Since 2009, the Helvetiarockt association, which is active throughout Switzerland, has been campaigning for more women, inter, non-binary, trans and agender people in the Swiss music business. Although it feels like there is now more diversity on local club and festival stages than back then, Helvetiarockt is still a long way from reaching its goal. While it is estimated that around 50 % girls are active in music schools, there is hardly any gender equality at all levels in the professional sector, as a preliminary study on gender relations in the Swiss cultural sector by Pro Helvetia and the Center for Gender Studies at the University of Basel revealed in 2019. Although the study is based on the read gender and a two-gender system, Helvetiarockt also explicitly supports inter, non-binary, trans and agender people. Nevertheless, there can be no question of a balanced proportion of women and men. In the rock, pop and jazz sector, women account for 11 % of stage presence, in music production the figure is just 2 % and at Swiss music academies only 12 % of teaching staff are women.

Looking back

Helvetiarockt has been counteracting these shortcomings for 15 years now. With 12 permanent employees in the areas of Helvetiarockt Music Lab, Helvetiarockt On Tour, fundraising, communication and administration, and with a total of around 800 full-time equivalents, over 40 coaches and events in 17 cantons, the association is turning the various screws of this obviously misogynistic system. 

Starting with workshops for up-and-coming musicians, such as the first band workshops in 2012, offers on recording techniques and songwriting were later added. At the same time, Helvetiarockt has made a strong commitment to the industry network in order to address the wishes and needs of professional musicians. 

In the here and now

"Although it's just a workshop, the few days during the songwriting camp have a huge impact on young people's lives," says Muriel Rhyner. The musician and regional manager of Helvetiarockt, who lives in Ticino, talks about empowerment and strengthening self-confidence. "You can feel that something is happening to people on different levels," says Rhyner. Anyone opening music software for the first time can quickly be overwhelmed by the technical possibilities, as musician and regional manager Jasmin Albash from Basel knows. "Taking the time to try it out without pressure in a safe space and getting tips from a professional producer is worth its weight in gold," says Albash: "No matter what age group the participants are in - there are no stupid questions. We want to make sure that everyone has the confidence to approach the coaches with their concerns." 

The "Recording Step By Step" studio workshops in particular, which are aimed at women, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender people interested in sound engineering and studio recording, have met with great interest. Over the course of six months, participants can learn the basics of sound and studio technology in a professional studio and finally record and mix a song. 

Looking ahead

"The fact that these offers are always booked up so quickly shows us that there is a lack of low-threshold offers," says Rhyner. The workshops for professionals, such as "Pay Your Way", which focuses on financing, or the "Cut Trough The Noise" workshop on communication, booking and promotion in the music world, are also usually booked out quickly. "Actually, all workshops aimed at all age groups are overbooked," says Albash. Promoting young people is therefore not enough: age-independent promotion of women, inter, non-binary, trans and agender people is needed. Helvetiarockt is unable to meet this need comprehensively and sufficiently, which is why the association will need to be able to use synergies for national, comprehensive coverage in the area of joint support in the future.

Helvetiarockt On Tour :

For over a year, Helvetiarockt On Tour has been addressing the issue of sexualized violence in clubs and at festivals. Workshops and exchange formats will be held in German- and French-speaking Switzerland until the end of 2025. All information at www.diversityroadmap.org

More information about Helvetiarockt: www.helvetiarockt.ch

As we write these lines, the stages may have fallen silent, but the echoes of the emotions and vibrant melodies of Entrada and the 2024 live auditions continue to reverberate in the hearts of those who were lucky enough to experience this extraordinary event; it was a magical journey through the various nuances of youth art. 

From the Classica Entrada to the live auditions 

From March 22 to 24, six Swiss cities - Arbon, Hünenberg, Burgdorf, Winterthur, Geneva and Lugano - hosted a musical kaleidoscope for the Classica competition, which put the spotlight on the talent and passion for music of a total of 934 young musicians from our country. This included 701 participants in the solo category and 233 who competed in the chamber music section. With 373 registrations, the string solos dominated the scene. The harp also recorded a large participation with a total of 56 players. Although the piano was not represented in the solo category, with 46 participants for piano duos, this instrument was undoubtedly the protagonist in the chamber music category. 

At the same time, the participants of the Jazz&Pop competition once again enlivened Basel, Bern, Lausanne, Lucerne and Zurich from March 2 to 24, creating a musical dialog and a unique opportunity for sharing and discovery between the Swiss cities. Despite the lower number of participants compared to the Classica competition, the 105 musicians impressed with their impressive talent and high-quality performances. A total of 38 performances were judged, including 12 in the jazz category and 23 in the pop category, which enchanted the jury. The 13 participating bands, including 8 in the pop category, 3 in the jazz category and finally 2 in the large ensemble category, also delivered majestic and captivating performances.

