The association's premises were originally set up and equipped for the ensemble's rehearsals. Today, however, it also hosts 70 to 80 events a year with around 20,000 visitors. The infrastructure has therefore been reaching its limits for some time. The association is investing a total of around one million francs in its infrastructure project, specifically the renewal of the technical infrastructure and the redesign of the foyer.

Other investment contributions from the lottery fund will go to the Winterthur Short Film Festival (CHF 200,000), the Swiss Theatre Meeting in Zurich in May 2018 (CHF 80,000) and events to mark the 200th birthdays of Alfred Escher and Gottfried Keller (CHF 39,000).
 

The Jazzpects supplement the Darmstadt Contributions to Jazz Research, a book series that documents the results of the Darmstadt Jazz Forum every two years and the Jazz News, and an e-mail newsletter that provides information on current developments in jazz every two weeks.

The first issue of the magazine contains a documentary by Rüdiger Ritter, Krystian Bodacki and Wolfram Knauer with many facsimiles about the II Jazz Festival in Sopot (Poland) in 1957, to which Werner Wunderlich, then living in Darmstadt, took a delegation of Frankfurt jazz musicians led by Albert and Emil Mangelsdorff to Poland. The event proved to be the prelude to and new beginning of cultural exchange between Germany and Poland after the Second World War.

At present, the content for Jazzpects is not subject to peer review. The staff of the Jazzinstitut are also editors; they are grateful for suggestions and proposals for future content. The current issue can always be downloaded as a pdf document at www.jazzpects.de can be downloaded.

The project office is intended to support the discourse and underpin it with measures. It builds on the work of the "Women in Culture and Media" round table of the Minister of State for Culture Monika Grütters and adds further elements to this work. The project will focus on the cultural and creative industries.

Various modules are intended to contribute to the qualification of women in the cultural and creative industries and to improve the national and international perception and marketing of their works. In particular, problems arising specifically from the artistic field and the special features of artistic and cultural creation are to be addressed. The project is scheduled to run for three years so that a review can be carried out in the middle of the next legislative period. The office will begin its work in September 2017.

Collections of musical instruments have a special status, as they are the only tangible objects of the immaterial art form of music alongside sound carriers and sheet music. The cultural-historical dimension of collecting musical instruments was the subject of the international conference Private Passion - Public Challenge. Collecting musical instruments in the past and presentwhich took place from May 9 to 11, 2017 at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum (GNM) in Nuremberg. It was initiated and organized by the staff of the project Collecting musical instruments - the example of the German Research Foundation. The conference focused on the one hand on the instrument as an object of cultural memory and on the other hand on the international comparison of private collections and their museums. A third complex discussed private collecting and its musealization, while a concluding section was dedicated to the special features of historical musical instruments in the context of provenance research.

In his introduction, FRANK P. BÄR (Nuremberg) highlighted the increasing challenges posed by the transition of a private collection into the public domain. Since the 1990s, research has not only focused on collection objects or collectors as subjects of investigation from a psychological, cultural anthropological or philosophical perspective, but the individual profile of formerly private collections also deserves increased attention from museums. Bär schematically summarized the essential differences between private and public collecting, whereby the profiles diverge considerably not only in terms of acquisition, preservation and presentation, but also with regard to responsibility in questions of administration, ownership, sustainability, documentation, provision and storage, not to mention financial possibilities and scientific expertise. This applies above all to increasingly urgent questions of provenance.
 

The majority of the contributions addressed fundamental questions about the current handling of collections from the perspective of their own institution. The introductory cultural-historical reflections by DOMINIK VON ROTH (Nuremberg,  The Rück Collection - a view of the whole), TIAGO DE OLIVEIRA PINTO (Weimar, Concepts and experiences of the Unesco Convention on "Music as Intangible Cultural Heritage") and MONIKA SCHMITZ-EMANS (Bochum, Music as an occasion for literary reflection and remembrance) provided the conceptual guideline for the discussion. With over 17,000 documents on acquisition, trade and restoration from the Rück Collection, von Roth highlighted the unique opportunity to rethink the phenomenon of the musical instrument collection in a museum context and to make the extensive network of a private collector and the individual objects digitally accessible not only to researchers but also to the public. For just as the documents form an essential part of the history of the instruments for the purposes of organological research and provenance, their role as representatives of cultural memory should not be underestimated. The collection strategies that can be read from the documents exemplify the cultural-historical field of tension between aesthetic ideas, empirical knowledge and economic conditions that musical instruments are able to represent.

