Since 2014, pianist Simone Keller has led the artist collective "ox&öl" together with director and composer Philip Bartels. Together, they realize music theatre projects and develop new forms of communication for children and adults. The main focus is on working with children with a migration background, such as the "Piccolo Concerto Grosso" project or the composition course in an integration class.

"ox&öl" receives an award from the canton. The two other award-winning projects are the rolling theater workshop Fahr.werk.ö! and the intercultural Maxim Theater. The aim of the funding is to give as many people as possible - regardless of their national or social background - access to culture.

More info:
https://www.zh.ch/internet/de/aktuell/news/medienmitteilungen/2017/medienmitteilung-anerkennungsbeitraege-kulturelle-teilhabe.html

The 5th International Franz Liszt Competition for Young Pianists with prizes worth a total of 15,000 euros took place at the Franz Liszt University of Music Weimar. A total of 58 musicians from 23 different countries, from Australia to Lithuania, traveled to Weimar for the three evaluation rounds.

The 1st prize in the younger category I (up to 13 years) was won by 13-year-old Ariya Laothitipong from Thailand. No 2nd prize was awarded, but there were three 3rd prizes: 10-year-old Ryan Martin Bradshaw (Slovakia), 13-year-old Kacper Kuklinski (Poland), who also won the Junior Jury Prize, and 11-year-old Ben Lepetit (Germany). Ben Lepetit also won a special prize for the best interpretation of a baroque work.

In the older category II (14-17 years), the 17-year-old Swiss Simon Bürki won first prize. Bürki also won the Theodor Hlouschek Special Prize of the New Liszt Foundation for the best improvisation, the EMCY Special Prize, the Junior Jury Prize and a special prize for the best interpretation of a baroque work.

Bürki from Gossau is studying in Kiev and has already won the Swiss Youth Music Competition in Zurich and the Horowitz Young Pianists Competition in Kiev, among others.

The 2nd prize was won by 14-year-old Barbare Tataradze from Georgia, while the 3rd prize went to 17-year-old South Korean Jeonghwan Kim, who lives in Germany. Kim also won two special prizes for the best interpretation of a classical sonata and a work by Béla Bartók.

Many cantonal schools in Switzerland undertake ambitious music projects with their 12 to 18-year-old pupils. Many an inspiring result can then be enjoyed in concert. Choirs are often involved, and popular works such as Carmina Burana or Mozart's Requiem, sung by young people full of enthusiasm and accompanied by the school orchestra.

But there are also other things, such as the project by the Basel Chamber Orchestra in the Elisabethenkirche Basel, which involved choirs from Muttenz. The staged performance was dedicated to Honegger's complex oratorio La Danse des Mortscoupled with Purcell's Funeral Music for Queen Mary. With Purcell, choirmaster Christoph Huldi also wanted to offer the young people even simpler choral music to "keep them interested". (Editor's note: see report in issue 7/8 online)

Not so the school musician and conductor Cristoforo Spagnuolo, who demands everything from his pupils at Wettingen Cantonal School. This year it was Monteverdi's Vespers of the Virgin Mary, which was performed to mark the 450th anniversary of the composer's birth. In addition to the anniversary, Spagnuolo also justified his choice by saying that he would take this work with him to the famous "desert island", as it covers an enormously broad spectrum of musical needs, both sensually and spiritually. Putting it on the program remains a rather bold idea, because with this monument of early choral literature, this rhythmically and intonationally difficult work, not only is the "sounding together" delicate, but also the historical performance practice is extremely important and new to many. However, Cristoforo Spagnuolo is known for the fact that no work seems too difficult for him to "conquer". Despite the very high demands placed on the performers, who were joined by the professional orchestra Le Fiamme and professional soloists, the concerts this May were more than worth listening to.

Most of the time, the audience only experiences the result of months of rehearsals, which are as demanding for the young people as they are for the teaching staff. In this case, however, director and filmmaker Arthur Spirk, who specializes in documentary films, accompanied the development of the "Wettinger Marienvesper" and posed the following question to the project: "What is more sustainable: a top-class performance of Monteverdi's Marienvesper at the Lucerne Festival ... or the performance of this masterpiece by a cantonal school choir, together with professional soloists and instrumental specialists?"

In view of the ambitious work, it was all the more exciting to see what Arthur Spirk had put together in his 70-minute documentary about the development. What interests the filmmaker about looking behind the scenes, and what is his focus? It is particularly interesting to find out whether it is possible to get the earbud-wearing smartphone generation - as the common cliché goes - excited about music that is over 400 years old and which they are completely unfamiliar with.