The anticipation of the final of all competitions, planned for May 9-12, 2024 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, is like an emotional crescendo, where all finalists will share the same stage and harmoniously unite the musical souls of Swiss youth. Afterwards, a world of opportunities will open up for the winners of each category through the funding program. From the opportunity to perform in public with renowned orchestras to experience in professional recording studios, this program, coveted by all participants, is an important first step towards the next level.  chapter in the musical career of these up-and-coming talents.

The stage for musical innovations

The expert jury is currently examining the videos and compositions in the FreeSpace (5 entries) and Composition (20) competitions.
It is a time when creativity comes to life and unique, sometimes provocative works are created. The culmination of this creative trajectory will be reached on May 11, 2024 in La Chaux-de-Fonds with the live performances. This moment will become an artistic community where the public will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the young artists' boldest creations.

The SJMW always strives to be a beacon for musical diversity, where notes can dance across traditions. The open discipline "FreeSpace" is an invitation to unleash one's imagination and explore the unlimited potential of musical inspiration. Each participant is encouraged to bring transdisciplinary productions to the stage that explore improvised music and include original contributions that challenge artistic conventions. This opens the door to the universe of musical experimentation. 

Next dates 

CLASSICA - the finale

May 09 - 12, 2024

Jazz&Pop - Come Together

May 11, 2024

Live performance

May 11, 2024

www.sjmw.ch

Location for all finals:

La Chaux-de-Fonds,

Conservatoire de musique neuchâtelois

cmne.ch

The Kalaidos University of Music was founded in 2011 and today is the only private university of applied sciences to play an important role in the Swiss educational landscape. Its international orientation includes a worldwide network of renowned cooperation partners. The wide range of courses on offer includes music studies in the fields of classical, jazz and popular music and offers students the greatest possible flexibility with close personal support.

Ms. Kulmer, why did you choose Kalaidos University?
The special thing about Kalaidos University is that you can complete your studies at an unbelievable level, regardless of location. Studying at the university gives me the privilege of not only receiving the best possible training in areas such as business, fundraising and self-marketing, which is essential for me as a future professional musician. I also have the opportunity to study with Prof. Alexander Gilman, who teaches at the Kalaidos University of Music and the Royal College of Music. With him I can develop both my technical skills on the instrument and my musicality at the highest level.

Prof. Gilman, your teacher, teaches in London. How does it work?
Since I have decided to move from London, where I lived at the beginning of my Master's in Performance, to Switzerland, I have adapted my lessons so that I have both online lessons and face-to-face lessons with Prof. Gilman in London. This has enabled us to establish a very good level of communication over a longer period of time. I have to say, it couldn't be going better!

Speaking of which, what do you think about online teaching, including the group modules at Kalaidos University?
I think the lecturers are doing a great job! I personally have only had positive experiences with online teaching. Of course, face-to-face teaching is also very important. But for the future, I think that a combination of online and face-to-face teaching is the perfect solution, as Kalaidos has already implemented.

What are your studies like on a day-to-day basis?
How do you integrate private lessons, didactics and modular lessons into your life as a musician? My everyday life consists of practicing on my own, studying music education, in which I am currently mastering the theoretical part, teaching my students and working at a private school in Basel. All of this requires well-planned time management, as I also have to prepare auditions for orchestral positions or competitions. Sport is also important as a balance; I go to the gym twice a week. I'm also interested in mental coaching and meditation.

You are currently in the middle of your second Master's degree, in classical music education. What is special and appealing about this dual education for you?
I worked with various professors in different countries from a young age and my aim as a violinist and musician is to pass on my knowledge and experience to children and young people. I am very interested in clear communication in lessons, which is why I find it exciting, for example, that one of the focal points of the pedagogy course is psychology. I hope that my studies will provide me with answers as to how I can structure and organize my lessons well and how I can respond to the needs of my pupils. I am very excited to see what else I will learn and how this Master's will have a positive impact on my future career in music.

Finally, a look into the future: what musical projects are you currently working on?
I am currently preparing intensively for a competition that could offer me both financial support and the opportunity to organize projects in Switzerland. I am also planning to apply for further auditions for an orchestral internship. I am also preparing for this summer with a new program for the Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg. And of course I am actively looking for even more students to gain lots of practical teaching experience!

Dear Ms. Kulmer, thank you very much for the interview and all the best for your pedagogy studies and your musical future!

In the Inuit throat singing game - called katajjaq in the Nunavut region or katajjaniq in the Nunavik region - two people - traditionally women - stand very close to each other. Sometimes they also hold each other by the shoulders or arms. The "leader" begins to sing a rhythmic sound motif, which is either imitated by the second person (canon) or answered with a second motif (call-and-response). The first person to fall out of rhythm, the first to run out of breath or the first to start laughing loses the game. 

The throat singing technique used in katajjaq or katajjaniq results from a combination of voiced and unvoiced sounds on the inhalation and exhalation. The resulting body vibrations are also used to rock babies to sleep when they are carried on their backs. 