The interrelationship between the immateriality of music and the materiality of musical instruments was also the focus of the following contributions. Pinto outlined the panorama of meanings attributed to musical instruments in the context of debates on cultural heritage. Beyond pure sound production, they function as carriers of a cross-generational transmission of knowledge and representatives of different music-cultural systems. Collecting and preserving thus takes on a global cultural-historical significance. Schmitz-Emans devoted herself to thinking about the symbolism of material objects on the basis of literary reflections. As an object of literature, the high cultural-symbolic significance of historical musical instruments becomes clear, whose immaterial patina points to the origins of music, indeed of culture in general (Carpentier, Los pasos perdidos, 1953), but also, in view of the horrors of the 20th century, even symbolizes the end of all culture (Grymes, Violins of Hope, 2014). However, the immaterial, which adheres to the material, requires constant narration. Although the immaterial, individual attributions have no guarantee of sustainability, musical instrument collections contain a cultural-performative quality in their individual logic, through which the past can become present.
 

These fundamental considerations were followed by individual and informative contributions on collection histories (FLORENCE GÉTREAU, Paris, Collecting musical instruments in France 1795-1995JOSEF FOCHT, Leipzig, The first generation of collectors at the Leipzig Musical Instrument MuseumBEATRIX DARMSTÄDTER, Vienna, Private collections in the public musical instrument museum). They reminded us that not only the inventory, but also the research and exhibition profile of public institutions is largely determined by the acquisition of private collections. In view of the heterogeneous appearance of many collections, it is not only the history of individual instruments, but also of the collections themselves that deserves to be conveyed. RENATO MEUCCI (Milan, Private and public collecting of musical instruments in Italy) used the example of Italy to illustrate that the ambitions of private collectors today with regard to the acquisition, but also the preservation and presentation of musical instruments are significantly higher than in public institutions. On the other hand, TIAGO DE OLIVEIRA PINTO (Collecting musical instruments beyond Europe - the Southeast Asian Musical Instruments Museum) Insights into an ambitious project in Bangkok, a museum without an existing collection, which will be brought together in the course of completion. Lively music-making determines the idea of an institution that will make the collection and preservation of musical diversity in the Southeast Asian cultural area accessible for research and teaching with a transnational perspective.

Two contributions by private collectors provided insights into the current motives and challenges of building and maintaining a collection (HEIKO HANSJOSTEN, Schweich/Heilbronn, The Hansjosten collection of historical keyboard instrumentsPETER THALHEIMER, Ilshofen, A private collection for concert use and as a source for music research). In addition to the playability of the instruments, the speakers illustrated a differentiated approach to their collection objects. Hansjosten took an economic look at his collection ("Clavieratelier im Barocken Küsterhaus", Föhren near Trier). Part of the tension between relatively high investments and personal satisfaction is the awareness of an uncertain future. At the same time, private owners benefit from greater flexibility on the market for historical musical instruments. The competitive situation among private collectors and the need for closer cooperation between private and public collections are also cited as acute problems. The initial impetus for Thalheimer's collection of recorders and flutes came from the need for "authentic" instruments for the reproduction of music, which could be made available for performance practice, organology and music research in equal measure through the collection. The production of copies is more than just a makeshift solution. Important questions of historical appropriateness are thus elegantly avoided, but not ignored.
 

The mutual influence of performance practice and instrument collections was also made clear in MARTIN KIRNBAUER's (Basel) insightful contribution (The "stylistically appropriate revival of old works of art" and the "instrument question". The Basel instrument collection between musical practice and museum). For the founder of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Paul Sacher, "stylistically appropriate revival" was also a question of the instrument. The collection of old musical instruments he built up thus goes far beyond the mere display of historical objects and forms an integral prerequisite for historically informed performance practice.

KLAUS MARTIUS (Nuremberg, The Rück Collection from a restoration perspective) gave an insight into the past and current concerns regarding the restoration of the Rück Collection. An enormous effort was made by the Rücks in order to achieve a "historically faithful restoration". The collaboration with the Leipzig restorer Otto Marx and the Erlangen musicologist Rudolf Steglich, which lasted more than three decades, is a pioneering example of close cooperation between the private collection, restoration, research and museums.

