"We have options, maybe you don't have to pay for everything out of your own pocket!" we reply.

In fact, you have to take care of financing your tuition fees, which can be divided into fixed and variable costs. Admittedly, you cannot necessarily expect to be fully financed. But following the principle of subsidiarity, tapping into various sources in addition to state support and making your own contributions opens up a different perspective on your own situation.

Acquiring different sources of finance

Looking for ways to finance your own further education is part and parcel of finding out about the study programs available to you. However, this is not necessarily the case when it comes to further education or undergraduate studies, as the corresponding courses in music are primarily offered by state-subsidized universities. As a rule, there is little to almost no personal contribution to costs - measured against the actual costs of a place on a course.

Internal university scholarship competition

Checking the options available at the respective university for acquiring funding can also influence the decision for or against applying to study.

At the Kalaidos University of Music, we are offering students enrolled in the future the prospect of attractive financial support. These are merit-based and are awarded annually in an open competition, which also applies to students who are already enrolled. In addition to scholarships to cover certain parts of the cost of studies, prizes are also awarded.

New category: Music education/didactics

As announced in the last issue of SMZ, this year we are not only awarding prizes in Music Performance, but also explicitly and independently taking music education into account. This means that in addition to a purely artistic evaluation of the musical performance, a separate category for outstanding didactic achievements will also be introduced. In both Performance and Pedagogy, participation is possible in the styles "Classical" and "Jazz/Pop" - corresponding to our two main areas of study. You can also compete in several categories.

Admission test afterwards

Successful participation in the competition is a guarantee of a scholarship or prize at the start of your studies. However, this does not guarantee formal admission to the course. For this, a separate entrance examination must be taken at the end of November.

The Kalaidos University of Music is particularly interesting for late entrants and/or those who wish to study music part-time or continue their education - possibly, if not the only possibility...

Few Swiss composers of the 20th century have left behind an oeuvre with such a broad stylistic spectrum as Benno Ammann. Born in Gersau, he created over 500 works, initially tonal in the style of the Groupe des Six and less progressive in the classical-romantic tradition for amateur music, later turning more and more to the avant-garde cultivated in Darmstadt, and finally working almost exclusively with experimental and electronic music. The latter creative period has been the subject of lively discussion in New Music circles for some time and the Basel Madrigalists brought Benno Ammann's name back into the limelight in 2021 - thanks to their first recording of his most important vocal composition, the Missa Defensor Pacis, which was premiered in St. Peter's Basilica in 1947 on the occasion of the canonization of Brother Klaus.

As the saying goes, where there's light, there's shadow - in a traditionally highlight-heavy musician's biography, it's easy to forget that in contrast to the significant moments in the limelight, there is an everyday existence in the shadows - which is not meant to be as negative as it may sound, because in the shadowy freshness, one works soberly for a living. Benno Ammann not only worked as a celebrated composer and orchestral conductor between Darmstadt and Rome, but also as the director of several amateur choirs in the Basel region. His work in the Roman Catholic parish of St. Josef in Aesch (BL) from 1951 to 1959 is exemplary of this - particularly because during this time Ammann experienced not only compositional highlights but also interpersonal conflicts of the kind that occur wherever people work together and sometimes, unfortunately, against each other.

The circumstances in Aesch that led to Ammann's appointment there in 1951 were already of an all-too-human nature: on White Sunday, an assistant organist missed the start of a hymn during the service, which sparked a dispute between the main organist Hans Kirschner and Pastor Isidor Ottiger that continued to plague parish life until the autumn. In solidarity with the organist, village teacher Fritz Renz also resigned as choirmaster, so that Father Ottiger was able to persuade his school friend Benno from Einsiedeln to succeed him. On October 19, 1951, Ammann conducted the first rehearsal of the Cäcilienchor in the church in Aesch and enjoyed remarkable freedom right from the start despite the six-month rehearsal period. In January 1952, for example, he was granted a longer deputation from May to September to work on compositions. This included attending the Darmstadt summer courses, where he met Olivier Messiaen, among others, but presumably also composing a new festive mass Missa Christus Dominus for the Aesch parish, which was premiered at Easter 1953. This makes us sit up and take notice, especially as there is no evidence that the parish paid the fee for a composition commission. Rather, it seems plausible that Father Ottiger, as President of the Swiss St. Luke's Society for Art and Church, was behind it: at the same time, Ammann was working on the setting of three poems by the Central Swiss poet Walter Hauser (1902-1963) for baritone solo and organ, which were first heard in the orchestral version at the St. Luke's Conference in Zurich in 1954. It is therefore conceivable that Ottiger and Ammann put together a package, as excerpts from the Missa Christus Dominus were presented again in a church music evening celebration in March 1954 together with the premiere of the organ version of the aforementioned Three Spiritual Songs.

Pastor Ottiger never tired of praising the new creations of his intimate. He wrote in the Basler Volksblatt that it was "probably the first time that twelve-tone music was heard in a church concert in our country". As president of the St. Luke's Society, he must have had a good overview of contemporary sacred music; whether it was actually the first performance of sacred twelve-tone music in Switzerland requires further research. Formally, the three pieces with a separate instrumental prelude are conservative and loosely reminiscent of a suite. The harmony is anchored more in the free tonality of the early 20th century than in a dodecaphonic lack of rules. Ammann orchestrated each of the original organ versions differently. No. 1 (Der Weihrauch), with its constantly fanning out recitative tones, is set for string orchestra, the recitative-like No. 2 (Der Kelch) requires additional woodwinds and two horns, and No. 3 (Aufstieg) again requires additional timpani and two trumpets. The baritone, as the melodically concise protagonist, is almost continuously in responsorial dialogue with the harmonically gentle instrumental accompaniment, which seemed to meet the demands of church music and aesthetics at the time and did not overtax the audience in Aesch, who were used to pleasing music. There is a version of No. 1 with a soprano solo, which Ammann created specifically for the premiere in Aesch and which was not included in the final complete version with a baritone solo.