Christian missionary efforts and colonial assimilation strategies led to the almost complete disappearance of Inuit throat singing and Katajjaq or Katajjaniq through the suppression of cultural expressions. Efforts to revive the tradition led to the declaration of Katajjaniq as part of Quebec's Intangible Heritage in 2014. Nevertheless, there have been changes in the performance context, everyday function and repertoire in recent decades. 

Instead of being traditionally performed by two singers in the context of a game or as a shamanic ritual to positively influence the hunt, katajjaq or katajjaniq is currently practiced by one to four people as a leisure activity, to express their own Inuit identity or to spread activist causes such as the promotion of the Inuit sealing industry. In addition, Inuit throat singers are increasingly mixing traditional elements, techniques and songs of katajjaq and katajjaniq with other forms of music. 

However, a central aspect of Katajjaq or Katajjaniq is still the imitation of nature, animal and everyday sounds, as reflected in the names of traditional songs. For example, the song Qimmirulapik (Poor little puppy) describes the relationship between an Inuk hunter and one of her sled dogs. The influence of the personal relationship "to the land" and thus local places is also evident in the respective song repertoire. The song The Walrus to be sung in the Katajjaq in Nunavut, but not in the Katajjaniq in Nunavik. 

The dissertation, which is being written in the field of Cultural Anthropology of Music at the University of Bern, therefore examines the following question: What influence does the personal relationship "to the land" as well as Inuit ontologies and epistemologies - especially with regard to the relationship between humans, nature and more-than-human - have on the repertoire, the performance context and the everyday function of Katajjaq or Katajjaniq? In this context, the question also arises as to whether and to what extent these are changing due to the effects of climate change in the Arctic, due to relocation to the southern urban cities of Montréal and Ottawa or due to the increasing use of social media. 

The priority of Canadian Inuit organizations and Inuit throat singers is the preservation, transmission and awareness raising of Katajjaq or Katajjaniq as a traditional Inuit throat singing game. Since the research collaboration with Inuit throat singers is a central aspect of the work, one goal of the project is therefore the creation of a jointly operated website. Videos, sound recordings, interviews, information and research contributions can be collected there. 

The link refers to the publication "La Musique qui vient du froid. Arts, chants et danses des Inuit" on the website Les Presses de l'Université de Montréal, where you can find publicly accessible audio samples and videos of Katajjaq. 

pum.umontreal.ca/catalogue/la_musique_qui_vient_du_froid/contenusupplementaire

On March 2, 2024, around 50 interested children's and youth choir conductors from all over Switzerland met at the SKJF Forum, which took place at the Yehudi Menuhin Forum in Bern. SKJF Vice President Michael Schläpfer acted as moderator, providing information and ensuring that everything ran smoothly. The well-known Bernese choirmaster Patrick Secchiari inspired the audience with his experience, creativity, expertise and immense enthusiasm for singing.

Patrick Secchiari's trademarks are his good-humored presence, social alertness, musical sovereignty, partnership-based communication with simultaneous authority, goal-oriented creativity and his great musicality. It is simply incredible fun to sing with him, even if - or perhaps especially if - you are a choirmaster yourself. His apt sayings from his extensive experience with choir groups of various compositions and from young to old have entertainment value on the one hand and open up new paths in choir conducting on the other. His 360-degree moderation, for example, encourages people to think about their own role as a choir director. Between the SKJF workshops, association president Vreni Winzeler encouraged the participants to contribute their suggestions and tips to the development of the "Off SKJF" format with a group speed dating session. Based on the so-called "SKJF Singplausch" for children between the ages of 7 and 12, the choir leaders thought about how this model could be adapted for the age group between 12 and 19. And last but not least, the participants had several opportunities throughout the day to exchange ideas and network in a relaxed atmosphere. 

The next forum will take place on Saturday, March 1, 2025, again in Bern. Save the Date. 

The Entrada in the Classica category will take place from March 22 to 24 at seven different locations in Switzerland; the PreSelection Jazz&Pop will be spread over the weekend in March and will take place live in five different cities in 2024. For the first time, all disciplines will come together for the grand finale in 2024: From May 9 to 12, La-Chaux-de-Fonds will host the Classica and Jazz&Pop finals as well as the live performances of Composition and FreeSpace. This is the 49th Swiss Youth Music Competition.

The preparations for the audition for the Swiss Youth Music Competition, which usually take months, are entering their final phase. Many a participant discovers new aspects of the chosen pieces here and there. Now it's time to get the tricky passages under control, but not to flatten the pieces by playing them too often. I wonder what the jury will say? Whether the choice of pieces was a good one? It is too late to have fundamental doubts about the program: the choice of piece had to be submitted with the application by the end of November. Will we be able to enjoy the performance? When will it even take place? And where? Participants will be informed of the time and venue at least three weeks before the performance. Will it be enough for a 1st prize and thus participation in the final?