The contributions by PANAGIOTIS POULOPOULOS (Munich, Musical instrument collections and new media: observations from a visitor survey at the Deutsches Museum) and GERDA RIDLER (Linz, Art as a role model - New paths for private collections) discussed possibilities for the museum presentation of collections from very different perspectives. Poulopoulos addressed the question of how permanent exhibitions could be improved. Using the Deutsches Museum's instrument collection as an example, the use of new media and interaction possibilities was evaluated by means of an audience survey. In addition to the play and visualization factor, this revealed an increased need for background knowledge. On the visual arts side, Ridler explored the question of why collectors of modern and contemporary art attract so much attention, even beyond the boundaries of the pure art public. The significantly higher media presence of fine art compared to collections of musical instruments is just one factor. In addition to pragmatic, personal and philanthropic reasons (prestige, life's work, desire to create), the motives of private art initiatives include a sense of responsibility towards the public, but also dissatisfaction with the cooperation with public museums.

Critical questions, but also suggestions, were raised in the museological and musicological contributions by PETER VAN MENSCH (Berlin, Private collecting as a challenge for the public sector), FRANZ KÖRNDLE (Augsburg, Private collections - museums with an expiry date?) and CHRISTINA LINSENMEYER (Helsinki, Trends and visions of private and public collections): In his critical outline, van Mensch addressed the many contradictions and problems, but also opportunities, in the relationship between museums and private collectors. Private collections also reflect the diversity of curatorial perspectives, which are determined by dynamic structures, so-called "liquid frames". In future, networks in the sense of a private-public "community of heirs" will increasingly have to take account of the idea of preservation. Körndle, on the other hand, discussed the consequences of invasive measures on instruments in terms of playability and the varying degrees of responsibility of private and public collections. So far, different financial frameworks have led to individual approaches to solutions. Despite the Cultural Protection Act (2016), there are still uncertainties regarding the preservation, presentation and documentation of musical instruments. The future of instruments that have suffered a major loss of their original substance as a result of being played also remains uncertain. Copies offer an alternative. In view of the coexistence of original and playable copy, the question of aura can also be renegotiated. Linsenmeyer summarized the diversity of individual ideas and visions of collecting and asked how to deal with historical diversity in today's exhibition business. Using sometimes drastic examples, she illustrated the acute problems of changing values and current tasks of private and public collecting. The presentation thus formed the starting point for the subsequent panel discussion, which was chaired by FRIEDEMANN HELLWIG (Hamburg).
 

One of the most important challenges currently facing public collections in particular is provenance research. The fundamental paper by UWE HARTMANN (Magdeburg, Provenance research: only a task for the state?) highlighted the ethical and moral principles in dealing with objects of all kinds that are collected, traded, museumized and presented. The negotiation of the boundaries of public and private responsibility is ultimately aimed at the question of where it should and can be jointly exercised. MARKUS ZEPF (Leipzig, Neupert, Rück, Gurlitt. Private and "semi-public" musical instrument collections between the wars) referred to the importance of academic collections using the examples of Freiburg i. Br. and Heidelberg. He also highlighted the diverse and important connections to Nuremberg and the network around the collectors Rück. In addition to the instruments themselves, acquired and traded accessories, iconographic and musicological literature provide information about the different profiles of competing collections. LINDA ESCHERICH (Nuremberg, Provenance research beyond looted art and restitution - the "Rück-Portal") presented the Back portal which aims to create a virtual representation of the extensive network surrounding the Rück Collection. For example, documents recording the offer, valuation and purchase of instruments make it possible to trace a historical price index. Through the Back portal it is therefore possible to obtain extensive information, for example on questions of attribution, provenance, the histories of individual instruments and their acquisition. MONIKA LÖSCHER (Vienna, Provenance research in the collection of old musical instruments at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna [KHM]) explained the historical prerequisites for the establishment of the Commission for Provenance Research and for the adoption of the Art Restitution Act in Vienna. The systematic and proactive provenance research in the KHM's collection of old musical instruments provided an example of how the history of collections in and from the Nazi era can be dealt with.