It is precisely here that the film provides surprising insights. The thirteen chapters repeatedly feature rehearsal sequences, which, incidentally, do not simply sound beautifully "pure", but sometimes come across as very cross and wrong. Interspersed with these are a number of portraits of the pupils involved, which provide impressive insights.

For example, there is a young man who grew up in Papua New Guinea and sings songs to the accompaniment of a lute in his free time. Or the young woman whose parents and siblings play an instrument and for whom music is simply part of everyday life. Even more surprising is the young jazz musician on the drums who discovered singing with Monteverdi and would like to study singing after his A-levels. It is a musical Kanti elite that inspired Spagnuolo for the Marienvesper. The work is far too difficult for everyone to take part, as he himself admits.

Spirk has created a varied and insightful documentary that captures powerful moments of rehearsals and sensitivities. It is surprising, for example, that the involvement of professionals was not only appreciated. However, the central sequence, the choir week at the Aarbergerhaus Ligerz, where rehearsals lasting up to ten hours were scheduled, comes across as too staid. "Before Ligerz, my level of despair was very high," comments Spagnuolo in retrospect on his state of mind at the time. Spirk did not document the impending failure live.

This also applies to the young people, who are actually always smiling at the camera and quite content, even when they talk about the trials and tribulations. It is a pity that the moments of despair that (must) occur in such "kamikaze projects" and the back-breaking work are not sufficiently present. Nevertheless, when some sequences of the performance in the picturesque monastery church in Wettingen can be seen and heard at the end of the film, with the smiling faces of the singers, it is a touching moment.

Philippe Bischof, former Head of the Department of Culture in the Presidential Department of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, takes up office today as Director of the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia. The Board of Trustees elected him as the new Director on April 3, 2017. Sabina Schwarzenbach, who has managed the foundation on an interim basis since November 1, 2016, is now returning to her previous role as Head of Communications as planned.

Since the Cultural Promotion Act and the first Cultural Message 2012 came into force, the Cultural Foundation's field of activity has changed somewhat. It has taken over new tasks from the Federal Office of Culture, including the promotion of young talent, art education, art biennials and Swiss appearances at international book fairs. In return, it has withdrawn its support for Swiss film promotion and publishing promotion, which have been transferred to the FOC.

For the period 2016 to 2020, Pro Helvetia is to strengthen Swiss artistic creation, cohesion at home and the international presence of Swiss culture abroad, among other things. Coordinated support for design and interactive digital media will also be provided under the heading "Culture and Business".

The work years in the field of jazz/rock/pop go to Vincent Glanzmann, Bettina Klöti and Fabian Sigmund, in the field of serious music to Cathy van Eck (work year composition) and the duo Buck / Wolfarth (work year interpretation). Mayor Corine Mauch will present the awards on Thursday, November 30, 2017, at a ceremony for invited guests at Kaufleuten.

A total of twenty artists and two collectives in the six sponsorship categories will be awarded years of work, scholarships and recognition grants totaling CHF 633,000. The award for special cultural merit will also be presented in this context. It goes to the literary mediator Stefan Zweifel.
.-
 

Jazz is a male scene in Switzerland, even more so than pop and rock music. This is not only evident on the relevant stages, but also at universities. To counteract this, the association International Female Musicians Collective has set itself the goal. The six founding members are young professional female musicians from Switzerland who want to become role models for future generations. "That younger women also see: Ah, I can do that too," is important to them, emphasizes saxophonist and founding member Fabienne Hoerni. They want to feel less exotic, "but simply be there."

In addition to empowerment as a central theme, the jazz musicians are primarily concerned with networking through joint concerts: "Women already exist - perhaps not primarily in Switzerland." Musicians from Denmark, Germany, France and Norway have joined them for the first tour with a total of ten concerts in German-speaking Switzerland this October.

Playing in an all-female group for the first time was a special experience. "Not because the dynamics or the rehearsal processes are different. But the topics of conversation are definitely different." The female musicians from the Scandinavian countries in particular bring a different wealth of experience with them, not least because their environment is less male-dominated. Another advantage of the international focus was the larger selection of female musicians. This made it possible to find ideal sound combinations for Sarah Chaksad's compositions, which were created especially for the tour.
 