The Entrada auditions and the PreSelec-tion Jazz&Pop are open to the public and take place throughout Switzerland, this year for Classica in Arbon, Burgdorf, Geneva, Hünenberg, Lugano and Winterthur and for Jazz&Pop in Basel, Bern, Lausanne, Lucerne and Zurich. While the Chamber Music, Composition, FreeSpace and Jazz&Pop competitions take place annually, the solo competitions alternate: At the Entrada at the end of March, woodwinds, accordion, harps and percussion will be heard in the competition alongside the solo string players. The specialists for old instruments, several guitar and piano duos as well as other exciting chamber music entries will compete in the ensemble categories. In the Jazz&Pop category, the aesthetic range of the participating soloists, bands and large ensembles promises an exciting and varied competition for both the audience and the jury.

In the Classica Solo category, 62 of this year's entries came from harpists, 27 from double bassists and 11 from classical percussionists. However, the most entries were submitted for the traditional instruments violin and violoncello, namely 331. 115 woodwind players between clarinettists and flutists, 26 bassoonists and even 5 panpipe players registered for this year's competition.

In the Classica Solo and Chamber Music competition, age category III (*2007-2009) is the category with the most registrations. Age group II (*2010-2012) is in second place, followed by age group IV (*2004-2006) and age group I (*2013-2016).

Compared to 2023, the number of registrations for FreeSpace and Composition remained constant. A pleasing 48 applications were received for the Jazz & Pop competition this time.

We hope that all participants will have the much-vaunted momentum on their side and that they will be rewarded - with or without a prize - with some good experiences for their commitment and dedication.

Every two years, the Swiss Musicological Society (SMG-SSM) awards the Marta Walter Prize (formerly the Handschin Prize) for an outstanding doctoral thesis in the field of music research. The prize is named after the Swiss musicologist Marta Walter, who donated the financial basis of the prize with her legacy to the SMG. The time has now come again for excellent researchers to apply directly to the Society for the Marta Walter Prize 2024 with their doctoral thesis. The prize money amounts to CHF 3,000. Doctoral students who
have completed their doctorate between 01.01.2022 and 31.12.2023, including the defense, and meet other criteria. 

Appel à candidature pour le Prix Marta-Walter 2024
Every two years, the Société Suisse de Musicologie (SMG-SSM) awards the Prix Marta-Walter (formerly the Prix Handschin) to a remarkable doctoral thesis in the field of musical research. The prize bears the name of the Swiss musicologist Marta Walter who, through her legacy to the SSM, provided the financial support for the prize. The prize money amounts to CHF 3,000. The prize will be awarded during the SSM's third study day. The candidate(s) can apply directly to the company for the prize.  Les candidats pris en considération doivent avoir achevé leur doctorat, y compris la soutenance, entre le 01.01.2022 et le 31.12.2023, et répondre à d'autres critères. 

Bando di concorso per il Premio Marta-Walter 2024
Ogni due anni la Società Svizzera di Musicologia (SMG-SSM) assegna il Premio Marta Walter (precedentemente Premio Handschin) a una
tesi di dottorato eccellente nel campo della ricerca musicale. Il premio prende il nome dalla musicologa svizzera Marta Walter che, con un lascito alla SMG, ha garantito il contributo finanziario alla base del premio. Il premio ammonta a 3000 franchi svizzeri. The award ceremony will take place during the third day of the SMG- SSM studio. A partire dall'anno 2014 le/i candidate/i, in possesso dei requisiti previsti, potranno presentare domanda di partecipazione al concorso direttamente alla Società. 

3rd SMG Study Day
Following the successful implementation of the first  and second study days in Bern and Basel, this meeting of young Swiss researchers will take place on September 20, 2024 at the Zurich University of the Arts. The conference consists of poster presentations, lectures, cozy coffee breaks and culminates in the
Awarding of the Marta Walter Prize. The Call for Contributions is aimed at all BA, MA and doctoral students of music (science) at Swiss universities and colleges. 

SMG job advertisement
Are you looking for a new challenge? Then apply to SMG for the management of the SMG office. 

Dates
Application deadline for the Marta Walter Prize: 15.03.2024
Submission of contributions for Study Day 2024: 31.05.2024
Application SMG office: 29.02.2024

Streaming platforms have become indispensable for the music markets. The importance of playlists is greatest on the market leader Spotify, but Swiss acts are rarely included in the platform's own playlists because there are no curators who take care of the Swiss offering and repertoire. This is an almost insurmountable hurdle for artists and their labels to generate visibility, streams and ultimately any revenue at all.

In 2023, streaming accounted for a whopping 88% of sales of recorded music in Switzerland, and the trend is rising. The size of the offering today is already over 100 million tracks. The key challenge is to be recognized on this scale. 

The decisive factor for success is the inclusion of your own tracks in popular playlists, in theespecially those that the providers themselves compile and curate on an ongoing basis. 35% of music consumption on the market leader Spotify's platform is via in-house playlists, which is why this provider has a considerable influence on which music is perceived and played at all and who consequently receives revenue.