CONNY RESTLE (Berlin) recently drew attention to the difficulties of certain provenances (The acquisition of the Wildhagen, Bitter and Paur collections by Alfred Berner between 1957 and 1962 for the Berlin Musical Instrument Museum). The Berlin example was used to explain the problematic situation with regard to acquisition and continued existence in post-war Berlin. Related to this is the question of whether and to what extent this specific situation could be integrated into the museum's existing presentation and research concept, especially against the background of an often unclear provenance.

All contributions to the conference highlighted the urgency of the topic and its methodical approach, both within and beyond public exhibition spaces. In this context, the Rück Collection and the GNM's associated project have a model status, not only by confronting the unpleasant, yet necessary questions, but also by addressing them with the Back portal actively working on their solution. The international orientation of the conference, which facilitated a fruitful dialog between musicologists, organologists, restorers and conservators, curators and private collectors, was an important way of creating new networks that are also sustainable. The suggestions emanating from the conference for a new museology of musical instrument collections, which can formulate consensual goals, form sustainable coalitions and present visions for the future, will not least help to inspire and convince politicians and cultural sponsors of the essentially self-evident topic of "music". An open access publication of the contributions for arthistoricum.net - ART-Books is already being planned.

The Winterthur Art and Sports School is being built on the site of the Deutweg sports park in the new "Wincity" sports center together with the private school "SBW Haus des Lernens AG". The school will offer proven talents from the fields of sport, music or dance with a high level of training the opportunity to combine a secondary school education and a sporting or artistic career simultaneously and holistically.

A talent class with 22 places has been run in the Feld school building in Winterthur since 2009. The cantonal government has extended the license, which was originally limited to two years, several times, most recently until the end of the 2018/2019 school year, with the clear intention - similar to the schools in Uster and Zurich - of transferring the talent class to an arts and sports school in Winterthur.

With its decision, the Central School Board has now followed the recommendation of the cantonal government. As a result, the existing talent class in the Feld school building is to be closed at the end of the 2017/2018 school year. Follow-up solutions for pupils in the existing talent classes will be made possible at the newly established Winterthur Art and Sports School.

An information event will be held for parents, guardians and current pupils at the end of August 2017 in the Feld school building to provide direct information about the planned transition of the talent class to the "K+S Schule Winterthur", the new offer and the possible follow-up solutions.

The city council has approved a grant totaling CHF 200,000 for the first four years of operation of the new "K+S School Winterthur".
 

Brass instruments don't get very old. Their mechanics wear out and the brass corrodes. Surprisingly, hardly anything is known about the corrosion inside them. While external corrosion can easily be avoided by rubbing the instrument after use (in museums by wearing gloves), the decomposition of the metal from the inside is simply accepted. Could it not be avoided? Or could corrosion at least be reduced by appropriate care, thereby extending the life of the instruments? And could this also be applied to historical instruments if they were to be played again?

A research project at Bern University of the Arts HKB together with specialists from ETH Zurich, the Swiss National Museum and the Paul Scherrer Institute investigated these questions. On Fourth International Romantic Brass Symposium the results were presented at the end of February and discussed with international experts.
 

The inner workings of a played brass instrument - a narrow tunnel system up to over ten meters long (tuba) - are hardly known. A wide variety of corrosion phenomena can occur in it, chemical changes in the metal that are mainly activated by moisture. And it is constantly damp inside. After a few minutes of playing, a tropical climate prevails with almost one hundred percent humidity. And even after playing, the interior remains damp for many days. This is simply because the dry ambient air can hardly penetrate the narrow tubes. (This is different with saxophones and flutes, as their tubing is short and many keys are open when not in use). The valve slides never dry at all, as they are cut off from the outside air.

It would actually be easy to change this. In its investigations, the research project was able to show that a fan can be used to remove all the moisture from the instrument in one to three hours, including that from the valve slides if the valves are depressed. This would greatly slow down the corrosion processes.
 

A long-term study was subsequently able to prove the effectiveness of this treatment. Sixteen different instruments from trumpet to tuba were played daily for 14 months. Eight were treated after playing in the usual way for brass instruments, i.e. removing the condensation and leaving them in the air (not in the bag). The other eight instruments were also dried with a fan. At the start, in the middle and at the end of the long-term study, the instruments were always examined in the same places using three methods.

