MvO - Laurence Desarzens has been active in the Swiss music scene for over 30 years: as program manager at the Rote Fabrik, Moods (Zurich) and Kaserne Basel. She has been head of the pop and jazz department at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne, HEMU, since 2016. In her view, the Swiss Exchange Festival DKSJ primarily emphasizes the idea of cooperation, which is why the Association of Directors of Swiss Jazz Schools DKSJ was founded to facilitate exchange between the various universities. Each year, the focus is on a different music academy; in 2019 it was the Lucerne School of Music. Under the DKSJ label, the five jazz departments of the Swiss music universities present the joint All Star Project every year. Under the direction of Irish bassist and composer Ronan Guilfoyle, ten selected students spent three rehearsal days working on his arrangements of Jack Bruce's music as well as his compositions, which were created in honor of the 100th anniversary of Thelonious Monk's birth. They presented the program at five concerts in the cities of the participating music academies. In this way, the students gain experience with other institutions, but also come into contact with other artists and performers. For Laurence Desarzens, this collaboration creates a studio spirit that is very valuable for everyone involved. In the end, it is primarily about one thing: promoting young jazz talent in Switzerland, which is why the DKSJ project will continue to be pursued in the coming years; in 2020, for example, the focus will be on "Women in Jazz". This project, called "Jazzlab", was initiated by the Helvetiarockt association and the jazz departments of the HKB Bern and the HEMU together with the Cully Jazz Festival.

Florentin Setz is currently studying for a Master of Arts in Music - Pedagogy at the Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK. He is being taught jazz trombone by Bernhard Bamert and is also studying Indian rhythm with Ruven Ruppik and piano lessons with Chris Wiesendanger. As a next step, he wants to complete his Master's degree in Pedagogy next year and benefit and learn as much as possible from the ZHdK's program during the last two years. He does not yet know whether he wants to do another Master's degree after the Master's in Education. His goal is clear: to establish himself as a freelance musician in the Swiss music scene as a trombonist, bandleader and conductor. He hopes to be able to play as many concerts as possible with his projects and present his own music to a wide audience. The Swiss Exchange Festival DKSJ offers a wonderful opportunity for this. These unique opportunities can sometimes give rise to bands that make music together over several years and develop together. So it's clear that he sees the Swiss Exchange Festival DKSJ as a springboard for his own band "MEDEA". He really likes the idea of presenting a bachelor project from a Swiss jazz school in a different Swiss city each time, as this allows you to network and get to know the music of other artists.

Hannes Wittwer has been studying for a Master's degree in Music Pedagogy (MA Music Pedagogy) in jazz with drums as his main instrument since this fall. His long-term goal (similar to many young musicians in his environment) is to be able to teach part-time and also work on his artistic projects as a composer, bandleader or sideman. There is also the possibility that he will venture into journalistic, academic or transdisciplinary areas of culture at some point, as he also has interests in these fields - but for the time being, teaching and artistic activities clearly have priority. Hannes Wittwer was able to organize, design and moderate a panel for this year's Swiss Exchange Festival DKSJ. Andrina Bollinger and Philipp Hillebrand, a graduate of the ZHdK jazz department, were invited to speak on topics such as "Things to consider in the music business after graduation" and "Opportunities and risks of studying jazz". This was followed by a discussion round with the guests involved. For Wittwer, the Swiss Exchange Festival DKSJ is important for improving and consolidating the networking of Swiss jazz academies. In his own experience, he has observed that students from the individual universities, even within German-speaking Switzerland, rarely venture to other cities, whether for concerts, masterclasses, panels, jam sessions etc. The Röstigraben seems to be very present here too. Although he maintains individual contacts from French-speaking Switzerland, he hardly knows "what's going on there", as he says. It is also difficult for students from French-speaking Switzerland to get concerts in German-speaking Switzerland - and vice versa. It is not easy for Hannes Wittwer to find reasons why, even in small Switzerland, where you could actually be in all the larger jazz cities in one or two hours, everyone is working in their "own little garden". One reason could be that most jazz scenes, especially Zurich, already have such a large (over)range of curricula, culture and opportunities and are so busy with themselves that at the end of the day there is not much time left to network with people from Basel or Bern. Wittwer can only speculate as to whether social media plays a more beneficial or detrimental role in networking and exchange. The DKSJ directors' conference is therefore an important pillar in bringing people together and softening the individual jazz scene boundaries somewhat. However, the willingness to exchange ideas must not only come from "above", but also from the student base, and in his opinion there is definitely still some catching up to do here.

Tom Arthurs has been in Bern since the beginning of 2018 and enjoys the rich diversity of Swiss musical life, from the "Zoom In" and "Jazzwerkstatt" festivals in Bern to the Bern Music Festival, "unerhört" in Zurich and "earweare" in Biel. But he is also enthusiastic about the wonderful variety of incredible musicians who teach every week at the HKB, "his" music academy, including Colin Vallon, Andreas Schaerer, Patrice Moret, Julian Sartorius and Tom Arthur's colleague Brit Django Bates. For him, jazz and improvised music are today an indispensable and forward-looking part of international contemporary music-making and education in general and are therefore also of great importance within the Conference of Swiss Music Universities. The DKSJ has now been in existence for several years and offers a fruitful platform for cooperation, exchange and solidarity between Bern, Zurich, Lausanne, Lucerne and Basel - five jazz schools with very different profiles, but nevertheless with many common goals and concerns. In his view, the Swiss Exchange Festival DKSJ is a wonderful annual gathering. Arthurs is delighted when the All Star Project unites musicians from all the schools in a large ensemble that tours Switzerland for five evenings, led by an international guest artist. Before Ronan Guilfoyle, these have included Sylvie Courvoisier, Rudi Mahall and Erik Truffaz. In Bern this year, the band played in the beautiful surroundings of the BeJazz Club in Bern. A great thing for Tom Arthurs (also in view of the fact that exceptional Bachelor projects are selected every year) and unique in Switzerland, because ultimately it's about one thing: collaboration, networking and - music.