However, Spotify hardly takes Swiss music into account: Swiss music is clearly underrepresented in Spotify's playlists, as a comparison of the local versions of these playlists with those of similar markets (Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Finland) shows. 

As a result, Swiss artists are practically denied the opportunities that such globally available platforms could offer from the outset. This is because "invisible" artists will neither create fans at home and abroad nor generate income, no matter how good their music is. This is illustrated below with an example.

Spotify publishes country-specific versions of "New Music Friday", a very successful international playlist. New releases are presented here on a weekly basis, featuring both international and national acts. The chart below shows that the proportion of domestic artists in comparable European countries averages over 30%, with a range of around 20% to 50%. This is not the case in Switzerland, where the proportion of local artists varies between zero and twelve percent. Switzerland is far behind in last place.

But why is the proportion of Swiss acts so low? The reason is that Spotify manages the Swiss offering from Berlin with staff who are mainly employed for the ten times larger German market and have no knowledge of the local music scene, let alone that of French-, Italian- and Romansh-speaking Switzerland. The Swiss offering is dealt with on the side, so to speak, while the main focus is on the German and international acts.

Spotify's behavior means that Swiss music creators and labels are severely hampered in their access to the national and global music market. The development potential of our local artists is being cut off from the outset: Anyone who is already difficult for the national audience to see will never make it onto international playlists and consequently never achieve international success. The opportunities of a globalized and digitalized music market cannot be exploited in this way; it is obvious that this also has financial and cultural consequences.

All major streaming platforms should be required to set up a Swiss editorial team based in Switzerland that is willing and able to offer the local multilingual music scene an appropriate platform in Switzerland. This is not only in the interests of the Swiss music industry, but also of Swiss consumers in all parts of the country. 

Long-standing and extensive efforts by the associations of Swiss music creators and rights holders have unfortunately not led to major streaming platforms opening a branch with staff in Switzerland. Politicians have now also noticed the insufficient presence of the major streaming providers in Switzerland and are beginning to react. An interpellation submitted by National Councillor Müller-Altermatt in autumn 2023 entitled "Eliminating discrimination against Swiss music creators on the streaming market" received a positive response from the Federal Council. Müller-Altermatt then followed up with a motion under the same title, calling for "the legal basis to be adapted so that domestic and foreign companies that offer music in Switzerland via electronic on-demand and subscription services must appropriately and non-discriminatorily reflect and highlight Swiss music creation in the presentation of their general and customer-specific offerings. These companies should be obliged to conclude an industry agreement with the relevant associations of Swiss music creators and producers. A regulation of implementation by the Confederation and sanction mechanisms should be provided for in addition to industry agreements if these are not concluded within a reasonable period of time." Both motions were co-signed by members of a wide range of parties from left to right. 

We can look forward to the reaction of the Federal Council and our new Culture Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, as well as the willingness of Parliament to use simple instruments to make Swiss music more visible and therefore more successful. We will stay tuned!

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Studying at an advanced age is often only possible if it can be individually adapted to the family and professional situation and no age guillotine mercilessly strikes.

The following interviews show that professional studies in midlife fall on very fertile ground thanks to a mature philosophy of life, life experience and expectations.

The "lifelong learning" megatrend is probably the most obvious consequence of the fact that we are getting older in a healthier way and can use our free time not primarily for recreation, but for pleasure, travel or further education. It is therefore not surprising that many people still want to change careers at the age of 30, 40 or even 50 and turn their vocation into a career.

The specific cases of Isabelle Schmied (42) and Dr. Andrea Schmidinger (51), who is now a practising specialist in neurosurgery, show that professional studies are also possible at an advanced age. Both decided to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Music at Kalaidos because they can tailor their studies to their personal circumstances here more than at other universities.

Michael Bühler talked to them.

What made you decide to go back to school and study music?

Isabelle Schmied: Even though my love of music has accompanied me since early childhood, I only discovered classical singing at the age of 21. The desire to study singing lay dormant in me for a long time, but it was only when I found my teacher in my early 30s, who finally taught me the right technique for free and natural singing, that I decided to make this long-cherished dream come true. Another ten years had to pass before life circumstances
had fitted.

Andrea Schmidinger: I always wanted to study the violin, but then decided to go into medicine. After my studies, specialist training and family challenges, I have been taking time for professional lessons for a few years now. Last year, I had the opportunity to perform Wieniawski's 2nd Violin Concerto as a soloist with the amateur orchestra I play in. In this context, I realized that now was the right time to study music.

What requirements had to be met for you to be able to combine your studies with your job or your private situation?

IS: For me, flexibility in terms of location and time was key in order to reconcile my various commitments as director of 3 choirs, my simultaneous training as a yodel choir conductor and my part-time employment with the Swiss Choral Association. The opportunity to complete part of my studies with online lessons is therefore very important to me.