Photo: David Mannes, Paul Scherrer Institute

Breathable air was first introduced into this cornet (right) and then dried using a fan (left). Neutron images made the moisture inside visible.

1. Electrochemical measurements determined the speed of the corrosive processes locally using a specially designed miniature sensor, which was pressed against the wall in the pipe with a balloon. It measured the corrosion rate at 102 points (each of which had to be found exactly). The statistical analysis showed that the instruments with a fan corroded less quickly on average than those that were not dried.
    
2. Neutron tomography: Neutrons shine through the metal and produce a 3D model in the computer. This makes it possible to view the inside of the instrument even in inaccessible places and to detect changes from the time of the long-term study. 2D neutron images also made it possible to "film" the development of moisture inside the instrument, see image above.
    
3. Visual examination using an endoscope: over 1000 points in the instruments were photographed at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the long-term study, see figure below. The local development of the different corrosion phenomena could thus be visually determined and then statistically evaluated.

Photo (using an endoscope): Martin Ledergerber, Swiss National Museum

Corrosion phenomena in the tuning slide of a tuba at the point where the tube and bend are soldered together: at the start of the long-term study (left), and the strong development after 7 and 14 months

The results of all three measurement methods showed that although drying cannot prevent internal corrosion, it does prevent it from accelerating. Like woodwind players who wipe out their instrument after playing as a maintenance measure, brass players would simply have to plug in the fan after practicing. The easiest way to do this is to use a small device that is inserted into the mouthpiece holder (available, for example, from www.serpents.ch). Warm air (hair dryer), on the other hand, is unnecessary and can cause damage. This drying method is particularly effective for instruments that are rarely played, especially those from collections, as the period of internal humidity is reduced from many days to a few hours after a single attempt at playing.

Further measures could be taken to prolong the life of metal instruments: external care after playing, use of non-corrosive valve oils and lubricants, transportation in non-corrosive bags. On the project website www.hkb-interpretation.ch/projekte/korrosion The project's questions, approach and results, as well as further information and films on the development of humidity inside the building and recordings of the symposium concert (with Stravinsky's Sacre du printemps on historical brass instruments) can be found on the website.

This is how it works:
Carefully and slowly remove the double and rubberized plastic foil on the back page of the 2016/2017 agenda and stick it back on the back page of the 2017/2018 agenda together with the pencil and the latest - original pencil-free - agenda is ready to write again!
 

The Arthur Waser Prize 2017 goes to the 22-year-old American pianist George Li. The prize is awarded by the Arthur Waser Foundation and the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra. According to the foundation, the previous winners were cellist Edgar Moreau (2015) and organist Sebastian Küchler-Blessing (2013). In addition to prize money of 25,000 francs, the prize includes a debut at the KKL Lucerne with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra (LSO).

George Li, who already performed with the LSO in Shanghai in 2016, will be heard at the prizewinners' concerts at the KKL on May 2 and 3, 2018, according to the press release.

In the SAMBA (Smart Data for Music Business Administration) project, a team is developing context-based analysis methods and procedures for structuring and visualizing data. With this data, music managers should be able to assess the so-called "artist life cycle" and thus, for example, whether the popularity of a song is declining or whether it still has potential.

The program should also be able to distinguish automatically generated comments and activities by so-called bots from comments by people with real accounts. For example, many likes with few views of the profile or song can be an indication of the activity of bots.

More info:
https://samba.fhstp.ac.at/
 

Swiss Radio and Television, together with RTS, RSI and RTR, is looking for the participant who will travel to Portugal in May 2018 for the "Eurovision Song Contest" 2018. The selection process for Switzerland has been adjusted in some respects.

SRG SSR is now focusing on the song in the first step and only then looking for the perfect voices. Further changes to the selection process: a jury made up of music and media professionals, "ESC" fans and viewers will determine which songs will be included in the live show. The audience and an international jury will each select the winner in the "ESC 2018 - Decision Show" on a 50 percent basis.

Further information is available on srf.ch/eurovision to find.