Gregor Hilbe (he was a member of the Vienna Art Orchestra, won the 2006 World Music Prize with the project "TangoCrash" and has recorded numerous albums) was head of the percussion class and the Producing/Performance course at the Jazzcampus of the Basel Music Academy until 2016. He has been head of the Jazz & Pop profile at the ZHdK since 2016. He also enjoys working with the other jazz departments at Swiss music academies, which is reflected in the regular meetings and diverse collaborations. For the Exchange and the All Star Project, the processes at the Swiss Exchange Festival are now well known, which ultimately also benefits the students. Hilbe hopes that even more Bachelor's students will show an interest in these extraordinary events in the future. For him, the potential of these projects lies above all in the fact that students can get to know their professional colleagues and thus gain important professional experience alongside their studies. Nevertheless, he is satisfied with the development of recent years and confirms that the formats should be further enhanced in the future in order to be successful across the board. The current success can also be read in the current feedback, which has been exclusively positive, so that we can look to the future with confidence.

The jazz departments enjoy a good standing within the KMHS, but for Hilbe it is important to always maintain a joint dialog and see where the congruent formation of opinions can be improved. According to Hilbe, 2020 will present an exciting major project for the jazz departments, and planning for the next edition of the Swiss Exchange Festival DKSJ is already underway.

MvO - Valentin Gloor is very familiar with the Swiss music academy landscape. Before working at the Winterthur Conservatory, he was the founding rector of the Department of Music and later a member of the Board of the Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences Switzerland.

Valentin Gloor, how do you see the current Swiss conservatoire scene?

Highly professional institutions are at work here! Over the last twenty years, they have managed to constantly develop the image of music education, the content and the profiles in the great transition to universities of applied sciences. And the professional field itself is also undergoing change - these aspects have also been integrated into the degree courses, and the "market" is being shaped by the courses. The fourfold performance mandate of training, continuing education, research and services has certainly contributed to the wide range of perspectives we see today. And it is also a field with strong international relationships. I perceive this "scene" as lively, diverse and eager to learn.

Where are the biggest challenges in this market?

This "market" has always been very demanding when it comes to establishing oneself professionally. In addition to artistic or pedagogical skills, graduates are required to make an enormous effort in terms of their own profiling and positioning. And social developments in terms of demographics, migration, educational demands, digitalization - please excuse these buzzwords! - will certainly change the professional reality of musicians in the next twenty years, both artistically and pedagogically. How can conservatoires anticipate such developments and integrate them into the training programs of the future?

You have a very diverse CV, ranging from practical music-making to research activities and management tasks. How will you combine these interests in the future?

I actually always come across a variety of activities and areas of interest when I talk to people who fulfill leadership roles in music education. Diversity seems to be a normal prerequisite. It also reflects the professional reality of musicians: artistic creation, teaching music in many facets, organization, conception, project management... the whole range is lived by most musicians. The management function of a conservatoire encompasses all these strands. Sometimes, however, they are "transposed": Artistic activity perhaps translates into aspects of creativity, presence and performance...it would be exciting to think about this in more depth. In any case, this task actually bundles my interests per se.

Is there still time for your own creative work?

As a transposed activity in the previously mentioned sense: Yes, guaranteed! Understood in the conventional sense: I hope so and am working on it.

What importance do you attach to research activities at Swiss music academies?

A central one! Research is essential for understanding what we do, who we are, where we are and where we are heading. How do we manage to integrate research as a field, but also the "research mindset" into our education and training? This is a big question for me.

As Director of the Lucerne School of Music, you are now also a member of the KMHS (Konferenz Musikhochschulen Schweiz). What do you see as the opportunities and possibilities of this body?

The KMHS bundles the interests of institutions that cooperate and compete with each other at the same time. This is highly demanding! However, if the balancing act in terms of sector policy is successful, the KMHS has great potential to contribute to improving the framework conditions in music education and training, but also in the music profession. I believe that it would ideally do this together with strong partners.

The KMHS also recently commented on the Federal Council's cultural message (see September issue of the Schweizer Musikzeitung). What is your personal position on this message?

This cultural message is close to my heart - I hope it is close to the heart of all of us! Because it is about promoting young talent and cultural participation. The new cultural message is an important further step on the way to full implementation of Article 67a of the Federal Constitution. A long way to go. But we must not forget that over 70% of the Swiss electorate voted in favor of the constitutional article on music education. Over 70%! This is an expression of a powerful mandate to politicians. A first step has been taken in the 2016-19 Dispatch, particularly with regard to broad-based promotion. That is good. And this new cultural message has the potential to take Switzerland a big step forward in the area of promoting musical talent and to further strengthen the important partnership between educational institutions such as music schools and conservatoires. But in the area of general access to music education for all children and young people and in the area of music education in schools, there is still a lot of work to be done to improve the framework conditions. And the Cultural Message 21-24 is not yet a done deal. We have to keep at it!

Politics and political influence in the field of music academies should not be underestimated. How do you perceive this situation in Switzerland?

If politics is the social negotiation of relevant topics and positions, I can live with that. We are convinced that what we do at conservatoires is important to society. And if it really is socially important, social demands are formulated - to a large extent via politics.

Lucerne has a diverse cultural life - where would you like to position your music academy in the future?

The Lucerne School of Music is already positioned in this cultural life and is an important part of it. Of course, it is my task and my goal to maintain and expand the existing partnerships and to enter into new ones. But it is important to see the outstanding work that has already been done here. I see this positioning in cultural life as very convincing.

The work is on schedule, thanks to the enormous commitment of my predecessor Michael Kaufmann and the dedication of the many people involved in working groups, project management and execution. The opening will take place in summer 2020. And a completely new situation awaits us as a university of music. We are moving together, we are moving closer together. It is a logical step in a long process - several institutions with a long history, tradition and their own culture have come together in our conservatory. Now we are coming together to form a new culture. We will all meet each other much more. This will inspire us to new ideas, new projects, new perspectives. We will continue to move forward. That would be my wish. A vibrant music venue will emerge - we are embedded in a great campus at the Südpol in Kriens: the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, the Südpol event venue with its independent scene, Lucerne Theater, the School of Music - and the School of Music. All together. We will therefore embark on a more intensive, inspiring collaboration internally - but also with partners.

The Lucerne School of Music offers musical and artistic education and training in the heart of the lively cultural environment of Lucerne, the city of music. Students benefit from a flexible training system that allows for individual objectives and a wide range of subject combinations. Concert and stage practice are important components of the course right from the start: The university's numerous ensembles and regular cooperation with the Lucerne Theater, the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, the Lucerne Festival Academy, the Willisau and Schaffhausen jazz festivals and the Lucerne Jazzkantine provide a practical and varied environment.

