According to the GDM, the participants at the meeting voted "overwhelmingly" in favor of founding a cooperative. It was made clear in Fulda that the aim was not just to achieve purchasing advantages when ordering goods. Rather, the cooperative should focus on carrying out marketing campaigns in partnership with suppliers and ensuring that active music-making is further promoted overall. Ultimately, this should "create more market for the entire industry".

One focus of the cooperative will be to expand its activities on the Internet. Plans for a uniform database that can be made available to all cooperative members were presented. Questions regarding a core product range and formal issues such as the amount of deposits and member liability were also discussed. The next step is for a competence team to draw up a business plan including financial planning.

With over 1200 participants, the 1st Biennale for New Music and Architecture in Basel involved many young people in particular. Over the extended weekend from September 10 to 13, 6,500 concertgoers and around 14,000 listeners attended the free performances. The 12 projects with around 140 performances took place at 21 different venues and 26 works were premiered. It was a huge logistical challenge for festival director Bernhard Günther and production manager Anja Wernicke to coordinate all the participants and make the various spaces accessible for the artistic idea. The festival program really overflowed, with many exciting events running in parallel.

The young drummers from all over Switzerland kicked off the event, and the weather played along: The quiet Münsterplatz with its noble houses was transformed into a space for a loud drum and whistle concert, accompanied by live electronics. Basel drumming star Ivan Kym and East Tyrolean composer and performer Wolfgang Mitterer had rehearsed their new pieces and actions with the participants of the Swiss-wide drumming week on the Brünig. The performance in Basel was well prepared and the drummers' precision was astonishing. The audience was there - naturally including many parents and siblings of the participants.
The audience then entered the venerable cathedral, which for once provided space for new music. The British composer James Clark (*1957) had conceived a piece especially for Raumklang Basel that divided the 300 singers from five grammar schools into six choirs: in front, behind and to the left and right of the audience. The ensemble of eight trombones, the Trombone Unit Hannover, was spread across the galleries. What was surprising was that the choirs under the direction of Oliver Rudin not only sang, they also shouted and called out in a simple sequence. Wine glasses filled with water were gently swirled, wine bottles were blown into and clapped. This half-hour performance was original, the high Münster filled with vital energy, powerful and poetic sounds, agitations and counter-reactions.

A visionary project was Chronos in the newly renovated Volkshaus. A revolving stage was installed in the middle of the auditorium; the composers Beat Furrer, Thomas Kessler, Beat Gysin and Georg Friedrich Haas explored this special performance situation. On one occasion, the audience sat on the revolving stage and the musicians played in the middle and outside the audience circle. For another piece, the audience moved to the gallery and the music took place on and next to the revolving stage. Michael Simon's lighting direction provided cool white.
Beat Gysin (*1968) was structurally most intensively involved with the rotary movement in the commissioned work Chronos (radial) for ensemble and voices. He made the possibility of "driving around a center" and "turning around oneself" audible and tangible. With increasing tonal complexity and intensifying dramaturgy, he cast a spell over the audience on the revolving stage, and a kind of round dance unfolded. The Ensemble Recherche and the two singers Svea Schildknecht and Johanna Greulich almost fell into a trance.

The Swiss Grand Prix Music award ceremony took place as part of the premiere of this special Drehklang project. In a festive ceremony, Federal Councillor Alain Berset presented the CHF 100,000 prize to Heinz Holliger, who was streamed live from his tour of Japan.

The autograph mass is part of the library's large Bach collection, which contains around 80 percent of all of the master's surviving compositions. The music collection also contains the autograph of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, which was inscribed on the World Heritage Register in 2001.

He completed the Mass in B minor, Bach's last choral work, shortly before the end of his life in 1748-49, thus completing his mastery. Bach used historical and modern movement types, forms and compositional techniques in his mass. Bach's exploration of traditional patterns on the one hand and the use of modern compositional techniques on the other in a single work, the Mass in B minor, is a unique feature.

This only complete score from Bach's lifetime is written in ink on paper; Bach used 99 leaves and four title pages. It is not dated by the master himself, but it can be determined by comparing the handwriting.

Among the twelve documents newly added to the Unesco register are also those that bear witness to Martin Luther's work as a pioneer of the Reformation in the early 16th century: one of the rare poster prints of the 95 Theses on Indulgence and Luther's hand copy of the Hebrew Bible edition. They are also in the possession of the Berlin State Library.

Concert performers include the solo flutist of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra Jacques Zoon, the Japanese pianist Kazune Shimizu, a wind ensemble of Lucerne Festival Orchestra soloists led by solo trumpeter Reinhold Friedrich, the winner of the 2010 Chopin Competition, pianist Yulianna Avdeeva, I Musici of the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome and the Swedish saxophonist Magnus Lindgren.

The Lucerne Festival Ark Nova is the first mobile and inflatable concert hall. It was initiated by Michael Haefliger, Artistic Director of the Lucerne Festival, the Japanese star architect Arata Isozaki, the British artist Anish Kapoor and the Japanese concert agent Masahide Kajimoto and was built for the first time in 2013.