AS: The most important thing for me is, on the one hand, being able to design the course in modules; on the other hand, very good time management is certainly important, a room where you can practise at any time and, last but not least, a very tolerant partner.

How did your private environment react to your decision?

IS: Without exception, my family and friends were delighted with my decision, as they know that I will be able to fulfill a long-cherished dream.

AS: The feedback from my closest family and friends was consistently supportive and positive.

Is your decision to enter a high-performance profession taken seriously or ridiculed by other musicians?

IS: So far, I've actually only received positive feedback. And what others think about my decision plays a subordinate role for me, because I know how to assess my career opportunities and have realistic expectations.

AS: The musicians I'm friends with think it's good in principle, even if they don't quite understand it because I already have a great job.

Wolfgang Clausnitzer, Member of the Board, talks to our President Tomas Dratva.

Tomas, the EPTA has been around in Switzerland for 40 years, what is the EPTA and what are its benefits?

The EPTA (European Piano Teachers' Association) was founded in the UK in the 1970s. National EPTA foundations soon followed in many European countries - in Switzerland in 1984. The most important concerns of the EPTA include professional exchange, networking and further training among pianists. This takes place primarily in the form of international and national conferences and meetings.  

The international conference is coming up soon, how often does that happen?

The "46th International EPTA Conference 2024" in Lucerne is part of a long series of conferences that are held in a different country every year, most recently in Rome, Guimarães and Madrid. These conferences are the largest piano-related congresses in Europe.

What do you think of the international conference in Lucerne?

We offer a very varied program with 50 speakers from all over the world, who will give lectures, lecture recitals and workshops on both artistic and piano pedagogical topics.

Was it difficult to find so many speakers and to attract female speakers?

We consider ourselves fortunate to have found a strong and attractive cooperation partner in the Lucerne School of Music and its students and researchers. Our "Call for Proposals" last summer on the topic of "CHANGES - Visions & Evolutions in Piano Music" was answered by many pianists and researchers. This made it rather easy for us to offer our congress content. 

We look forward to educational and eventful piano days and encourage the Swiss professional audience to visit us. Rarely does a top-class piano congress take place so close to our doorstep. Registrations for listeners are possible until February 15, 2024.

The Arosa Culture Association has been offering the Arosa Music Course Weeks for 38 years. Every summer and fall, around 1400 participants find their way to the magnificent mountain world of Arosa. Around 200 experienced instructors from Switzerland and abroad are involved. The courses, most of which last 6 days, are aimed at amateur musicians as well as professional musicians and students.

Not only music courses on offer

Around 80 instrumental courses are offered for a wide variety of string, wind, keyboard and percussion instruments. A varied program awaits participants in the various choir and singing weeks. 

But Arosa Kultur doesn't just offer music courses. The program also includes painting courses, various dance courses, a course for speech training and an instrument making course. Once again, there are also various beginners' courses and special courses for children and young people.

New in the program

The following courses will be offered for the first time in 2024: Beginners' course for zither with Hedi and Hans Eggimann- Chamber music for guitar/strings/flute with Nicolas Corti, Han Jonkers and Hieronymus Schädler - Flamenco guitar with Alexander Gil - Gospel week with Susan Wipf and Herbert Sahli - Innovative Strings with Michèle Walther - Film music for piano with Laura Valkovsky - Master class for piccolo with Nolwenn Bargin - Renaissance dance and music with Véronique Daniels and Claire Foltzer and Baroque violin with Claire Foltzer and Andreas Westermann.

Arosa Music Academy and master classes 

The Arosa Music Course Weeks are also an international player in the field of top-level promotion. 15 different master classes and two Arosa Music Academies will take place in Arosa in summer and fall 2024. Several prizes from the Hans Schaeuble Foundation will be awarded to participants. 

Information and registration

All information about the courses and registration can be found
on the Internet at www.musikkurswochen.ch or www.meisterkursearosa.ch. The printed course program can be obtained from
Arosa Kultur office (see contact). There is a 40 franc discount for early bookers until the end of February.

With Leslie Leon (Head of Master's in Education), Jens Bracher (Head of Master's in Performance) and Luise Tophoff (Head of Administration), we have found competent and committed employees. Leslie is a singer and university lecturer in speech training and communication, Jens is a trumpeter and previously head of a university career center, Luise has experience as a team leader in an international company and a private educational institute. All three proved to be our preferred candidates in an application process and show great enthusiasm for leading the University of Music. After many fulfilling
years at Kalaidos, the now former team is looking forward to being able to observe their commitment from afar.

Why did you apply to the Kalaidos University of Music?

Luise Tophoff (LT) I'm looking forward to working in an innovative environment that moves with the times, in a university of applied sciences that adapts to students' life situations. 

Leslie Leon (LL) I am delighted to be able to contribute my expertise in music practice and university didactics to the Kalaidos University of Music.
set.

Jens Bracher (JB)  After my experience at a music college in northern Germany, I can now work close to where I live and where my children live!