The wide range of Bachelor's and Master's degree programs includes classical music, jazz, church and folk music, conducting, wind music direction, composition, theory, music education and music & movement. This is supplemented by the PreCollege. In addition, the Lucerne School of Music offers numerous CAS, DAS and MAS programs as well as individual courses, workshops and academies for further qualification.

In the two competence centers CC Music Performance Research and CC Research Music Education, the Department of Music researches aspects of music production and reception as well as music education and the consumption of music.

The Lucerne School of Music will move into the new building in the south of Lucerne in the 2020/21 academic year. This will bring together all institutes, a public library, research, teaching and event rooms under one roof. Among other things, the new building has its own chamber music hall, a jazz club and a multifunctional black box. Thanks to the mixed use, an open, lively working and meeting place is created for students, staff, partners and a music-interested public.

MK/MvO - Music teachers have an important cultural role in our education system, as the music profession is primarily about teaching young people about the world of music and promoting musical talent. In September 2012, the Swiss people gave a gratifyingly clear yes to the musical promotion of the younger generation. Since then, the new Article 67a of the constitution has provided us with the basis for introducing young people to music, enabling musical education at primary and music school level and also promoting young talent. At least this was the view of politicians and an expert commission appointed by the federal government to implement this article of the constitution. As in the field of sport, which, like music, is firmly anchored in the Swiss education system, the focus should be on both popular and top-level performance. Both are mutually dependent! Musical education certainly has the primary aim of introducing young people to music, to cultural issues and to creative-artistic meaningfulness and sensuality. The simultaneous application of mind and emotion, ability and intuition, knowledge and experience is an integral part of the qualities that make up a personality. Whether this personality ultimately becomes a professional musician is not the primary question. Many questions in music are the same as in other areas, and musical knowledge is valuable in almost all areas of life: music trains both halves of the brain!

For this reason, the conservatoires very much welcomed the Youth and Music ("j+m") program launched by the last 2016-2019 Cultural Message, even though this program is about the broad promotion of music for young people through the support of courses and music camps, which is primarily organized by the music associations and music schools. "j+m" is certainly an important initial basis for going beyond the standard lessons at elementary school from the point of view of providing the most comprehensive music education possible from school age. However, this basis is neither sufficient in terms of the objective of the constitutional article nor in terms of the financial resources of around CHF 3 million per year. A look at the sports promotion programme for youth and sport ("j+s"), which is now subsidized to the tune of almost CHF 100 million per year, shows above all that, in addition to broad-based promotion, it must also always be a matter of promoting gifted children. At first glance, music is not as competitive as sport - and yet the approach of promoting talent is crucial when it comes to helping young people with a greater interest in music to progress with appropriate additional lessons (e.g. additional lessons on an instrument, ensemble playing, ear training, music theory). Public music schools cannot guarantee this in a targeted manner; systematic gifted classes and other measures are established in very few cantons, and music schools do not normally have the resources to do so.

For this reason, it was and is also essential from the point of view of the conservatoires to supplement the setting for the implementation of Article 67a of the Constitution beyond "j+m" with the element of talent promotion.

From the point of view of the Swiss conservatoires, there should be systematic support for talented students at the level of the cantonal music schools. Following on from this - as the last mile, so to speak, for the highly talented who aspire to a professional career in music - is the PreCollege, i.e. preparation for the entrance examination to a conservatoire. Regardless of whether preparatory training takes place at music schools, grammar schools or universities, it is important to provide targeted, high-quality training so that students have a real chance of a professional career as a musician. In principle, all talented students from all cantons should have an appropriate pre-college funding basis, supported by all cantons or possibly also by federal funds. This is a requirement that has by no means been met in all regions of the country.

For this reason, the Swiss Conference of Music Universities (KMHS) and the Swiss Association of Music Schools (VMS) have joined forces in recent years to develop, among other things, a mission statement on the "Promotion of musical talent in Switzerland", which sets out their joint positions and defines possible support programs. The aim is to jointly define the modalities of pre-college courses of study in order to ensure a seamless transition from music education at school (support for talented students at music schools) to professional university studies. This also includes the so-called "Talent Card" as an entry requirement for talent programs at music school level, followed by a "PreCollege Label". The latter is to be awarded to suitable music schools and other preparatory institutions that guarantee a certain minimum standard of preparation for university.

Switzerland needs to catch up

It should not go unmentioned that Switzerland has a lot of catching up to do in this respect compared to many music education programs for young and talented people in our neighbouring countries. This is illustrated by a comparison mentioned in the mission statement of KMHS and VMS, which is based in particular on the UN and UNESCO definitions of cultural education. Universities are often accused of having too high a proportion of foreign students. The fact is, however, that the level of Swiss applicants with proven talent in entrance examinations is often lower than that of talented foreign students of the same age. A systematic and high-quality education for talented students and pre-college education in Switzerland would quickly make up for this competitive disadvantage and better exploit the potential of professional musicians in Switzerland.

In light of all these considerations and concepts, we can only welcome the new proposal by the Federal Council and the Federal Office of Culture as part of the new 2021-2024 Cultural Dispatch to support the promotion of talented musicians in addition to the continuation of "j+m" in the future. The proposed new paragraph in the Cultural Promotion Act is the legal basis for the promotion of talented musicians outlined above, which the music associations and the KMHS have been calling for emphatically in recent years. The KMHS therefore supports this proposal. However, it expects it to be incorporated into law and that politicians will help to close this important gap in the Swiss music education system. Efficient cantonal models can be found here in a joint approach by the Confederation and the cantons in order to make even better use of the high musical potential. This is not an end in itself, but because society urgently needs music as a cultural asset - and even more so, it needs high-quality music teachers to teach and convey music in our elementary and music schools.