Ammann also premiered two shorter works for choir a cappella at this evening celebration. The first was a simple Ave Maria, composed in 1949 and published two years later by Éditions Schola Cantorum in Paris, and the second was the Litany Anima Christi for choir and baritone solo. Ammann wrote this in 1952 in an early German version and it was praised by Messiaen in Darmstadt as an "œuvre sincère et émouvante": "J'en ai hautement apprécié l'esprit modal, la variété rythmique et le caractère profondément réligieux." The fact that Ammann chose the peripheral town of Aesch, far away from the major church music centers, for the premiere of these highly acclaimed choral works can certainly be seen as a sign of recognition for the Cäcilienchor and as an expression of solidarity with Pastor Ottiger, as the later published version in Latin was premiered under diametrically opposed circumstances: in 1957 as part of the world-renowned Congrès international de musique sacrée III in Paris.

Ammann's main work in Aesch is undoubtedly the Missa Christus Dominus. It is dedicated to Pastor Ottiger and the Cäcilienchor Aesch and sets the Ordinary of the Mass in the usual six movements Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei. Formally, the work is kept simple; Ammann chose a largely homophonic choral setting with occasional solos from the choral ranks without independent solo parts as well as a demanding, colorfully registered organ accompaniment, which has to play virtuoso passages, especially in the Gloria and Credo. Sanctus and Benedictus are characterized by monophonic melodies with a transparent accompaniment that is reduced to the bare essentials. The Kyrie and Agnus Dei form the framework with a striking third motif ostinato, which Ammann borrowed from the Proprium In festo S. Pauli a Cruce. In a review of the work (published in the Basler Volksblatt on April 20, 1953), music critic Joachim Keller described the harmonies as "free-floating, largely polytonal and even atonal in places", whereby "these different modes of expression blend and dissolve in almost imperceptible transitions, never offending the ear". Like so many new creations, the Missa Christus Dominus was no exception. The quiet movements Sanctus and Benedictus were once again part of the aforementioned evening celebration in March 1954, after which the work disappeared unpublished into the archives. The author of this text, the current director of the Cäcilienchor Aesch, has undertaken a revival of the work, which was given an extremely prominent setting in May 2024 when the choir was invited to the annual swearing-in ceremony of the Swiss Guard in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome - the so-called Sacco di Roma. The mass is aimed at good amateur choirs and professional vocal ensembles. Based on the organ setting, an optional additional accompaniment for string quintet has been added and several choral sections have been marked for optional solo performance. This gives interested choirs the opportunity to perform the Missa Christus Dominus both in its original form and with additional timbres that support the choir with additional string quintet and at the same time relieve the strain thanks to the solo parts.

As much as the first years were characterized by creativity and success, Ammann's reputation in Aesch began to crack. In the spring of 1954, the preparations for the aforementioned evening celebration suffered from many absences by choir members and there were tensions with the young organist Othmar Lenherr, who was still in training, which were resolved thanks to the mediation of Father Ottiger. In collaboration with Father Bertwin Frey (1916-1999) from Central Switzerland, the Prayer Singing Mass in honor of Pius X, also known simply as the German Singing Mass, was composed. The form and content of the seven-movement work for monophonic choir and organ accompaniment are strongly reminiscent of the German High Mass by Michael Haydn or the German Mass by Franz Schubert. The melody is entirely geared towards congregational singing, as is the discreet organ accompaniment, which remains harmonically simple and yet reflects Ammann's style. It was premiered by the Cäcilienchor in Aesch on March 6, 1955. The work will soon be published in a polyphonic arrangement, so that a version for smaller amateur choirs will be available in addition to the original monophonic version.

Conciliatory tones after a long dispute

From November 1956 to June 1958, Ammann also took over as interim director of the church choir in Muttenz. In Aesch, resentment spread due to Ammann's often too short-term program planning. In the summer of 1957, a vice conductor was requested as a regular deputy and in January 1958, the demand for a music commission followed. Once again, there were months of disputes, which were fueled by the dismissal of organist Othmar Lenherr and culminated in an extraordinary general meeting of the Cäcilienchor, which was deliberately not recorded in the minutes. In a three-hour discussion between the church council and the choir board, the reasons for the strong opposition were given: "The choir [was] insufficiently prepared, [...] it was impossible to negotiate with the conductor, he always acted on his own authority. During the singing lessons, he always tried to stop the rehearsals early in order to get home on time." Ammann responded with a request for a dispensation "due to severe professional overload" in order to "devote more time to his own work and the problems of new music". In the fall of 1958, Pastor Ottiger arranged for Josef Hunkeler, a teacher working in Aesch, to become the new organist. Ammann handed in his resignation in June 1959 and recommended Hunkeler as his successor, who subsequently remained director of the Cäcilienchor Aesch for 30 years. In the annual report for 1959, Kuno Stöckli, newly elected choir president and most recently Ammann's deputy conductor, struck a conciliatory note: "His artistic nature made it difficult for him to work successfully with us. We are therefore all the more pleased that his artistic nature has recently led him to various international successes in the field of composition. We would like to thank him for his work with us and wish him many more great successes as a composer."