The basic idea of Ark Nova is to bring courage and confidence to the people during the reconstruction in the Japanese region of Tōhoku affected by the disaster of March 11, 2011. An ensemble of soloists from the Lucerne Festival Orchestra already performed in the mobile concert hall in Matsushima in 2013 and in Sendai in 2014.

Andres Bosshard plans and creates the work with the inhabitants of Aarhus and the Midtjylland region. According to the jury, it is this citizen-oriented collaboration, for which Andres Bosshard's works are known, that was ultimately decisive for the choice.

"With the winning project 'The Sonic Arc', the European Capital of Culture Aarhus 2017 receives a unique and poetic work of art that involves and moves many people in a completely unique way," the jury stated in its statement. Bosshard prevailed against 31 competitors from all over the world.

Andres Bosshard was born in 1955 and lives and works in Zurich. He graduated as a painter, but began experimenting with music and theater at an early age. He developed circling sound objects, interactive computer music, programs and sound installations, such as the "Sound Tower" on Lake Biel at Expo.02

The Cologne Philharmonic translations made an important contribution to cultural transfer and integration, according to the statement. The jury's decision was based in particular on aspects relating to the recognition of language services for the success of the company.

The Konzerthaus has a bilingual German-English website. There are program booklets for almost all of its concerts, in which the vocal texts are not only in the original language, but also in German translation. The descriptions of the works of international composers for their new pieces are often included in the program booklet in unabridged German translation.

The translators have long been mentioned in the program booklets of the Kölner Philharmonie - not a matter of course in the industry. The translated program preview and much more information also appear online. The translators' online copyrights are respected and remunerated.

Successful multilingual communication is a success factor for companies. However, it is not a matter of course that companies recognize this. The Federal Association of Interpreters and Translators therefore launched the Hieronymus Prize in 2012 and awards the prize annually. The prize is named after St. Jerome, who is considered the patron saint of translators.

According to a statement by Hesse's Minister of Science Boris Rhein, the decision is the result of a meeting of university heads at which the future of university construction in Hesse was discussed together with the 13 Hessian universities and the distribution of funds from the so-called "Heureka II" program to the universities for the period from 2021 to 2026 was determined.

In the further planning processes, the location in the area of the current Juridicum will be examined together with the City of Frankfurt. This is land that is currently still used by Goethe University but will be given up as part of the relocation process.

Various cultural institutes are to be brought together on the planned cultural campus, including the Ensemble Modern and the Forsythe Company, the University of Music and Performing Arts as well as the Institute for Social Research and the Senckenberg Nature Research Society. According to an earlier report by Germany's "Neue Musikzeitung", the Kulturcampus Frankfurt is intended to combine living, working and culture and "transparently connect the Bockenheim and Westend districts".

Three multi-year grants of 30ꞌ000 francs for groups and 15ꞌ000 francs for individual musicians were awarded. Kala Jula, a collective led by Vincent Zanetti, Beat Jaggy for his Carillon Plus project and Aurélie Emery will receive three years of support from Musik Pro.

Célina Ramsauer and Olivier Magarotto will each receive a creative grant of CHF 10ꞌ000 for their composition project. The grants for collaboration between amateur and professional musicians and for the establishment of studios were not awarded this year.

Jean-Marc Lovay, writer (Cultural Prize of the Canton of Valais 2015), Cosima Grand, dancer, Malika Pellicioli, video artist, Pascal Viglino, musician and composer, (sponsorship prizes) and the Bretz-Héritier Foundation (special prize) will receive their prizes on November 13, 2015, 7 pm, at the Arsenaux, Sion (Rue de Lausanne 45). An overview of the prizewinners' work will be presented during the ceremony.

Operetta Sirnach developed from the Sirnach Male Voice Choir, which has been active since 1860, and the Sirnach Theater Society, which was founded later. Since 1955, the theater company has created a tradition of operetta productions that also enjoys a considerable reputation outside the canton of Thurgau.

Every three years, a large-scale production is put on under professional direction and with over 200 participants from the region, which is attended by over 11,000 spectators from the region and the surrounding cantons.

The 2016 production will be directed by an artistically proven team: Leopold Huber, director of the See-Burgtheater, has once again been recruited to direct the production. Martin Baur, the long-standing musical director of Operetta Sirnach, will also be responsible for the musical direction of the new production. Kinsun Chan has been in charge of the choreography since 2007, while Klaus Hellenstein is responsible for the stage design and costumes for the third time.

Seven professional soloists, an amateur choir with singers from the Wil region and a 28-piece orchestra made up of professionals and amateurs are also involved. A total of 24 performances are scheduled in the Dreitannensaal in Sirnach from January 9 to March 16, 2016.
 

The committee "is convinced that it is not only the creative artists and cultural institutions who value the importance of the cultural offerings in the Basel region, but above all the diverse and interested public".