The KMHS consultation on the Federal Council's 2021-2024 Culture Dispatch can be found here:

> www.kmhs.ch

You can find the Federal Council's message here:

> www.newsd.admin.ch/newsd/message/attachments/57189.pdf

Nadir Vassena - Cosa significano veramente "digitale", "digitalizzazione" nell'ambito musicale artistico e didattico? A questa domanda i più rispondono con degli esempi di applicazioni. Also interno della Scuola universitaria del Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana ci sono esperienze che sfruttano le possibilità offerte dalle cosiddette "nuove" tecnologie. Se già da anni gli studenti le adottano - per esempio per registrarsi e valutare a freddo l'esecuzione di un brano (o la gestualità, nel caso di un aspirante direttore d'orchestra) - le prime iniziative originali per integrare musica e tecnologia sono quelle sviluppate da Spazio21, l'unità che si occupa della realizzazione di progetti interdisciplinari e attività legate soprattutto alla creazione contemporanea. I nostri progetti partono da esigenze molto concrete. For example, in the didactic field, we have developed a program for l'ear training, modellato sulle richieste del nostro corso di ascolto per il bachelor e modificabile in base al livello di preparazione e alle necessità di apprendimento del singolo studente. Dopo la realizzazione di un primo prototipo (TiAscolto) distribuito come software, stiamo ora portando il prodotto sul web (SOLO: ear training web app) grazie alla preziosa collaborazione con il Software Institute della Facoltà di Informatica dell'Università della Svizzera italiana. Il materiale, in continuo aggiornamento, è liberamente disponibile sulla piattaforma empiricalbox.ch.

Ma la digitalizzazione non è solo un insieme di tecnologie. For music, the advent of digital has represented an epochal change. Il settore è stato tra i primi in cui la conversione dall'analogico al digi- tale ha comportato non solo una modifica della tecnica impiegata per rappresentare il segnale sonoro - anche le partiture! - ma, di conseguenza e progressivamente, di tutta la produzione, la distribuzione e la fruizione. Of molti di questi processi non si è spesso consapevoli. On the one hand, the digital format offers new opportunities for creation, transmission, diffusion and distribution, but at the same time it is important to realize that these operations - for example, the analog/digital transcription catena - are not necessarily neutral.

Per rendere attenti ai cambiamenti di paradigma in atto nella creazione e ricezione della musica elettronica - che in grandissima misura vive proprio dello sviluppo tenologico degli ultimi decenni - è nata EAR: Electro Acoustic Room, una serie di concerti dedicati alla musica acusmatica. Ormai giunta alla quarta stagione, questa coproduzione fra Conservatorio e LuganoMusica si concentra sul repertorio di musica su supporto che, proprio grazie alle facilità offerte dal digitale, è possibile diffondere e spazializzare efficacemente. Un compito complesso quello della diffusione, che richiede un'attenta interpretazione dell'opera e che trasforma ogni altoparlante in un vero e proprio strumento musicale. To do all this in a way that meets our specific requirements, we have developed a software that, concert after concert, we continue to perfect, always convinced that the "digitalization" of training goes hand in hand with the acquisition of the expertise of the technologies that surround it.

Nadir Vassena

... è Professore di composizione alla Scuola universitaria di Musica del Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana e Responsabile di Spazio21.

 Timo Waldmeier, what does digitization mean to you individually?

For me, digitalization means centralization, dematerialization (in terms of notes) and greater speed in the procurement of information, notes and communication. At the same time, however, it can also lead to a loss of reference to reality and to the material.

Where do you see the dangers and benefits of digitalization in the context of musical education or musical practice?

I think the danger of digitalization is that it can massively increase our stress levels by making us too accessible and enabling us to organize ourselves too quickly. So I try to take advantage of the efficiency and centralization of digitalization. However, I have to make sure that I organize non-working and unavailable times much more actively and incorporate them into my everyday life in order to defy their "dangers". 

Timo Waldmeier

... studies choral conducting at the University of Music FHNW Basel.

Michelle Süess, how has digitalization changed your life in recent years?

On the one hand, digitalization has changed the way I communicate: Due to the fact that most of my communication takes place via emails, text messages and messaging apps, all of which can be operated using a smartphone, I have increasingly felt the expectation for a quick response (from me, but also from my counterparts) increase in recent years. On the other hand, digitalization makes it easier to access specific information and to manage documents. I am really grateful that I can find specific information for research work, for example, not (only) by poring over books for hours, but also by searching and researching on the Internet. I also find it very practical to always have my documents such as teaching materials, work materials etc. with me on my laptop without always having to search for everything.

What influence does digitalization have on your studies or your career?

As there is a lot of communication via email and sometimes via Moodle, it is sometimes difficult to keep track and filter out what is really important. For example, for me personally, homework/information communicated by email gets lost more quickly than that communicated in class. Digitalization also has an impact on the communication of advertising for concerts/performances/events. The use of digital platforms and media for distributing flyers or inviting guests is very effective and has become very important. Digitalization is used a lot in the area of ear training. For example, melody dictations can be played individually on a device. The teacher does not need to play the melody on the piano every time and the students can complete the dictation at their own pace.

Michelle Süess

... is studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Movement at the Basel University of Music FHNW.

Patrick Müller - Estelle Lacombe studied at the universities of Zurich and Paris - but without having to move from her home in Lauterbrunnen above Interlaken. This was in 1951 - if only in the imagination of a science fiction author, Albert Robida, who published his novel "La Vie Electrique" in 1890. In it, Estelle communicates and studies by means of the so-called "Téléphonoscope", a device that corresponds to today's video chat. What was still in the distant future at the end of the century before last has now become part of everyday life - not only on a technical level, but also in terms of how the broad and rapid availability of knowledge shapes relationships between teachers and learners. Digital media in particular enable access to knowledge from a wide variety of sources in a matter of seconds, and the possible authorities and canons have multiplied. Today's students, digital natives, know how to use this productively and as a matter of course.

For around six years, a group of musicians, artists and technicians led by Matthias Ziegler and Patrick Müller at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) has been exploring the possibilities that can arise from telematic formats. In this project, rooms in geographically different locations are connected via the Internet in such a way that musicians (but also actors, dancers, etc.) can interact in real time over distance: A video chat, in other words, in which digital communication technologies are used in such a way that they also enable an exchange on a musical and artistic level. The project has been supported by the SNSF in recent years. Previous telematic concerts between Zurich and places such as Bern, Belfast, San Diego or Hong Kong have shown that only a careful approach can create artistically meaningful and valuable situations. Only the knowledge of technological possibilities and experience in designing the scenic arrangement of mediating image and sound media enables musicians to work together productively across geographical distances.