Who knows how Benno Ammann would have continued to compose in Aesch if the collaboration had not been hampered by mutual inability. This is indicated by the sketch of a polyphonic movement on the Gregorian Tantum ergo, dated June 29, 1953, and another Ave Maria for mixed choir, which Ammann completed on Christmas Day 1953 and presumably had in mind for Aesch, but only added a subsequent dedication for Abbot Benno Gut of Einsiedeln Abbey in 1957. In addition, fragments for another mass setting have been preserved, the Missa sopra AESCH, which Ammann also sketched in 1953 with motifs on the tone sequence A-E-Es-C-H. He does not appear to have pursued any of these works and sketches any further when the first problems arose in spring 1954. Nevertheless, they also document the lively compositional activity that Ammann pursued for church music in Aesch and which - apart from simple arrangements of folk songs - he did not carry out with any of the other choirs that he had directed. It was certainly his long-standing friendship with Pastor Ottiger, which had probably kept him in Aesch longer than was expedient, but was lost after his departure: Ammann left dinner invitations from Ottiger to his home in Aesch, always introduced with "My dear", unanswered.

New edition by Pizzicato Verlag Helvetia

It is thanks to the interest of Pizzicato Verlag Helvetia that, in addition to the electronic works by Benno Ammann, all the works from his Aesch period discussed here are also being published in a new edition: The Missa Christus Dominus with optional string accompaniment; the Deutsche Singmesse with optional polyphonic choral setting; the Drei geistliche Gesänge in all surviving versions for soprano, baritone, organ and orchestra; the Litany Anima Christi in all surviving versions for female or mixed choir as well as in German and Latin; two settings of the Ave Maria and a polyphonic setting of the Gregorian Tantum ergo; and the fragments of the Missa sopra AESCH with optional completion into a performable version. In this way, a representative, stylistically broad selection of Benno Ammann's artistically significant and practice-oriented oeuvre for various formations at home and abroad can be made accessible on the basis of a self-contained creative period: Amateur, church and professional choirs, soloists as well as instrumental ensembles from organ to string quintet to orchestra. The works will be available from the publisher from fall 2024.

In 2022, a new concept for a master class was developed in collaboration with the OSI (Orchestra della svizzera italiana) and the CSI (Conservatorio della svizzera italiana).

This year, Robert Kowalski, the 1st concertmaster of the OSI, supervised and taught four students from the CSI Pre-College for a week in Arosa. This year's master class took place from June 24 to 29. This was followed by three concerts in Arosa, Cham and Lugano. The four young musicians - Adeleide Chiaradonna, Gianluigi Sartori, Tommaso Braido and Milo Antognini - had an instructive time in Arosa. The rehearsal days were intensive. They were able to gain valuable experience thanks to Robert Kowalski's experienced, professionally and personally proven direction and Redjan Teqia's accompaniment.

The next masterclass will take place in June 2025, and the short concert tour will take the young musicians to Cham and Lugano in addition to Arosa. Additional concert venues are currently being clarified.

"Hans Schaeuble Award"

Since 2015, the "Hans Schaeuble Recognition Prize" has been awarded each year to several participants of the two Arosa Music Academy weeks. Thanks to the generous increase in the Hans Schaeuble Foundation's contribution from 2023, this prize can now be greatly enhanced. In addition to the recognition prizes, a Hans Schaeuble Award worth CHF 2,000 will be presented for each Academy week. The Arosa Music Academy are two international master classes of the Arosa Music Course Weeks for the instruments violin/viola/violoncello and saxophone/accordion. The awards include an invitation to actively participate in the Arosa Classical Music Festival the following spring. Under the direction of Markus Fleck (violin) and Lars Mlekusch (saxophone), a chamber music program will be developed and subsequently performed in Arosa, Chur, Zurich and Boswil.

In Chur, the concerts are organized in collaboration with the Konzertstudio and "klibühni, Das Theater". In Zurich, the concert will take place as part of the "Mittagsmusik im Predigerchor" concert series at Zurich Central Library. The last concert will then take place at the Haus der Musik in Boswil.

Arosa Classical Music Festival

The Arosa Classical Music Festival 2025 will take place from March 7 - 29 in various concert venues in Arosa.

In addition to concerts by the prizewinners of the Arosa Music Academy, the focus will be on the voice in all its facets. The opening event will focus on the literary voice. This includes a lecture on "Hermann Hesse in Arosa" with the journalist Ueli Haldimann and the actor Christian Sprecher. Song recitals, a lecture on animal voices, a music theater about the "Queen of Dissonance" Florence Foster Jenkins, a film about a Turkish mountain people who communicate over great distances using whistling sounds instead of their voices will be shown and heard.

At the end of the classical music festival, the Arosa mixed choir will perform a program of "light" classical music.

Information about the festival will be published at the end of November on www.arosaklassik.ch is now available.

Sustainable health management begins in music education, primarily in music schools, which are well organized in Switzerland and can develop targeted prevention measures. They have the networks and experience to do so. However, more and more private providers, national internet platforms and global offerings in social media are shaking the tried and tested foundations of music education. There is now a wide variety of methodological approaches and providers. As a result, music education is changing from a traditional seller's market with stable, union-protected and therefore comparatively high fees to an almost completely liberalized and globalized buyer's market with high pressure on the income situation of music teachers. There is a danger that health management and prevention will fall by the wayside as dispensable luxury aspects of teaching. This applies all the more to forms of online teaching that hardly allow teachers any physical feedback. In Lucerne, Philippe Krüttli, President of the Swiss Association of Music Schools, Gerhard Wolters from the "Private Academy for Music Education Innovation", which he founded himself, and Dawn Rose, music psychologist at the Lucerne School of Music, will be among those addressing these challenges.