According to the German Music Information Center (MIZ), an institution of the German Music Council, the reason for this is not least the greater attention paid to popular music, whose share of reporting is now on a par with that of serious music. Despite the high esteem in which musical topics are held, however, the number of permanently employed music editors has fallen. Above all, the competition from free offerings on the Internet poses particular challenges for the makers of print media.

In a new focus on "Music reporting in print and online media", the MIZ takes a look at the current situation of music journalism in Germany and provides basic information on structures and developments in this field. The editorial offices of around 170 daily and weekly newspapers that regularly report on music-related topics are examined. According to the MIZ, there are currently around 100 full-time editors working in the editorial offices who focus on music in their reporting.

In addition to the daily and weekly newspapers, there are around 170 regularly published music journals with a wide range of content: from large consumer magazines and magazines focusing on individual musical genres to instrument-specific titles and academic or professional group-oriented publications, for example in the field of musicology or music therapy. They are supplemented by a constantly growing number of online offerings and music blogs.
 

After decades of niche existence, surround sound has become en vogue. Inspired by the visionary power of the musical avant-garde, systems for spatial sound production and reproduction have been developed and established over the past decades, and institutions such as the IRCAM in Paris and the ZKM now offer research and presentation platforms for them.

In the visual field, 3D cinema and fulldome film experienced a renaissance from the mid-noughties at the latest, while event venues, movie palaces, theaters and discotheques began to invest in immersive spatial sound systems shortly afterwards. Today, immersive applications in the fields of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) even make use of the portability and compactness of smartphones.

As part of the festival, current applications will be shown and current artistic approaches and contemporary methods will be discussed against the backdrop of a philosophical-aesthetic discourse. Until July 31, 2017, the ZKM is calling for submissions of scientific and non-scientific works and contributions in the categories lectures and posters, compositions and performances, installations as well as workshops and seminars/demonstrations.

More info: zkm.de/event/2017/12/insonic-2017
 

From July 6 to 10, 2017, over 80 youth music formations from all over the world presented themselves to a jury of experts. Under the direction of Patrick Ottiger, the BML Talents impressed the jury so much that they achieved the highest score in their category twice, bringing two world championship titles to Lucerne.

As the Bürgermusik writes, the junior formation gave two outstanding performances of both the task piece "Fight for Liberty", which was composed by Mario Bürki, and their own choice piece "...as a Glow" by Ludovic Neurohr.

This is the BML Talents' second participation in the World Youth Music Festival in Zurich. Their last participation was in 2012, when they also won in both categories.
 

The choR inteR kultuR project began a year ago with an introductory rehearsal. With intensive rehearsals and two well-attended concerts in Beirut, it reached its first highlight in April. In the Lebanese capital, the Swiss were welcomed by the choir of the American University of Beirut. In addition to the work and personal exchanges, the ten-day stay also included excursions and a reception at the Swiss embassy, which is acting as a project partner.

In addition to the two choirs, the two Swiss concerts in August will feature the Palestinian singer Reem Talhami, who is widely known in the Arab world, and an oriental instrumental ensemble. With aanilhoub - about love an intercultural choral work by Fortunat Frölich will be performed, combining traditional oriental melodies with European polyphony and harmony.

The Swiss composer Fortunat Frölich is considered an expert on Arabic music. He was a guest lecturer at the Moroccan National Conservatory for several years. In his so-called "intercultural" compositions, he combines the essentially different tonal systems of the Orient and the Occident. "The result is something third - music that has never been heard before," says Fritz Hegi, professor emeritus at the Zurich University of the Arts. Fortunat Frölich's intercultural compositions have already been performed at several international festivals in Africa and Europe, such as the Festival de Rabat, Mawazine Festival (Morocco), Stimmen Festival Lörrach and Zürcher Theaterspektakel.
 

As the Swiss Choral Association (SCV) writes, the special interest channels will therefore continue to exist. A petition has been launched by the music associations (we have reported) 20,000 signatures were collected in a short space of time. This signal has been received by politicians, the SCV continues.

On February 13, 2017, the National Council's Committee for Transport and Telecommunications (KVF) referred a motion that would have called on the Federal Council to reduce the number of special-interest stations such as Radio Swiss Pop, Radio Swiss Classic, Radio Swiss Jazz, Virus, Musikwelle and RTS Option Musique, which in the opinion of the motion's authors "do not actually perform a public service mandate".