In a written petition that has now been launched (online petitions are not accepted in the canton of Basel-Landschaft), "various groups from civil society and civil society can sign with immediate effect that the cost-cutting measures planned by the cantonal government of Basel-Landschaft in the area of culture more than seriously jeopardize the quality and continuity of the existing offerings," write the petitioners. There is a threat of cultural policy collapse.

Petition forms can be ordered from the following address: Committee for a Sustainable Cultural Partnership BL/BS, c/o Eva Heller, Klingentalgraben 2, 4057 Basel or kulturpartnerschaft@gmx.ch.

According to a Media release According to the Basel-Landschaft cantonal government's financial strategy, savings targets in the area of cultural and arts funding will lead to a suspension of funding offers and a reduction in service purchases and co-productions for the years 2016 to 2019. In implementing the savings measures, the Education, Culture and Sport Directorate is giving "priority to intact project funding in the region and solid subsidies for Basel-Landschaft's arts and cultural institutions".

Among other things, funding offers that enable artists, ensembles and bands to carry out activities outside the region will be suspended from 2016. The New Music Festival in Rümlingen will be given the opportunity "to apply to the Basel-Landschaft Swisslos Fund for funding after the end of the subsidy period, in the same way as all festivals in the region. An increase in the subsidy to the New Theater in Dornach must also be refrained from for the time being".

The decision also has a particularly harsh impact on municipal institutions. As the "bz Basel", the Gare du Nord, which is supported exclusively by Baselland (with a subsidy of CHF 465,000 in 2015), will have to close if the canton goes through with its austerity program. The Basel Madrigalists and the Basel Sinfonietta are also threatened with closure.

Wiesmann, who came from a scouting tradition, worked as a presenter and editor for Swiss radio and television in addition to his appearances as a singer-songwriter. In 1983, he co-founded the Schaffhausen local radio station Radio Munot.

Wiesmann released eleven albums, produced by Reinhard Mey among others. In 1989, he received a gold record for the children's song album "Matthias". His best-known songs include the Schaffhausen anthem "Blos e chlini Stadt" and the children's song "Tuusigfüessler Balthasar".

As co-owner of the central pharmacy in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, the trained pharmacist Wiesmann was also a local celebrity in Schaffhausen.

The text and libretto of the work were written by the author and journalist Jürgen Berger. He met Martin Woodtli, who was born in Bern and founded a facility in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to care for dementia patients. Director Ludger Engels, known in Bern for his opera productions of "Macbeth", "Peter Grimes" and "Salome", had the idea of turning "Alzheim" into a play for drama and music.

Concert and Opera Director Xavier Zuber, developed the project further with Berger and Engels and was able to win over the Geneva composer Xavier Dayer for the musical part.
 

With her portrayal of the courtesan Violetta in Verdi's "La Traviata", this year's production of the Musiktheater Wil, Nicole Bosshard "demonstrated her professional skills, both with her natural voice, which interpreted each aria with ease and at the same time adapted to the respective situation, as well as with her acting talent, which was particularly impressive in the tragic scenes," writes the canton. 

Nicole Bosshard is not only musically active on the opera stage, she also performs in concert, for example at the Wiler Verdi Openair Classic. According to the canton, however, her heart beats just as strongly for church music, as this is where her musical career began. She also performs as a soloist in church concerts and church services far beyond the region.

This year's St. Gallen Culture Prize goes to Esther and Rolf Hohmeister from Bad Ragaz, who organize the Bad RagARTz open-air exhibition there every three years.

Ruth Girod is a music and movement teacher and mime artist. She has appeared on stage as a music clown at children's and family concerts conducted by Willi Gohl. As co-founder of the "tanzinwinterthur" association, she supported the development of the local dance scene. Later, her focus shifted to artistic education. She taught for forty years, most recently as a lecturer at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) until 2010.

Ruth Girod was also a board member for several years and finally President of the Winterthur Cultural Foundation, where she was committed to supporting the independent cultural scene. Roger Girod is a jazz pianist, but first studied law and then trained as a classical organist and pianist.

Since the 1970s, he has realized various projects, such as the hard bop formation "GNU" with Koni Weber. From 1987, he organized the "Concerts for Early Risers", bringing big names from the Swiss scene to Winterthur. Girod has been a full-time musician since the early 1990s.

He also taught as a lecturer at the ZHdK until 2010. Together, Ruth and Roger Girod conquered the Swiss cabaret scene with the "Lala-Quintett" in the 1970s and 1980s. The couple's activities in the background were particularly valuable for Winterthur's cultural scene. As founding trustees of the Sulzberg Foundation, they were both instrumental in setting up the Villa Sträuli, which has since hosted a wide range of artist-in-residence programs and cultural events.

Both are still members of the Villa Sträuli program committee. Ruth and Roger Girod live in Winterthur and have two grown-up sons.

The cultural award ceremony will take place together with the presentation of the sponsorship award on December 1, 2015, starting at 7 p.m. in the Cameo cinema.