Christoph Reich is a member of Swissmedmusica and was head team doctor at Zurich Football Club for several years. He heads the medical service of the Swiss Paralympic Committee, is the association doctor of the Swiss Association for Disabled Sports Plusport and is the doctor in charge of the Regional Performance Center for Rhythmic Gymnastics.

What can sports medicine teach musicians?
Christoph Reich: In short: a sober look at the mechanics of movement and the state of training. Despite all the emotions and the importance of physical expression in individual sports, sport ultimately has many very factual aspects: Counting, measuring and direct comparison, and so it is not surprising that movement analysis, knowledge of the physical load-bearing capacity of tendons and a look at the state of training are very present in everyday sport.

What can musicians learn from sports medicine?
Thanks to musicians' medicine and music physiology, this knowledge is now also very present in music education, and it has also reached musicians. Ultimately, it's about being in close contact with your own body and working in partnership with it. Our bodies are very resilient, but only to the stresses for which they have been well prepared.

More about the National Health Day Music on November 9, 2024 in Lucerne: swissmedmusica.ch/healthday

Switzerland, with its long tradition of openness and hospitality, is a crossroads of cultures. This unique characteristic is deeply reflected in the social and cultural fabric of the country. Located in the heart of Europe, Switzerland is surrounded by countries with different traditions, which has led to the formation of a multilingual and multicultural society.

Over the centuries, merchants, artists, intellectuals and political refugees have found a safe haven in Switzerland and contributed to the enrichment of the country's cultural heritage. This diversity has created an environment in which different forms of artistic expression can thrive and interact with each other.

Music has played a key role in bringing people together across linguistic and cultural boundaries. Music festivals, schools and academies have increasingly celebrated this diversity, creating a soundscape that is as diverse as the people who inhabit our country. Bands, choirs and Swiss folk groups often incorporate elements from other musics, reflecting a musical identity that is both local and global.

In the contemporary music panorama, competitions are not only a stage for talent, but also a crucial opportunity to promote fundamental values such as inclusivity and diversity on a human and musical level. In Switzerland, various competitions such as the SJMW are playing an increasingly central role in this area and are actively committed to ensuring that all young musicians have equal access to these valuable opportunities.

The influence of diversity on artistic development

The musical diversity at the SJMW has a significant influence on the artistic development of the participants. Performing alongside peers with different styles and backgrounds stimulates creativity and encourages musicians to grow and experiment. This exposure to a wide range of musical styles allows young artists to broaden their horizons and enrich their repertoire.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the SJMW is the variety of musical genres represented here. From the strict classical style to the expressive freedom of jazz, from the infectious rhythm of pop to the complexity of contemporary music, every genre finds its voice and its audience.

Taking part in the SJMW means having the opportunity to perform in an environment that values all forms of musical expression. The competition thus becomes a fertile ground for artistic growth, where influences intermingle and the boundaries between genres become fluid. Young talents can learn new techniques, experiment with different sounds and, above all, discover the beauty of musical diversity.

A path of growth and discovery

The SJMW is committed to strengthening its role as an inclusive and diverse organization in the Swiss music landscape. This commitment is reflected not only in the expansion of the musical genres on offer in recent years, but also in offering all young musicians a fair and open platform. 

In an increasingly globalized world, the ability to embrace diversity will be critical to the success and growth of the next generation.
generation of music makers. Through
By promoting cultural exchange through music, the competition not only prepares participants to excel in the global music arena, but also helps to build bridges between cultures and strengthen the social fabric of Switzerland and beyond. 

Music is a powerful catalyst for change and understanding, and the SJMW shows how competitions can be much more than simple contests: They can be true engines of progress and social innovation.

Andreas Haefliger is recognized for his sensitivity, musical insight and transcendent piano playing. Known for his innovative programming, he brings an all-encompassing passion and humanity to his concert performances and recordings. The piano recital will be followed by "Uri inspires - Beethoven triumphs". The 40-minute music film by Graubünden filmmaker Daniel von Aarburg shows how Andreas Haefliger explores Ludwig van Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata in the mountains of Uri during the "Corona period".

Young talents from the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana Lugano will be performing in Arosa on June 27 as a kind of "pre-opening". "Romanticism? Romanticism!" could be the title of their program. In this concert, they will present works that they have practiced during a rehearsal week offered by AROSA Kultur. The concert will also be performed in Cham on June 28 and in Lugano on June 29. 

The long-standing tradition of opera performances will continue this year. Operetta Ardez will be a guest in Arosa. They call their latest production "Teater musical sotto le stelle dans le quatre Landessprachen", freely adapted from Engelbert Humperdinck's opera "Hänsel und Gretel" in a new guise with music by G. Bizet, F. Lehar, Mani Matter, canzun rumantschas, Cat Stevens and others.

Also to be heard: A "jazzy" saxophone combo from Bern "klapparat", a folk music encounter concert with the "Jodelclub Hochwang" from Landquart and the "Brandhölzler Striichmusig", a formation from Toggenburg Children's concerts have always been an integral part of the AROSA Summer of Culture. On five Mondays from July 8, various theater groups, musicians and puppeteers enchant children's hearts, parents, godparents and nanis with their performances. 

The Bergkirchlikon concerts are almost legendary. Every Tuesday at five o'clock, musicians perform in the 531-year-old chapel at 1900 meters above sea level. 

Readings and an art lecture on Augusto Giacometti round off the varied program.

When the weather is fine, many of the events take place on the magical forest stage in Arosa. 

All information is available on www.arosakultur.ch to find. 