An "aha" effect really does occur when the 16 female musicians fill the stage in the vaulted cellar of Solothurn Hospital to the last millimeter on 17 October: The women create an unusual picture - from very young to gray, from funky to conservative. And they offer big band music that makes you sit up and take notice: With the specific sonority of her pieces, characterized by vocalizations and vibraphone swells, Sarah Chaksad creates an atmospherically swinging, song-like dream world, in which things can also get tough. Complex, chasing rhythms in the themes, which sometimes consist of only a few intervals, tricky tempo changes and devotion in the solos mix the contemporary with echoes of Bernstein, Maria Schneider and smooth jazz. And the idealism that underpins the project can be felt everywhere: in the way the musicians interact with each other and in the joy of making music together. It is transmitted to an enthusiastic and long applauding audience. Unfortunately, there were few young women among them.

They hang there in a row - and tick quietly away. There is no cable leading up from the speakers, only nylon threads. At irregular intervals, the thread slides over a rotating roller, transmitting the movement impulse to the membrane. It would not make an impression in solo. But in a tutti of around 80 loudspeakers on four black frames, the result is a distinctive polyphony that is remotely reminiscent of György Ligeti's Poème Symphonique for 100 Metronomes. The Zurich-based Greek composer Marianthi Papalexandri-Alexandri and the Swiss artist Pe Lang have achieved something special. The concept is well thought out, no casually thrown cables disturb the view, the idea is clear, the sound result inspiring.

The first floor of the Donaueschingen Museum resembles an oasis. All around it, disorientation reigns. Composers are lost in media noise, and some visitors are unable to find the concert venues due to incorrect information. Refugees from the south also fit into the desert picture. The concert by the Berlin ensemble Kaleidoskop begins with a truck driving into the hall. It stops and one of the first works of so-called musique concrète instrumentale, Michael von Biel's String Quartet No. 2 After the short piece, musicians come out of the hold in scruffy clothes: obviously refugees. They are supposed to be strolling around, also disoriented. Then they play on. First, a reduced, overstretched sound study by composer Chiyoko Szlavnics plays on predominantly empty strings. This is followed by an extremely poor Maps of non-existent cities: Donaueschingen by the composer Kourliandski, during which the musicians - well - take over the audience rows. Björn Gottstein, festival director since 2015, sees no reason to intervene in concerts as long as no one is offended. But with all due respect: aren't those refugees who didn't make it out of the truck and certainly didn't pick up an instrument being insulted?

Björn Gottstein's signature is now clearly visible: The Musiktage continues to focus on breaking up traditional concert formats, with an increased international focus, more female composers and greater efforts to promote discourse and concepts. Martin Schüttler, who is a professor of composition in Stuttgart, almost completely dispenses with music. Two presenters read private stories from a piece of paper. Apparently, they are talking about their own musical socialization, the pressure to succeed that comes with piano lessons, and probably also about other harmful side effects of serious music. Not surprisingly, videos follow the presenters' dialogs. An electric guitar appears, on another screen a repeated N. Are these references to New Music with a capital N or is it a sophistical reference to Heidegger's "das Nichts nichtet"?

The coquettish prevalence of the secondary is worrying. In the opening concert, the Australian Thomas Meadowcroft mimes the film music composer. Full of pathos, full of swagger, the SWR Symphony Orchestra has to play more than 20 minutes of sounds that could have come from the hard-to-take Hollywood supplier John Williams. What he, Meadowcroft, has achieved with his premiered The News in Music (Tabloid Lament) wants to say? Obviously, the media are in their sights, where the next Madonna hit or the Little night music follows. As understandable as the criticism of this unspeakable radio and television practice is, the place in which it is expressed is questionable. Wouldn't it be better to make a radio piece out of the topic than to hand it over to a large, differentiated body of sound? After five minutes at the latest, every listener has understood the point. What follows in the next 15 minutes is quite unfunny annoyance.

Anyone who came to Donaueschingen for the music and the allure of 20 world premieres is at a loss. However, the Norwegian composer Eivind Buene and Márton Illés, who was quite rightly awarded the orchestra prize, did not get bogged down in the unmusical. Illés emphasizes autonomy in a pleasant way, concentrates in Ez-tér (Es-room) on musical lines. In four self-contained movements, a web of instrumental voices emerges that intertwine, oscillate and shimmer wonderfully. Illés has an intuitive feel for organics, form and sound. He knows exactly when caesuras make sense, when something new is needed, when variation is called for. Eivind Buene, on the other hand, in his Lessons in Darkness takes a different direction. It is not so densely compressed here, but deliberately fragile. How the balance is lost, how the ensembles are deliberately skewed, how a Fender Rhodes and a similarly historic Moog synthesizer contribute to weird microtonality is fascinatingly morbid - but still remains in good memory.