These experiences from an artistic perspective are now also being made productive for educational settings at the ZHdK. On the one hand, the use of telematic means and their aesthetics are themselves being taught via an online learning tool that is currently being developed. On the other hand, we are interested in uses that differ from the usual forms of mediation in online learning, which often have a one-to-many structure (webinars, for example, or MOOCs): In Few-to-few settings, for example, small groups from different universities can be brought together in improvisation lessons, and cultural differences between the various locations become a topic. Finally, one-to-one instrumental lessons have shown how instrument-specific the corresponding teaching environments need to be designed: In singing lessons, for example, the representation of the whole body is central, whereas cellists require an image setting in the video transmission that shows the bow movement from a representative angle. It has also proved valuable that the unusual setting itself leads to productive self-reflection on teaching practice, for both teachers and students. And it is important to develop training models that understand telematic individual lessons not as an exclusive, but as a complementary - and enriching - tool.

Patrick Müller

... is Head of Transdisciplinarity at the Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK.

Ingo Laufs - You really can't complain that the term "digitization" is rarely used in everyday language. What possible applications, what developments and what advantages are conceivable for studying at a university of music through digitalization? The Kalaidos University of Music explored this question by putting the entire complex of music theory to the digital test, so to speak.

In the course of a long working phase, a system was developed for the individual areas of music theory (composition, ear training, aural analysis and stylistics, form theory and analysis, acoustics, instrumentology and music history (with adaptations in the jazz/pop area)) that combines several types of teaching. Each of the areas mentioned consists of teaching units with different weightings and different ECTS credits, and each teaching unit consists of a complex of individual lessons, group lessons, lessons with lecturers and lessons without lecturers as well as a relatively high proportion of self-study.

The teaching material is available to the participants for a certain period of time via the in-house communication portal; this means that students can access it again and again and use it as support. The majority of this situation will be taught online, and examinations will also be possible in this way. Students will therefore soon be able to receive their theory lessons and write their exams in the comfort of their own living room or study - which is by no means synonymous with a lack of control. Monitoring means tracking learning progress, ensuring progress in mastering the subject matter, i.e. support that goes beyond differentiating between "correct" and "possible" or even "incorrect" solutions. The latter can be easily solved technically by making the possible solutions visible to the learner. On the other hand, annotated feedback is necessary; it must be possible to understand right and wrong within an aesthetic frame of reference. Together with some of its cooperation partners, the Kalaidos University of Music will be testing this version, which has so far only been tested with individual, voluntary students, from April.

Another possible use of digital media that could certainly be discussed would be the recognition of video recordings or links to YouTube recordings as an admission test in the artistic field. There are certainly many advantages to being physically present, the live sound, the personality. All of this is more perceptible when you are sitting opposite each other. But in the age of digitalization and globalization, isn't it also permissible not only to think about how these developments can be used for studying at a conservatory, but also to apply them, even if only on a trial basis? If you don't try, you can't refuse. And so the Kalaidos University of Music, which has long accepted entrance examinations via YouTube when they are submitted by students from distant countries, has decided to accept this form of application and participation in its scholarship competition as well.

The opportunities of digitalization for a music university are therefore clear. On the one hand, digitalization makes it possible to prepare the teaching content in a clear way: On the one hand, images, sound and analysis can be brought together and the aspects to be taught/learned can be focused and pointedly prepared using the examples. On the other hand, this content can remain permanently accessible beyond the duration of a traditional lesson. This extends the learning time. Blended learning can therefore lead to a more in-depth form of learning.

Of course, the risks must also be considered. These consist of presenting teaching content in a way that is too distant from people and is almost exclusively reduced to what is technically feasible. The risk lies in wanting to make the human being - and therefore the teacher - superfluous. This will not succeed. The subject matter is too complex, and the teacher is a point of reference whose function should not be underestimated. Teaching is given a "face". Often - especially with creative tasks - problems arise that go beyond the "realization of sounds". This is where personal contact and support are essential.

Of course, students must also have the appropriate technical requirements. This depends on the format of the digital media. For example, there are programs available for purchase in the field of ear training (Earmaster), for which group licenses are issued to the universities. A computer with headphones is required for this, and a microphone is also necessary for the topic of "sight-singing". For most cases, however, the basic equipment should suffice, i.e: Internet access, computer with audio and video function, email access, because teaching must succeed with those possibilities that students usually have at their disposal without having to go to great expense. For their part, universities need teaching and learning platforms that allow students to access the content.

Ingo Laufs

... is head of department and lecturer for composition, analysis, theory of form, arrangement and composition at the Kalaidos University of Music.

Elke Hofmann - The innovative use of digital technologies in teaching has become an attractive feature of a university. The realization of the old dream of making teaching more flexible in terms of time and location is a blessing wherever knowledge needs to be imparted to as many people as possible in an individualized way. At the same time, it poses immense challenges, both for decision-makers when it comes to investing in rapidly outdated technologies and for teachers, who have to continually adapt their media and teaching skills to the requirements of the younger generation of students.

The digital transformation poses different questions and challenges for the traditional, highly individualized forms of teaching in professional music education than for typical university knowledge transfer.

Even with the help of the latest digital technologies, physical presence, which is essential for conveying the artistic and technical essence of mastering an instrument or voice or the creative process of improvisation or composition, cannot yet be transferred in a satisfactory form. The tempting flexibility in terms of time and location does not (yet) appear to be achievable, particularly in the core business of a music academy, i.e. individual artistic tuition and accompanying small group lessons. So far, the attraction of the main subject teacher, together with the attractiveness of the campus with regard to further practical experience in the chosen main subject or its specialization, has remained decisive for the choice of study location.

Looking back on the developments of the last two decades, it seems only a matter of time before this paradigm will also change; existing technologies are being intensively researched throughout Europe and are already generating a new culture of musical interaction.

Digital media have long been part of everyday life at the FHNW Academy of Music/Basel Academy of Music: students and teachers play from digitally represented sheet music on tablets, use online library catalogs and academic research portals and make their own musical and/or academic work visible and audible on websites or social media using digital video and audio recordings or live streaming.