The Swiss Federal Orchestra Association can look back on an extremely successful Assembly of Delegates on June 8 in Chur with more than 100 participants. In attendance were 81 delegates from 52 orchestras, honorary members, the EOV Board and a dozen guests from partner associations, a representative of the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) and members of the host orchestra Chur. Official apologies were received from 38 orchestras.

After a beautiful musical prelude by the Chur Orchestra under the direction of Hugo Bollschweiler and lunch together, the statutory business was discussed. The minutes of the 2023 AGM in Sarnen, the President's 2023 annual report, the 2023 annual accounts and the budget for 2024 were unanimously approved by the delegates.

Last year, the EOV Board initiated new network meetings for youth orchestra boards and has already held two very successful events in Bern and Zurich. Soon there will also be meetings for all EOV orchestra boards. Another
The focus was also on expanding the range of partner courses: two new providers of high-quality orchestra and chamber music courses were acquired as partners. Members of EOV orchestras can take part in these courses at a reduced rate.

The membership fees and the flat-rate fees for the Schweizer Musikzeitung (SMZ) remain unchanged, while the SUISA fees were increased slightly to compensate for inflation.

Network meeting for board members and evaluation of library use

President Johannes Reinhard explained the focal points of the association's work in the current 2024 financial year, including an evaluation of the
use of the music library in order to subsequently position the offer in the digital age, the continuation of the above-mentioned network meetings for board members and the support of the orchestras in implementing the new data protection law in their own association (see below). In addition, contacts with the grassroots are to be further intensified, networking between orchestras and cooperation with other Swiss music associations (particularly with regard to the joint media presence) expanded.

The tribute and farewell to EOV Treasurer René Roshardt, who left the EOV Board after 21 years in office, took up a lot of space.
René is leaving. René has had a decisive influence on the last two EOV decades and was made an honorary member for his substantial commitment to the association. "It would go beyond the scope of this article to list all his achievements," said Vice President Bernadette Wiederkehr in her laudatory speech. "René was a prudent treasurer who took his work very seriously and managed the association's assets carefully." He was also the main person responsible for the performance agreements with the BAK and managed numerous special projects, such as the trip of an EOV project orchestra to the EOFed Festival in Tallinn (Estonia) in 2012. René received a photo book, lovingly designed by Bernadette, in which numerous EOV companions share anecdotes in words and pictures about their collaboration with René.

Niccolà Schaub new in the finance department

Niccolà Schaub, who was previously responsible for digital matters such as the website and newsletter on the EOV Board, will take over the vacant Finance department. Joel Mähne, born in 1998 and resident in Bern, was elected unanimously and with applause as a new member of the Board for digital communication. We look forward to working with Joel, who studied theater studies and business administration and is also president of the orchestra giovane project orchestra. All previous Board members and Johannes Reinhard as President were unanimously confirmed in office.

The afternoon program continued with the workshop on data protection in the association and the parallel guided tour of Chur. The successful Graubünden delegates' meeting ended with a cozy aperitif offered by the EOV and informal discussions in the KostBar restaurant.

The next Assembly of Delegates will take place in Solothurn, probably on April 26, 2025, and will be hosted by the Solothurn City Orchestra in collaboration with the Solothurn Regional Youth Symphony Orchestra (RJSO). More detailed information will follow after the summer vacation.

Privacy policy: New services now available on EOV website

The experienced lawyer and data protection specialist Klaus Krohmann has In a workshop tailored to the EOV, the participants were informed about the new Swiss Data Protection Act (DPA), which came into force on September 1, 2023, and explained what precautions orchestral associations must take to ensure data security and the rights of their members in accordance with the new law. It also showed how orchestral associations can draw up their own privacy policy step by step.

All member orchestras can now download Krohmann's presentation with the most important key words on the DPA and revised sample statutes, which take into account the requirements of the new Data Protection Act, as well as a sample data protection declaration from the EOV website. Our association lawyer Lena Ruoss will be happy to provide further information.

How can musicians like Anaïs shape their professional lives in the future?

Even if fear of failure and existential fears can be paralyzing in such situations, it is not hopeless to regain a professional foothold even at an advanced age. 

In addition to the widespread focal dystonia, professional musicians seem to be affected by an above-average number of illnesses. These include mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety disorders, orthopaedic complaints caused by highly repetitive and asymmetrical movements and, of course, various forms of hearing damage such as sudden deafness or tinnitus.

Even if the causes of such diseases have not yet been conclusively researched, they have one thing in common: psychological stress certainly does not have a positive effect on the course of the disease.

The SRF report leaves a central question unanswered: what professional opportunities do affected musicians have if they can no longer play their instrument and thus no longer perform their highly specialized activity professionally?

What qualifications, skills, know-how or personality structure can they contribute to the economy in other ways so that they can support themselves and their families?

The most obvious answer, which is also obvious in other professional groups with similar problems, such as high-performance sport, is that they pass on what they have learned through coaching and teaching.

There is no doubt that music lessons can be enriched and enriched by a richly packed rucksack of years of professional experience, a mature view of the world and life and lots of tips and tricks - not least through practical experience in health prevention or stress management.

But how realistic are the chances of getting a job at a music school at an advanced age, for example? Admittedly, the competition never sleeps and most music schools are not desperately fighting for their staff.

However, according to a recent study by the Swiss Association of Music Schools (VMS) from November 2023, there is a certain potential - depending on the instrument or teaching subject. The study concludes that a considerable number of advertised music school positions in areas such as pan flute, solfège, jazz violin, music production, yodelling, music and movement, but also in traditional subjects such as guitar, recorder, oboe, bassoon, accordion, cello, double bass, trumpet or choir conducting were difficult to fill. This was most evident in rural music schools.