As an addition to the existing team of lecturers, Isabelle Schnöller will primarily supervise students in Lucerne from the 2018/19 fall semester onwards in the preliminary studies, Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in music education in the classical music profile.

Isabelle Schnöller is a long-standing solo flautist in the Basel Chamber Orchestra and a member of the Camerata Variabile Basel, the Arion Wind Quintet and the Ensemble Amaltea. She completed her training at the Basel University of Music, at the Banff Center for Fine Arts in Canada and at the Freiburg i. Br. University of Music, where she graduated with a soloist diploma.

She has won prizes at the Jeunesse Musicales and the UBS competition for the promotion of young musicians. Her work as a soloist and chamber musician is documented on numerous recordings. Several composers have dedicated works to Isabelle Schnöller. In the current 2017/18 season, she will premiere the new flute concerto by Hans-Martin Linde.

Tomorrow, the President of the German Unesco Commission, Verena Metze-Mangold, will present the General Director of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Barbara Schneider-Kempf, with the certificate designating Bach's Missa as Memory of the World / World Documentary Heritage.

The autograph is part of the largest Bach collection; around 80 percent of all Bach's surviving compositions are in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin. The presentation of the certificate will now be combined with a performance of the work. Ton Koopman will conduct the RIAS Chamber Choir and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra on October 26, 27 and 28.

A facsimile of the mass has been published by Bärenreiter. The facsimile in high-resolution four-color print documents and secures the current condition of the complete autograph. It is supplemented by older photographs of individual pages, which show the content of pages that are now difficult to read.
 

Baze is one of the most prominent and influential dialect acrobats with national appeal. He has released various solo albums since the late 90s. He has also released numerous albums with the hip-hop alliance Chlyklass, the cover band Tequila Boys, the electro rap formation Boys on Pills and the rap project Temple of Speed.

Sam Geiser aka Deetron is in demand internationally, both on the turntables and in the studio - a heavyweight in his domain of high-quality house and techno sounds. Deetron's current catalog of work includes 60 maxis, two albums and countless remixes.

Meret Lüthi studied at the Bern University of the Arts and won the German University Competition for Early Music in 2007. As concertmaster, she leads the early music orchestra Les Passions de l'Âme, which she co-founded. She also has a broad track record off the stage as a musical coach and media expert.

Ernesto Molinari was solo clarinettist with Klangforum Wien and is currently soloist with Switzerland's most distinguished ensemble for contemporary music: Collegium Novum Zurich. His busy concert schedule as a soloist and chamber musician has taken him to the major festivals in Europe.

Rea Dubach, jazz singer, composer and performer, will be honored with the "Coup de cœur 2017" prize for young talent in the amount of CHF 3,000. The public award ceremony will take place on Tuesday, November 14, 2017, at 7.30 pm in the Great Hall of the Reitschule Bern.

The project Lament is part of the events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Basel Music Academywhich was thus able to showcase the diversity of its training program with singers and two large ensembles from the University of Music and the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. On the other hand, it fits into the concept of Basel Gare du Nordbecause in several of its multifaceted series of events, references between times, voices and music theater are explored. Lament was created as a co-production between the two institutions. To Salvatore Sciarrino was commissioned to write an epilogue for the performances: Distendi la frontewhich was performed for the first time.

Lament. "Heroes become perpetrators", writes the performance brochure. "Overwhelmed by their self-chosen project, they exceed their personal Point of no return" and end in pain over the loss. The evening tells of this spiral of action. It depicts disastrous human behavior through scenes from Monteverdi's Orfeo and from Salvatore Sciarrino's Luci mie traditrici (My treacherous eyes).

The story begins with singers gathering for a singing seminar. To the sound of the ensembles ad astra (Schola Cantorum Basiliensis) and Diagonal (Basel University of Music), they greet each other and get to know each other. Musica (Monteverdi) then begins to distribute the roles. Just roles? Or more? A good two hours later, the characters walk off to the sounds of Monteverdi's Lament They are now drawn apart again by the terrible events that have come to fruition and taken them beyond the fulfillment of their roles into an existential dimension. "They experience the seminar as something between life and death, which they cannot emotionally escape ..." (program booklet). Sciarrino's newly composed epilogue Distendi la fronte (Relaxing the forehead) smoothes the waves, gently and wisely: "We have entered the zone where ... reason and madness mingle ... We cannot return home covered in blood ..." (Sciarrino).
 