Within traditional forms of teaching, teachers are developing digital tools for teaching special content (e.g. intonation/voice systems) and testing digitally supported examination formats; education students are working on the didactics of teaching videos. Learning management systems and collaborative digital group rooms enable new qualities in the use of contact time.

As one of nine universities in the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland network, the FHNW School of Music/Music Academy Basel is also located in an environment that is intensively involved in the transition of teaching to the digital future. In the coming years, the FHNW will set up special rooms for its nine universities that will enable their teachers to try out digitally supported forms of teaching, provide impetus for the development of digital and media pedagogical skills, develop a platform for the presentation of innovative teaching and promote discourse on the idea of the future of excellent teaching. In doing so, it aims to meet the different needs of the sub-universities and at the same time exploit interdisciplinary synergy potential. The FHNW offers teaching staff competitive incentives to implement individual projects; for example, David Mesquita and Florian Vogt from the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis at our university won one of the first grants from the Teaching Fund for their project "Singing upon the (note)book", in the context of which an interactive website on certain aspects of historically oriented aural training is being developed.

The FHNW Academy of Music/Basel Academy of Music thus sees itself as part of a comprehensive process that will prudently lead the proven excellence of its teaching into a successful future.

Elke Hofmann

... has been the Digitalization Officer at the three institutes of the FHNW School of Music Basel since September 2018.

Matthias von Orelli - Mátyás Szandai is a student at the HEMU Lausanne (Master in Interprétation option performer composer) for two years. Il donne un aperçu personnel de ses études quotidiennes.

Mátyás Szandai what is your current CV and how did you arrive in Switzerland and Lausanne?

J'ai étudié la contrebasse classique au Département de l'Académie de Musique Ferenc Liszt de Budapest et auprès de Gergely Járdányi. Puis la composition classique avec Jean-Michel Bardez au Conservatoire Hector Berlioz de Paris, et l'harmonie jazz avec Emil Spanyi au Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. After spending almost six years in Paris, I decided to continue my studies. I was happy to find the Master in Interpretation - option performer composer at the HEMU in Lausanne. That's exactly what I needed.

Quelle est l'importance de la composition jazz pour vous, votre développement musical et votre carrière ?

I have more experience as an interpreter. I think that the practice of composition and arrangement help me to become a better improviser as well. I've always composed for my groups, but that means staying in small groups, and I always lack the training to help me realize my musical ideas and put them into practice at the same time. The jazz section of the HEMU not only gave me the opportunity to learn how to make arrangements for large orchestras, but I also had the chance to interpret and record them (as part of the semester project). For example, this year I will perform a composition and an arrangement of mine as part of the creation Oriental Tales for the Cully Jazz festival in April 2019, and at the end of the year I will perform my compositions with my ensemble for my exam concert at the BCV Concert Hall in Lausanne.

What do you expect in principle from these studies?

Mon but personnel est d'être capable d'écrire de la musique pour de grands ensembles, par exemple un orchestre de chambre, un big band ou un orchestre symphonique.

What exactly is the study of jazz composition in Lausanne, especially in relation to other styles of composition?

I study with Emil Spànyi, who has a global knowledge and an overall view of the history of music and its theory. I have classes every semester. At the beginning of the year, a work plan is drawn up. The registration within the framework of the semester of the project and the concert at the end of the year set the deadlines and the rhythm of the work. The first year, I wanted to learn arrangement techniques to harmonize jazz standards in the style of Ellington or Gil Evans. Last year, for my final exam concert, I played my arrangements with my quintet. This year, I want to concentrate on my personal compositions. I have a few compositions that I wrote for my quartet and I want to arrange them for an ensemble consisting of a flute, a hautbois, a clarinet, two violons, a violoncello, a vibraphone and a rhythm section. First of all, we define the forms, the style, take a few examples with the same instrumentation from the jazz or classical repertoire, and then I propose a few personal ideas that we develop.

In my opinion, jazz writing and composition are inimaginable without the knowledge acquired from classical music. For me, the differences in composition between classical music and jazz lie in improvisation, accentuation, rhythms and forms.

Thomas Dobler - Composition occupies a prominent place in the jazz department of the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne (HEMU). In 2016, as part of a revision of the jazz master's program, the master's in composition was integrated into the master's in interpretation, as the links between jazz composition and interpretation are important. In the practice of the profession, the composer is for most of the time also an interpreter of his music. At the same time, it is important that the interpreter has the skills of orchestration, arrangement and composition. The links between improvisation, considered to be the key element of jazz, and composition are obvious and indispensable. Le Master en composition sous son ancienne forme a therefore disparu, mais il voit la lumière dans une nouvelle orientation : Le Master en Interprétation - option performer composer.

This reform represents a significant enhancement of composition within the institution. It has succeeded in boosting the creative spirit, a crucial factor for lively music and jazz in motion. Le Master en Interprétation - option performer composer has always been highly appreciated and well received by the students. Enrolments doubled very quickly.

The course offers each student, in addition to the main instrument courses, individual composition courses and various collective courses in the field of arrangement and orchestration. In addition, this Master's degree offers a wide range of options for individualizing your profile. In particular, there is the "specialization" branch, an individual course of choice that allows the student to focus on a specific field or to reinforce an orientation (music for film and media, electronic music, composition according to a specific theme, orchestration, interpretation, etc.).

The most important thing, however, is the practical implementation. It is ineffective and damaging if the compositions remain exercises that end in a tiroir. On the contrary, it is essential that the student can discover and consequently modify and revise his or her work. This is the reason why HEMU Jazz has put in place a highly developed system integrating numerous concerts with external partners. All students in the "Master in Interpretation - option performer composer" are obliged to write at least two compositions/orchestrations per year for the projects of the HEMU Jazz ensembles.

These commands imply constraints in terms of instrumentation and stylistic level, but above all, precise performances. All the processes are carefully supervised by the professors of composition and artistic directors of the various projects. The conception of the projects envisages a very great diversity of style in order not to work in a purely aesthetic or dogmatic way.

The HEMU considers it indispensable to transmit the values of the "classics", or rather of culture in general, in particular an excellent knowledge of the past, a good mastery of the techniques of composition and orchestration which represent the true tools of the trade, with the conviction that creativity can develop through work. As part of these composition/orchestration assignments, the students compose personalized projects with which they perform at numerous concerts, including a public recital/concert in the HEMU's concert hall at the end of each year. In the second year of the Master's program, their projects are recorded in the HEMU studio. Le travail de Master integrates these enregistrements, accompanied by the creation of a site internet comprenant un dossier de presse en plusieurs langues explicitant la démarche artistique.