Apart from professional competence and pedagogical skills, music schools are also looking for fluency in languages, the ability to work in a team, administrative know-how or communication and social skills.

So: the world is changing rapidly, but with these skills you can significantly improve your chances on the job market - skills that you can acquire through training and further education.

To ensure that these are financially viable in cases such as the one mentioned at the beginning, we have decided to extend the requirements for financial support contributions. In addition to outstanding instrumental or vocal skills, which are assessed in a (possibly psychologically stressful) scholarship competition, outstanding didactic and pedagogical skills or concepts now also qualify for the award of scholarships.

So: it's never too late to do the right thing. Why don't you get in touch with us? We will be happy to advise you on training and further education issues.

Xavier Dayer, new Director of the Department of Music at ZHdK, in conversation with his predecessor.

Xavier Dayer, it is no longer a matter of course that artistic careers lead to leadership and management. What led you down this path?
I have a varied CV. As a composer, I was commissioned early on and have written a lot for ensembles and orchestras since the 1990s. At the age of 25, I became a theory lecturer, taught in various places and finally became head of the study program and lecturer for composition at the HKB. I once studied classical guitar and my relationship with the instrument still means a lot to me. I have been President of the SUISA Board since 2011 and have become familiar with management and its legal challenges, market issues and internationalization. It is intellectually stimulating to seek solutions with different personalities and to reach agreements that are not comfortable but sustainable. Complex questions stimulate me. Composing, on the other hand, remains an artistic pursuit that is entirely my own responsibility. 

Management means creating a framework in which employees can work well.
Exactly. Management is not an artistic task, but should enable the success of many interests. And I have great faith in the art school model. I am convinced that in a young generation, the creation and "consumption" of music is more and more connected to other arts, while detached music often has to be defended and communicated. But perhaps even traditional concerts are suddenly acting like a "dopamine detox" again! The art academy is the right place to think about this. 

The world of higher education is challenged by technological innovations and social changes, while at the same time its effectiveness is based on continuity.
Topics such as artificial intelligence are explosive for universities, in a positive sense. AI will take over much of what we have previously attributed to human creativity. This raises big legal, ethical and economic questions. Sometimes I think we should speak of "universal plundering" rather than AI, as a few profit companies are appropriating the entire world culture. All the more we will understand more and more the importance of human transmission. Qualities such as personality, stage presence, etc. will become more valuable. We need to occupy the land that cannot be used by these companies. 

Nevertheless, you have to explain more and more, what music academies do - even to people in the art world who know little about it...
Yes, I know this Sisyphus feeling, there is a trivialization of public opinion. It's just part of the job to mediate and leave the bubbles. But we must never forget that the most important thing happens at the level of teaching. Studying is like photosynthesis between lecturers and students. We all have
Memories of key moments during my studies. These happened in the learning contact, in the
Work on the matter at hand, not in meeting rooms. 

And what do you expect from the Conference of Swiss Music Universities?
It is an opportunity to look beyond one's own university circle, to discuss priorities together - and to become clear about terms such as "excellence" in the sense of an ambitious but broad understanding of quality. And thanks to its collegiality, it can shape the inevitable competition between institutions in a constructive and stimulating way.

What are you looking forward to?
To the people, to contacts, to exciting colleagues in teaching, art and research. I see great things and am very curious. It's a great pleasure to be part of this ZHdK adventure. 

For many of the 70 or so employees at the Pro Helvetia office in Zurich, the working day begins on the train. Quite a few commute from Basel, Bern, Fribourg, Lausanne or Geneva. This guarantees an exciting exchange with people from all regions of the country, which is a great advantage for a national foundation. On the train journey, we check emails, look at final reports or application documents, work on concept papers and plan meetings. An office on wheels. When we arrive in Zurich, the printer is often the first thing to go: the decision letters, final reports and other documents have to be printed out and processed. 

The first meeting of the day is dedicated to a discussion with a Swiss music festival: the new program is presented and funding criteria are explained. As with all other funding opportunities, we pay attention to the supra-regional appeal of the festival: is the festival already established? Has it made a name for itself in the scene? Are acts from another language region programmed? Is it supported by the city and canton and thus fulfills the principle of subsidiarity? Is the festival an important platform for the Swiss scene? The interview notes will be used later to assess the application. 

Sustainable touring

A new submission will then be considered: it concerns the tour of an established Swiss band in China. Before we allow ourselves to make a final decision, we consult our colleagues in the field office. They are close to the Chinese scene and can assess whether the venues are sufficiently established and whether the fee level and contribution to production costs are appropriate for the local context. We also pay attention to sustainable tour planning - this is particularly important when traveling such long distances. In addition to concerts, activities such as workshops, network meetings or research can also take place. Pro Helvetia has six offices in different regions of the world. The exchange with these colleagues is always particularly exciting. 

The next application is for a small local concert series by a young string quartet that is not yet sufficiently established. Although the composers involved have so far performed in their own city, this is unfortunately not yet enough to qualify for support from Pro Helvetia.

International network work

In the afternoon, there will be an internal meeting to plan a networking event at a Swiss festival: Which international curators do we want to invite? On which festival day can we experience as much Swiss program as possible? Which musicians from Switzerland should we also invite to the networking aperitif? The step abroad is enormously important for musicians from small Switzerland. We have a special mission here. Since foreign organizers such as festivals and clubs can also apply to us for funding, we maintain many contacts and thus play a decisive role in shaping the export of music from Switzerland. 

After the meeting, we continue with an email from our "Global Contacts and Initiatives" department. A Bolivian curator wants to spend four weeks getting to know the local electronic music scene. She has a broad network in South America and organizes an annual festival for club music, including workshops and masterclasses. This is very much in the spirit of cultural exchange and a great platform. This research trip seems absolutely worth supporting and with the help of a coach she will be able to make the most of her time. We will make sure that she can make new contacts with DJs, producers, labels and event organizers.