What is important to you in the further development of the university?

JB As a private university, Kalaidos can and must operate differently from public institutions. This means taking a more direct look at the current musical landscape,
must be foreseen in order to
to tailor offers more quickly to the needs of students.

LT Stronger networking with other departments could offer us the opportunity to benefit from and inspire each other. I am also particularly interested in goal-oriented, cooperative teamwork, the continuous deepening of specialist knowledge and high-quality support for students.

How will the conservatoire landscape change? In which areas should conservatoires change in order to meet the requirements of new professional fields, technical developments and generations of students?

LL If we look at global education trends, we can see that the future of learning will be more digital. We will be dealing with topics such as mobile learning, the use of adaptive learning algorithms, personalized learning processes and individual learning journeys, as well as the gamification of learning processes. Nevertheless, I also expect a counter-trend, and this is what makes studying at a music university like Kalaidos so valuable: direct, personal, analog communication, the personal experience of music.

JB The question of the relevance of the music profession will become even more important. Here we will increasingly encourage students to reflect on their
The aim of the program is to invite young people to enter this professional field and to promote an examination of how artists see themselves in society. This goes hand in hand with the mediation and connection of art and an entrepreneurial mindset, which is not a contradiction in terms.
represents.

There has been a lot of talk recently that there are too many music students who don't stand a chance on the job market. Does today's world need fewer artists?

JB I wouldn't say that we are letting too many people go without opportunities, but that  many music students are trained for too few professional fields. We can't educate enough people musically! But we need additional, non-specialist key qualifications that give musicians the opportunity to open up a broader 'market' for themselves.

LL In line with the growing appreciation of the direct and analog, we need more artists who do not remain in the ivory tower of art, but instead make their art tangible.
for a wide variety of people: young and old, with little or a lot of previous education, in different contexts. Art must come to the people - this is how we can make a contribution and increase our fields of activity and thus the demand for art.

What do you think are the biggest challenges for 2024? What are you looking forward to?

JB I am particularly pleased to be able to work in a small team. I'm also looking forward to the contact with students and lecturers. 

LT Meeting the growing demands for greater flexibility and individualization of educational pathways and preparing graduates for social challenges will remain an important topic. I am looking forward to taking on this task and working with the team to help ensure that students can organize their studies with the greatest possible flexibility.

We are very happy that you are now working in the management of the Kalaidos University of Music, that you enable students to study with great flexibility and practical relevance, and we wish you all the best and much success!

"Music is not a thing but an activity, something that people do." This is how the American musicologist and composer Christopher Small explained the meaning of his neologism Musicking 25 years ago. This community-building dimension of music is at the heart of the Opera mediatrix research project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. It deals with contemporary music theater in Switzerland. 

Emphasis on the collective

The combination of musicking with stories and scenic representation predestines the genre of music theater for the aesthetic encoding of we-identities. A comparison of concise local productions therefore seems particularly suitable for working out country-specific characteristics with regard to the relationship between music theater and collective identity formation. And indeed, the project team from Bern University of the Arts, consisting of Leo Dick, Katelyn King and Noémie Favennec, has been able to identify some constant patterns in the history of the genre here.

Contrary to the dramaturgical conventions of classical opera, Swiss music theater in the 20th and 21st centuries does not focus on the acting individual, but rather on the - usually passively suffering - collective. The genre is thus fundamentally in line with similar tendencies in neighboring artistic disciplines. However, while a critical tradition of relentless analysis of failed collective action has become established in Swiss literature and the visual arts, for example, music theater (as well as Swiss film) still tends to implicitly idealize a "united nation of brothers" (and sisters). In this way, the genre subliminally participates in the construction of a harmonizing self-image of Switzerland, which has been propagated by a political elite under the label of Helvetia mediatrix since the beginning of the 20th century. This also applies to pieces by progressive music theater makers who are unsuspicious of any reactionary Swissness.

Music-theatrical mother-child symbioses

Whether in the musical theater of Christoph Marthaler or Thom Luz, whether in chamber operas by Mela Meierhans or Helena Winkelman: the singing and musical collective is always sent on a symbolic search for a lost mother-child symbiosis in the local repertoire. 

Schiller's future-oriented pathos of freedom in the Rütli Oath is replaced by restrained, melancholy retrospection and a longing for the past. The finale of Xavier Dayer's Alzheim, for example, in which a group of dementia patients remember the Wehrliknaben's song from their own childhood shortly before they mentally fade away, is emblematic of this. In contrast to the country's epic and dramatic literature, such as Jeremias Gotthelf's The Black Spider or Friedrich Dürrenmatt's The Visit of the Old Lady, the punishing or cruel mother hardly ever enters the Swiss musical theater stage. Within the genre, the metaphorical field is largely left to the evocation of the ideal image of a protective and nurturing mother (Helvetia).

