5 percent, webshop sales by 50 percent and visits to the theater website by 52 percent.

Every year, the Lily Waeckerlin Fund of the Accentus Foundation honors an innovative and high-quality project in the field of youth and music in Switzerland. With this prize, the foundation aims to motivate children and young people not just to consume music, but to actively engage with it. The mediation and introduction to the musical work therefore play a special role in the awarding of the prize.

"The ability to understand music is not a talent reserved only for some: all human beings possess it." (Edwin E. Gordon)

The "miam-ensemble" offers concerts for children between the ages of 0 and 6 accompanied by a caregiver. The concerts are designed according to the findings of Music Learning Theory, which was developed by musician and educationalist Edwin E. Gordon. The musicians stand in a circle around the children, who can react to the music in their own way while sitting on a red carpet - listening on their father's lap, dancing around their mother and singing along.
At the earliest age, children are particularly ready to absorb music with curiosity and an open mind. They learn music like their own mother tongue and develop their individual musical talent in the process. In the "miam" concerts, they listen to short, complex, varied pieces of classical, folk and jazz music in an intimate setting, which are fun, awaken their senses and also develop their perception.

With its concerts for the youngest children, the "miam-ensemble" offers a musical experience to stimulate the senses and provide orientation in the world, in a situation that promotes relationships: Relationship with parents who share this experience and provide the necessary protection, relationship with other children from different social and cultural backgrounds and relationship with musicians who play for them. In this safe environment, not only does understanding grow, but also a love of music, which can be a faithful companion for a lifetime.
 

Hans U. Alder, a photographer and filmmaker from Zurich who worked for Swiss television for many years, moved to Schwarzenberg in the canton of Lucerne after his retirement. He knew little about the local brass band tradition. Alder was fascinated by the musicians' motivation and commitment to their association. He was also impressed by the musical quality of the village brass band in his new home. This resulted in a photographic and film documentation of the Brass Band MG Schwarzenberg over the course of a year. This work was presented at the new uniform in 2016.
The beautiful, expressive photos and short, one-and-a-half-minute films of nine members of the Musikgesellschaft are worthy of being presented in the Willisau Musical Instrument Collection, as they are also representative of many other formations.

Where does the rich brass music tradition come from? How did the ensembles develop? These questions are explored in a small exhibition that complements the photos and films by Hans U. Alder. The uniforms still in use today show the direction. The name "Feldmusik", which many clubs still bear, also refers to the military roots.
Even in the late Middle Ages, the Swiss stood out as particularly talented military musicians. Drummers and pipers from our country were popular throughout Europe. Trumpeters and timpanists also played at the royal courts. The French King Louis XIV, the "Roi Soleil", revolutionized military music. The "Hautboist ensembles" later gave rise to so-called Turkish music or "Bandes Turques" with cymbals, triangle and jingle tree. This is where the history of our village brass bands begins.

The exhibition documents this development using objects as well as audio, film and image documents that can be accessed on tablets.
In addition to instruments from our own collection, attractive objects were borrowed from the drum collection of Hans Ebersold in Sarnen, from the newly opened "Klingende Sammlung" (Karl Burri Collection) in Bern and from the Solothurn artillery band on horseback.

The next public tour will take place on Sunday, February 25, 2:15 pm.