Before closing time, the invitation to the next retreat is confirmed: our aim is to address previously underrepresented music scenes more strongly. New funding measures also mean a lot of discussion! In 2024, we will be implementing two new support programs: Push-it is aimed at up-and-coming musicians and their labels and Feat. is aimed at the hip-hop and electro scene.

It's high time to get back on the train, because there's a concert on the program this evening: the new production of a music theater company, which will soon be shown at a festival abroad. We supported the creation and the tour and are therefore particularly excited to see the piece now.

Facts & Figures

Who is supported: Musicians with a Swiss passport or permanent residence in Switzerland who are established nationwide and create their own repertoire, as well as event organizers in Switzerland and abroad

What is supported: including new productions, international presence (tours, festival appearances), album productions with release tour, festivals of national renown

What are the most important criteria? Supra-regionality, subsidiarity, appropriate fees, innovative program

Tips for submitting applications

-Check the eligibility criteria on the website and submit your application online.

-Fill the online mask with short texts, avoid repetition of the dossier texts.

-A detailed budget and a realistic financing plan are essential.

-Check whether a funding offer from the music department has been selected. 

Peer Abilgaard studied voice and trumpet at the Cologne University of Music and Dance and was a guest soloist as a countertenor at the Staatstheater Darmstadt and in the  opera houses in Halle, Gera, Altenburg and Bonn. After studying music, he went on to study medicine at the University of Bonn. Today he is head physician at the Clinic for Mental Health at the Evangelical Hospital in Gelsenkirchen and an examiner for various German medical associations. 

In 2009, he founded the Peter Ostwald Institute for Musicians' Health at the Cologne University of Music. He also founded the "Netzwerk Musikermedizin Nordrhein", a loose association of therapists and doctors from a wide range of disciplines. As a founding member of the "German Society for Music Physiology and Musicians' Medicine", he has been involved in the interface between performing arts, music education and medicine for many years. Together with his colleagues, he pursues a resource-oriented further development of the still young discipline within the specialist society. 

As an author, Abilaard deals with resilience and dignity-oriented approaches in psychotherapy, the importance of non-verbal psychotherapy  and an ego-strengthening music education.

More about the National Health Day Music: swissmedmusica.ch/healthday

What role does music play in times of personal crisis? How do you deal with creative crises? And how are identity crises portrayed in music? These and other fascinating questions are explored in the latest volume of the Swiss Yearbook of Musicology, which has just appeared as the third publication in Golden Open Access format. The four editors Margret Scharrer, Vincenzina Ottomano, Lea Hagmann and Laura Möckli, who are at home in very different areas of musicology (historical musicology, music theater studies, ethnomusicology), thus complete their trilogy on the topic of "Music in times of crisis".

The terms "crises" and "music" are broadly defined. The first volume of the trilogy (vol. 38, 2021) dealt primarily with pandemics (Covid-19, AIDS) as a reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic, while the second volume (vol. 39, 2022) was dedicated to conflicts and wars (Belliphonia, SARS, border conflicts, etc.). In their introductions to the current volume Identity and creativity (vol. 40) write the editors: 

Crisis situations are an integral part of human, social, scientific and artistic experience. Although they are exceptional situations, they can be found everywhere, not only in areas ravaged by famine, war and disease, but also in affluent societies. Crises manifest themselves in a wide variety of forms and are perceived and managed in different ways. (SJM, vol. 40, p. 7)

The main article in the current volume by Naomi Matsumoto (Goldsmiths, University of London), Representing Insanity and the Crisis of Identity through Henry Purcell's "Bess of Bedlam"  deals with Henry Purcell's ballad Bess of Bedlam (1683), which Matsumoto uses as an example to illustrate how the concept of madness was portrayed in the 17th century in a song genre known as "mad song". Another article by Florian Besthorn examines "You peoples are learning to live dangerously". On the road to peace with disaster music? Jörg Widmann's oratorio Arche in relation to the themes of faith, divinity and personal responsibility, and asks how a society can find new answers to the question of a fairer world in times of crisis. Martin Pensa's article Seeing the world in a new light - Gustav Mahler's late work as a symptom of a personal crisis? takes a closer look at Gustav Mahler's late work and the complicated connections with the composer's personal crisis in 1907 - when he lost both his daughter Maria Anna and his position as director of the Vienna Court Opera and at the same time learned of his terminal heart failure.

In addition to the three main articles, authors in the "Contemporary Witnesses" section deal with other aspects of identity and creative crises, for example in an interview with composer Manuela Kerer, in a conversation with director Alexander Nerlich, in the project Music as Empowerment, which uses sound projects to overcome language barriers between Swiss researchers and young refugees in the canton of Lucerne, or in the stage production by Lea Luka Sikau and Nat Jobbins, which deals with mental health, queerness, madness, failure and creation processes. The "Werkstatt CH" section completes the volume with reports on current musicological projects at Swiss universities and colleges, as well as conference reports and book reviews.

DOI:
doi.org/10.36950/sjm.40

For the past three years, Kalaidos University has been offering the Suzuki Method music education course in cooperation with the Suzuki Institute Switzerland and Suzuki instructor Agathe Jerie. It is open to all those who have a university diploma with violin or viola as their main subject, lasts one year and takes place in an intensive week in Interlaken and then in the Zurich area. Students learn how to apply Suzuki Shin'ichi's practices and theories by studying the latest research findings. 

Ms. Furrer, why did you decide to train with Suzuki?