Art research at the interface between cultural and political education

On the one hand, the research project is to be understood as a contribution to historiography in a field of repertoire that is still neglected by musicology. On the other hand, the research team also aims to carry out educational work in the transitional area between cultural, aesthetic and political education. Publications of comparative play analyses, for example in the anthology Musicking Collective, which will soon be published by Argus, aim to impart narrative competence. In this case, this refers to knowledge about the ways in which political narratives are overtly or covertly inscribed in (music-theatrical) works of art. Ideally, this results in a sensitization to the manipulative mechanisms of political storytelling in artistic packaging. After all, like any form of theater, music theater is made for a playful examination of society and questions of identity and meaning.

As always, the Annual General Meeting was accompanied by an additional program. First, members were invited to visit the newly opened "Ligeti Labyrinth" exhibition at the Basel Music Museum. Heidy Zimmermann, curator of the exhibition and the Ligeti Collection at the Paul Sacher Foundation, gave an interesting introduction to the life and work of György Ligeti, for whose 100th birthday the exhibition was conceived. The impressive selection of music manuscripts, sound recordings and other documents from Ligeti's life provided plenty to talk about among the members.

After the exhibition, a short walk through Basel's old town led to the Münsterhügel, where the Annual General Meeting took place in the hall of the Allgemeine Lesegesellschaft. 

SMG Annual General Meeting 

Cristina Urchueguía, Central President of the SMG, chaired the 104th Annual General Meeting of the Central Society and reported on the past year. Following the difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic, all events were able to run smoothly again. Three projects in the SMG's diverse program in 2023 were particularly highlighted: 

On November 17-18, the conference "Taking the necessary steps." Karl Nef (1873-1935) and Musicology - Workshop to Celebrate 100 Years of Full Professorship at the University of Basel" was held at the Basel Musicology Department. The conference highlighted the importance of the infrastructure to which Karl Nef had made a significant contribution and for which he had lobbied, such as the music department of the University Library Basel and the instrument collection of the Historical Museum
Basel. 

From November 23-25, the conference "Music in Switzerland in the past and present: The Swiss music lexicon for the 21st century" and a related workshop took place at the University of Bern. The conference was an important step in the direction of a new, modern and networked music lexicon.  

In the course of 2023, the archive holdings of the Bern, Lucerne and Zurich sections and the head office were transferred to the Basel University Library. The historical documents of the Basel section, which date back to a predecessor society founded in 1899, were already held there. The archives of the Ticino sections are already stored in public archives (Bellinzona, Geneva). Thanks to the voluntary work of students, SMG members, the Central President and the Managing Director of the SMG, it was possible to prepare the material for the archive in advance and pack it appropriately, so that cataloging and provision is already underway. 

As is customary for all associations, the annual accounts were also presented to the SMG members and put to the vote. Following the report by Treasurer Christoph Ballmer, the Board of Directors was unanimously discharged. The assembled members thanked Christoph Ballmer for his excellent work. 

Amendments to the Articles of Association 

Last year, the Board of Directors discussed the Articles of Association in order to update them where necessary. This resulted in two proposed changes to the statutes. Firstly, the term "local groups" should be changed to "sections", as local ties are no longer the main reason for membership, and secondly, the Executive Board (Central Society) should be referred to as the Central Board to avoid confusion between the Central Board and the section boards. The proposed amendments to the Articles of Association were approved by the members. In addition, the proposal to dissolve the Dissertation Fund in favor of the Editions Fund was unanimously approved.

Further messages  

Cristina Urchueguía informed the members of the death of Angelika Salge, Head of the Music Department of the Zurich Central Library and member of the SMG Editorial Commission, and paid tribute to her as a highly esteemed colleague. Cristina Urchueguía expressed her heartfelt condolences to her family and colleagues on behalf of the SMG. The members stood for a minute's silence in memory of Angelika Salge.

After three terms as Central President of the SMG-SSM, Cristina Urchueguía will be standing down from her position at the next Annual General Meeting. If no one comes forward for the presidency, she will continue in office. 

The next Annual General Meeting will take place in fall 2024. 

The promotion of musical talent is of crucial importance for the development and realization of individual potential. A decisive factor for the success of this is the qualified management team.

This not only brings with it a sound education in the field of music education, but also a passion for accordion playing and the individual support of each participant. 

The experience of taking part not only boosts young people's self-confidence, but also encourages a competitive spirit and the further development of musical skills.

Why you should be there: 

Experience the power of music: learn from an inspiring conductor and develop your full musical potential. 

Discover different styles: the accordion offers endless possibilities for musical development. 

Become part of our community: make friends in a supportive environment and share the joy of making music with friends.

What are you waiting for?

Sign up now and start your musical adventure! Share this opportunity with friends and motivate them to join you. Be there when we conquer the stage and enchant the world with our music! Sign up now and experience the fascination of the accordion.

Registration: 

Contact us with an email at info@accordeon.ch 

You can find detailed information at www.accordeon.ch

Dear teacher, motivate your students to register. (accordion, drums or piano)