Six stations exemplify the tragedy of the man who has been forced to his personal Point of no return arrives. Orfeo, on his way to bring his Eurydice back from the underworld, cannot fulfill the condition of not looking back. He turns his back on her and loses her for all time. The means of representation, blind man's spectacles and blind man's stick, given to the singer by one of the "coaches" of the singing seminar, beautifully fulfill the function of making the difficult to imagine vivid. The story of Count Malaspina, who runs astray when he sees no other way out than to kill his wife for her infidelity, is told parallel to Orfeo's story. Both "heroes", Orfeo and Malaspina, experience the consequences of their actions as a punishment to which they are now exposed for life. "Bathe me in blood. Farewell, farewell, I will live in torment forever." (Malaspina)

The stages of the two lives and ordeals are dramaturgically well chosen. Even if it may not be possible to decipher all the images immediately, the direction is convincing and impressively geared towards a contemporary theatrical language. The singers perform their parts with mastery and confidence, with expressive voices without exception. The emotion of the role and their own feelings are equally part of their performance. The ensembles are positioned to the side of the stage, symmetrically arranged and almost equally strong: ad astra with a lush continuo group for Monteverdi, Diagonal with colorful instruments for Sciarrino. Both achieve a precise and colorful performance.
 

The texts in the program booklet are a good introduction to the subject matter. However, it is difficult to say whether and to what extent the average listener will find parallels and similarities of an aesthetic nature between such different musical styles. In any case, the realization is fascinating. It begins with a balanced juxtaposition of the works in order to increasingly and convincingly create mixtures, for example when both ensembles sing along with a Monteverdi choir (a beautiful scenic idea!) or when violins from the Schola ensemble support the playing of the Sciarrino ensemble. Even superimpositions of the two musics are realized. It is impressive to experience (and this fully confirms the conceptual idea) how both composers use singing as a "manner" over a period of 400 years. The effect of Monteverdi's singing (ornamentation, affect), which is still immediately appealing today, but nevertheless artificial, finds a parallel in Sciarrino's way of using the voice, sometimes cantabile, sometimes halting, as a conscious expression of "voice" more than of "pure" music. Lyrically, too, this opens the door to many parallels.

Finally, I would like to congratulate all the members of the large team. Openness, skill and aplomb characterize them all. The significant resources of the Gare du Nord and the Basel University of Music became an experience. The audience at the five sold-out performances (October 19 to 24, 2017) was thrilled.
 

Piendl worked as Head of Sales at Sony Music and Marketing Director for EMI Classics before moving to the Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) in 1998 as Managing Director Germany/Austria/Switzerland, where he was ultimately responsible for the company's entire international classical music activities as Senior Vice President & COO BMG Classics, Worldwide until 2006.

In 2007, he founded Arion Arts music consultants GmbH. In 2011 and 2012, he was significantly involved in the organization of the 7th World Choir Games in Cincinnati (Ohio), the largest choir competition in the world, as General Secretary for Interkultur. In the fall of 2015, Stefan Piendl became Head of Communications SWR Classic and was responsible for establishing the new SWR Classic brand and marketing for the broadcaster's orchestras, ensembles and festivals. Piendl has published several music books.

The DMR's projects promote young musical talent and provide impetus for musical life throughout Germany. They support professional musicians as well as amateur music-making, talented young musicians, contemporary music and offer a platform for networking information and documentation. The DMR Projektgesellschaft has an annual budget of around seven million euros.

Musikpunkt Holding AG was formed in 2010 through the merger of Musikhaus Gasser AG (since 1953) with Lohri AG (since 1972). In 2012, the percussion division was integrated into the holding company with Musikhaus Muff AG (since 1993) and the three operating companies merged to form Musikpunkt AG. The supplier of wind instruments and percussion with around 30 employees is represented in Central Switzerland at two locations in Lucerne and Hochdorf. Musik Hug employs around 152 people, including 19 apprentices.

The operational management of the merged companies will be carried out by the co-owner and managing director of Musikpunkt AG, Adrian Lohri, together with the former CEO of Musik Hug, Erwin Steinmann. He will be supported by the current management of the Musik Hug Group. The new Board of Directors will be chaired by the former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Musikpunkt AG, Kurt Sidler.