Because this method has "hand and foot"! Seven years ago, my own daughter started playing the violin using the Suzuki method. As a mother and violinist, I had the opportunity to get to know the method well and thoroughly in practice. Then, during the training, I was given a differentiated knowledge of how the complex process of learning to play the violin can be taught in a clear and simple way. I think that's great!

What distinguishes the Suzuki method from other music education approaches? 

In addition to the early start with the "mother tongue method", it is the interaction from the very beginning: We do it together! It sounds even better together! These are important experiences for the child. It learns to fit into a group, to be considerate of others and to listen! 

Reading music is also dispensed with: This allows the training of the ear, the concentration on rhythm and intonation, the violin posture, the movement sequence when playing, the sound and the expression to take place undisturbed. 

In addition, parental support and cooperation between teacher, parents and child is of great importance. 

The lessons are therefore adapted to the developmental stage, abilities and special physiology of young children and specially designed in terms of teaching methods. With this focus, the Suzuki method is more relevant today than ever: early intervention and group lessons are on everyone's lips and are offered at many schools and music schools.

What were the milestones in your Suzuki training?

I learned a treasure trove of suggestions and ideas for a fun, visual, playful and yet very well-founded lesson structure. Although I started the training with many years of teaching experience, many new doors were opened to me and worlds were opened up - for which I am infinitely grateful!

In addition, I learned a lot about the technical aspects of violin playing in the lively and stimulating collaboration in the course. In a way, all the participants went back to the beginning and questioned some things in a completely new way - all in the service of the child and their path to music. 

Finally, I came to the decisive realization that the Suzuki method is a training and educational path in which valuable skills are developed that are of great importance for all areas of life. The Suzuki Method is a life training in the truest sense of the word.

To what extent has the training changed your teaching practice?

The methodology opened my eyes to the fact that the early beginning in particular needs the love and recognition of the smallest steps. The child experiences a valuable and decisive connection to the instrument, to music and to itself from the very beginning - which is a wonderful thing. 

And a new joy for teaching has grown in me, so that today I can once again experience a deeper sense of purpose. I am very grateful for that. 

How can you imagine the structure of the entire traditional Suzuki method?

The Suzuki school consists of a total of 10 volumes and these are developed in five different levels. Each level usually takes one year to complete. You decide individually how many levels you want to do. Kalaidos University currently offers two levels, i.e. training for Suzuki volumes 1 - 3. 

How do you see the future of the Suzuki method?

I hope that the Suzuki method's knowledge, philosophy and spirit will be understood and lived by more and more people, and that it will be able to reach out to more and more musicians who are looking for a new, deeper or higher meaning in teaching!

Further information is available at: 

www.kalaidos-fh.ch/de-CH/Studiengaenge/CAS-Certificate-of-Advanced-Studies-Musikpaedagogik-Suzuki-Methode

CAS FH Music Education Suzuki Method 

The new CAS FH Music Education Suzuki Method course starts in August 2024, application deadline is July 1, 2024!

The Chur Orchestra and its city are delighted to be hosting the EOV Delegates' Assembly on 8 June 2024: just as the different tones of the symphony orchestra interweave to form a great whole, the city with its wide range of cultural and sporting activities will make for an enriching stay. In particular, the Chur Orchestra invites you on a sound journey into the little-known work of the composer with Grisons roots, Paul Juon (1872-1940). 

The Chur Orchestra celebrated its centenary just over a decade ago. Founded in 1912 as the accompanying orchestra of the municipal men's choir, the innovative group of musicians soon established itself as an independent ensemble and initiated the founding of the municipal music school with its internal orchestra school. 

For the first 25 years, the orchestra's symphony concerts were almost the only opportunity for music lovers in Chur to encounter great works of classical and romantic music in concert. From the very beginning, the orchestra enabled young musicians, mainly from Graubünden, to gain their first solo experiences and perform in front of a large audience in instrumental concerts. 

Luzi Müller, the (only!) third conductor to lead the orchestra until its 100th anniversary, remained true to this principle, just like his two predecessors. During his 38 years as conductor, he sought new ways of organizing concerts, included little-known works that had hardly ever been performed in Chur in the programmes and often gave them a theme. Under his baton, players and audiences alike have repeatedly experienced new musical discoveries. 

With Bollschweiler since 2018

Conductor Hugo Bollschweiler (conductor since 2018) is now continuing this tradition with just as many original ideas, in-depth knowledge and meticulous rehearsal work. His joy in discovering musical innovations is evident in several areas for the Chur Orchestra: Twice a year, themed concerts combine artists and works of art in often unusual ways. During the coronavirus pandemic, Bollschweiler initiated and accompanied trios and quartets of orchestral musicians. He has given and continues to give experienced amateur woodwind players the opportunity to enrich the string orchestra during weekly rehearsals and has studied the work of composer Paul Juon in depth.  

The participants of the EOV's DM now have an opportunity to discover this late Romantic music in Chur.  On June 8, the Chur Orchestra will embark on a journey with its conductor at the matinée workshop concert "Zwischen den Zeiten - Der Grenzgänger Paul Juon" and is looking forward to welcoming numerous musically interested fellow travelers. 

Hugo Bollschweiler writes about the content of this workshop concert: "The musicological classification according to styles, epochs and lines of development clouds the view of the , the mixed zones where old and new overlap, latecomers meet visionaries and the individuality of the artist becomes recognizable far from the official historical and aesthetic classification.
The universe of Paul Juon is exemplary of this: geographically, temporally and stylistically, Juon appears as a self-determined border crosser between different cultural areas and in times of radical artistic upheavals."

www.orchesterchur.ch