The HEMU site du Flon (jazz and contemporary music) organizes around 200 public concerts a year, in collaboration with numerous partner institutions such as RTS (concerts d'Espace JazzZ), the Cully Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Onze Plus Festival in Lausanne, the Périgord Noir Festival in France, le festival " Nova jazz " Yverdon, Jazzclub Chorus Lausanne, les concerts de Lancy - Cave Marignac, Théâtre de Vidy Lausanne, Label Suisse, Le Bourg Lausanne, Output Festival Zurich, " City Club " Pully, Esprit Sainf Lausanne et les Hautes Ecoles de Musique de Stuttgart, Linz, Graz, Lucerne, Berne, Zurich, Bâle.

Les créations

A good portion of these concerts incorporate compositions and orchestrations by the students. But the HEMU also takes orders for its creations from its professors and external interveners (including Nik Bärtsch and Michel Godard). The mélange of "professional" composers and "students" is particularly interesting, given that the students are able to observe how their teachers face the same challenges as they do. A good example is the creation of "Oriental Tales" for the Cully Jazz Festival edition in April 2019. One hour of music composed by four students and one teacher for a more than heterogeneous ensemble: four classical musicians, a jazz rhythm section, an oriental percussionist and two traditional Moroccan musicians.

MvO - Dominik Flückiger studies at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and is intensively involved in the composition of folk music. He has been composing since the age of 14. Inspired by other styles of music, he initially experimented on the piano and tried out sounds that had nothing to do with folk music. At the age of 16, he focused on folk music and was quickly able to compose it in the "traditional" sense. Through his studies, he then began to explore the more complex forms of composing and began to think about music theory. For him, composing is a free process in which many different styles flow together. For him, free means folk music. But free also means that he has to think carefully about every note and every chord. Flückiger composes numerous works for the Alpinis folk music formation at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. He has also learned how each instrument sounds and what the various technical possibilities of the instruments are.

Flückiger divides the composition of folk music into three categories. 1. a new composition resembles the old, traditional folk music, for example by copying the style of a particular folk music composer. This type is easy for those who already have a lot of experience with folk music and is particularly suitable for getting others to play along as quickly as possible. 2. composing in the style of traditional folk music, but making it sound modern, for example through progressive harmony. Sometimes it is enough to play a piece of folk music in a minor key instead of a major key. The course of a piece can also be freely arranged, whether by adding an introduction or improvising on a specific passage. In this type of composition, the "folk music groove" is retained. The inclusion of foreign folk music can also be enriching. In the first two variants, usually only a lead sheet with the first and second voice and the corresponding chord symbols is notated, the arrangement is then created while playing. In the third category, the music is usually written out in full and arranged. This is the case when folk music is combined with other musical styles. Thanks to music studies, you are familiar with the different styles, but you still need in-depth knowledge of music theory to compose. Is that still folk music? Flückiger is of the opinion that such compositions may sound "modern" or "new", but cannot be assigned to any other musical genre than folk music.

Matthias von Orelli in conversation with Albin Brun (guest lecturer at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts) and Kristina Brunner (Schwyzerörgeli major at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, teaches the subject at music schools in the Gürbetal region and the city of Lucerne).

Albin Brun, is it even possible to study folk music composition? Is Lucerne a center for this and what role does the university as a whole play?

AB: There is no actual degree course in folk music composition in Switzerland. However, as Lucerne is the only university where you can study folk music, it is already playing a pioneering role. Students can choose from a wide range of electives and also study folk music composition with lecturers such as Markus Flückiger. There is also the university's own folk music ensemble Alpinis, which I currently direct and which sees itself as a real laboratory where students can bring their compositions, which we then work on together and perform at concerts. As you have to choose between a classical or jazz profile at the university, all students inevitably come into contact with other music. Accordionist Fränggi Gehrig, for example, took a minor in composition with Dieter Ammann (and won the Fondation SUISA folk music prize in 2016). This cross-style training and the skills learned are naturally reflected in the compositions of young musicians such as Marcel Oetiker, Pirmin Huber, Christoph Pfändler, Maria Gehrig, Nayan Stalder and Adrian Würsch. Up to now, most folk music composers have been self-taught, so I think that the influence of higher education will mean that more sophisticated and complex compositions will increasingly be heard. But that doesn't mean that the "simpler" music should be pushed aside! After all, folk music thrives on great diversity, and nothing should change in that respect; it's not about academization at all. But it is nice to see how folk music is alive at its core and continues to develop in various directions at the edges.

What is your impression, Kristina Brunner?

KB: There is no explicit study program for folk music composition. In the Bachelor's degree, all students study an instrument in the jazz or classical profile as their main subject. They also attend the folk music specialization, where composition becomes a topic in some form for many students. However, the last semester of theory lessons consists of composing and performing a piece for all students. This involves individual lessons with a composition lecturer. Apart from this semester, however, composing is not compulsory. In the Master's degree course, you then have the opportunity to choose the composition minor and deepen your knowledge in this area.

How does composing folk music differ from other compositional processes, for example in classical music?

KB: As I'm not familiar enough with other compositional styles, I can only answer from my own perspective. I think that the term folk music offers a lot of possibilities and freedom. For me, a lot of things come about through improvisation and trial and error, which also gives composing something very intuitive for me. In general, I also think that musical styles and their compositional styles are no longer so clearly defined these days and the boundaries are fluid. In traditional folk music, melodies usually consist of chord breaks and scale sections, which are then harmonized with the main steps (I, IV, V, sometimes II or VI). This framework can be expanded or supplemented with other influences. This creates a very versatile field that I really appreciate in its entire range.

To what extent is composing encouraged at the university?

KB: I was particularly encouraged by my main subject teacher Markus Flückiger to bring my own pieces to individual lessons or ensemble rehearsals. Especially in the Alpinis folk music ensemble, which is always made up of different students, you have the opportunity to try out a lot of things. Thanks to the wide range of instruments, you can find out over time which instruments are suitable or what you need to look out for technically in an arrangement. I was able to learn a lot by trying things out for myself and getting feedback from the lecturers. In the folk music specialization, you are always encouraged to compose and play your own pieces. This promotes the students' independence enormously, which I really appreciate.