Matthias von Orelli - Rémy Campos has been research coordinator at the Geneva University of Music since 2003. His research has focused on the rediscovery of ancient music, on conservatories and on questions of historiography. He is currently working on the history of musical practices in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Rémy Campos, in a few words, how would you describe the history of research at the HEM?

The Geneva research unit was founded 15 years ago, and it was really modest at the time: the team was only employed part-time. Today, our budget exceeds one million Swiss francs, which is an impressive development in 15 years. With the completion of numerous projects and the conclusion of partnerships, research at the HEM has evolved to become a center of expertise.

According to you, what are the main missions of research in Geneva, and what are the current research topics?

Since its inception, Geneva has focused on applied research projects on a wide range of artistic practice areas: new creation and new technologies, historical interpretation, art and science, intercultural dialogue and musical education.

The research projects are launched by professors who teach in Geneva and Neuchâtel, so the field is very broad. In addition, experience within the school, particularly in contemporary and ancient music, also plays an essential role.

The intense activity in the field of research also goes far beyond the HEM. The other schools in the field of music and visual arts - the Lausanne School of Music (HEMU) and La Manufacture à Lausanne - joined forces a few years ago to create a research institute (IRMAS).

Quelles sont vos responsabilités ?

I have two jobs: I am research coordinator at the Geneva School of Music and in this capacity I take care of all the requests concerning the research unit. This includes the conception and dissemination of projects as well as the realization of documentaries, the publication of books, CDs and DVDs for the general public.

I am also responsible for IRMAS. The Institut de recherche Musique et Arts de la Scène regroupe les trois écoles du domaine. Its aim is to promote the quality of research and development activities by encouraging exchanges between the researchers it hosts and increasing the visibility of research projects among specialists and the general public alike. The Institute also ensures the evaluation of research projects in the field of music and performing arts.

In your opinion, what is the greatest success of research at the HEM?

I think that we have come a long way with limited resources, as our history also shows. We are now producing high-quality professional work. Many people have contributed individually to the success of each project.

Quelle est l'importance de la recherche à la HEM pour vous ?

I think that the introduction of research a few years ago was a minor revolution in the world of art schools. Although it was initially perceived as an exception to the usual artistic activities, it is now accepted that it brings a lot to schools in all kinds of fields.

Y a-t-il des différences entre la musicologie classique et la recherche dans une haute école de musique ?

From the outset, we have sought to conduct musical research that complements what musicology has been doing for a long time. In addition, we are working on very specific projects that focus mainly on practical issues. However, collaboration with musicology is essential for us. The research practiced in the high schools is also different because it is not limited to written publications. CDs, DVDs and radio broadcasts do justice to projects that put practice first.

What is the potential for you of a close relationship between research and practice?

Well, we are a professional institute that is involved in various projects and everyone works within the framework of their specialty. Some of our assistants studied at the HEM and are thus integrated into a professional environment.

Do you think there are still things to be done in the field of research at the HEM?

Of course! Concerning the HEM, I can say that many teachers and students have participated in the research over the last 15 years, but many have not (yet) done so.

Vous multipliez les coopérations...

Yes, absolutely, and on all continents. We have strong ties to Japan and China, not to mention projects with artists, some of whom are first-rate personalities, and with schools in India, Canada and the Latin America. And, of course, throughout Switzerland.

We are currently conducting a major survey of our former students to determine the impact of their training on their professional environment. This work, seems to me, a good example of what research can bring to a high school: a better knowledge of the professional environment with tools different from those used by artists in their daily work.

Since yesterday evening, the information platform long awaited by many players in the music scene swissmusic.ch online. It is operated and financed by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia and the Fondation Suisa. According to the official press release, the swissmusic.ch "to offer the numerous institutions that are involved in and for musical life in this country an additional, shared platform. The portal sees itself as a showcase for music from Switzerland, aimed at industry representatives and other interested parties from all over the world". The interactive website provides information in four languages (German, French, Italian, English) on the Swiss music scene, specialist organizations and artists in four clearly structured sections.

• Read: Reports on the local music scene
• Listen: Playlists with selected Swiss productions
• Research: Access to various databases
• Directory: Addresses

The portal aims to "pool strengths, utilize synergies and always be alive". It is therefore updated and supplemented on an ongoing basis.