What is individual and unique about folk music from a compositional point of view?

AB: Folk music lives strongly from melodies, i.e. without a recognizable melody, a composition is hardly perceived as folk music. This limits an overly intellectual approach. And then, of course, there is a large fund of tradition that you can rub up against. You can extend, expand and break up the traditional, and you can subvert expectations. In addition, the sound potential and playing style of typical folk music instruments such as the Schwyzerörgeli, dulcimer or Halszither still have a lot to offer. 

How do you assess the current productivity in the folk music sector - is it particularly diverse, is it oriented towards trends?

AB: The new folk music scene as I experience it is relatively manageable. Nevertheless, it is very diverse and thrives on individual personalities. Each of them has their own direction. After a long period of little innovation in folk music, there has been a real spirit of optimism in recent years. As a result of this opening up, an audience that previously had no access at all is suddenly interested in this music. In addition to the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, festivals such as Alpentöne Altdorf or Stubete am See in Zurich have also had an important influence on the development of this scene. Institutions such as the Haus der Volksmusik in Altdorf, the Rothuus in Gonten and Klangwelt Toggenburg also contribute to the vitality of folk music with a wide range of courses on offer.

Openness

What are the trends that can be identified in current, contemporary folk music?

AB: There are no obvious trends to emulate. But as I said, the openness towards other styles is obvious to the eyes and ears, and in many places the blinkers are off. Scandinavian folk music is certainly a major influence, but inspiration is also drawn from jazz, classical music, minimal music, pop, rock, improvisation, electronic music, etc. They experiment and try things out so much that it's a joy!

How do you rate the next generation of composers in the field of folk music?

AB: Very promising. When I see people like Kristina Brunner or Dominik Flückiger here at the university, who have a lot going for them, there's no need to worry about the future of folk music.

KB: When I compose something, I usually don't consciously intend to compose folk music. It is very important for me to feel free and not have to follow any rigid rules. That's why I improvise a lot. If I have an idea on the Schwyzerörgeli or cello that I like, I try to develop it further and turn it into a piece. This usually results in pieces that are linked to folk music in terms of form or motifs, but without this being my specific intention. For me personally, however, I define the term folk music broadly and include music from other cultures. For me, composing is always an opportunity to develop musically. I find it very exciting and satisfying not only to interpret music, but also to develop it myself. Each piece is a very personal expression and has a special meaning for me.

Link to the Bachelor of Arts in Music, specializing in folk music:

> www.hslu.ch/de-ch/musik/studium/bachelor/volksmusik/

Graziella Contratto - Various curricular development processes have been underway in the Department of Music at Bern University of the Arts HKB for over a year: the Composition Department is now the first department to present its new concept for composition studies, the Master in Composition/creative practice. In a workshop with international artists from the fields of composition, experimental performance, conceptual and sound art and composed theater, course director and composer Xavier Dayer and his team developed a new range of courses: "Classical", "Jazz" or "Sound Arts" are no longer regarded as entry gates with their traditional consequences for future composition students; instead, the actual compositional profile is to be developed in the process of studying: thanks to highly individualized guidance from various professors, flexible core subjects and a strong emphasis on project and practical experience. The term "creative practice" is intended to express this openness and the creative attitude behind it, while at the same time pointing to the specific transdisciplinary currents and networks in Bern that allow composition studies to be experienced within an overarching narrative. In an interview with Graziella Contratto, Xavier Dayer explains his thoughts on the conception of the new course.

Xavier Dayer, you have reviewed the teaching and study structure for the new Master in Composition/creative practice in Berne. Can you tell us about the main axes of the course?

I am pleased to observe a young generation of creators of paradoxical ideas who want both individualization and collective creation, diversity of skills and ultra-specialization. In order to respond to this, we have undertaken reforms to our training with all of our colleagues and have launched a new Master in Composition/Creative Practice in Berne, starting in September 2019, based on three major axes:

Un enseignement extrêmement individualisé avec des enseignants choisis par les étudiant-e-s avec une ouverture totale des profils dans tous les styles.

Courses of your choice in various fields ranging from electronic music and curatorial practices to musical theater.

And finally, several intensive semesters that bring together the entire student body of the department and focus entirely on collective creativity.

Or should we place the "me" of the (young) composer, of the compositrice aujourd'hui ?

In the first place, the search for "me" is highly valued in our societies and the romantic conception of the artist as the one who breaks the "law" to impose his "me" still holds sway, the new vision of this conception is that of "disruption". This vision must, in my opinion, be questioned and refuted because, in fact, no one knows precisely what this law is... so how can we "honestly" break an inexistent barrier? To this end, I was fascinated to observe that when we gathered together a large number of internationally renowned composers in the context of the development of our Master in composition, none of them was able to define with precision the fundamental exercises of composition in the 21st century!

Entre Superdiversité et Héritage, Selfie-ness et Participation - comment se prépare votre filière aux défis d'aujourd'hui ?

I find only one possibility to respond to such a challenge: the confrontation of students themselves directly and head-on with the contradictions of our time. The time when a professor or an institution could give a response on the part of the student who wanted to be integrated or not integrated has completely changed. In Berne, the Master in Composition/Creative practice does not provide any guidance of this type, but we strive to create the optimal framework to support our students by providing them with the tools they need to assess their thinking and their artistry. But this thinking that this artisanship must come from their coherences and their incoherences. The incoherence, the vide and the chaos can have immense creative potential. L'institutionnel n'aime pas le vide et le chaos but l'art peut l'aimer amoureusement...

You teach yourself with great success and a long didactic experience in the field of composition. What other figures have you assembled in your field and for what reason?

Simon Steen-Andersen, Cathy van Eck, Teresa Carrasco, Django Bates or Stefan Prins are the creators/créatrices très contrastés ayant chacun/e des mondes sonores mais aussi, pour certains, visuels propres. Ce qui les réunit est une force de précision, une ouverture constitutive à d'autres mondes musicaux que la stricte musique contemporaine (jazz, sound arts, opéra ou théâtre musical) et un haut sens sens pédagogique. With these figures, but also with nombreux other invited professors, an important spectrum of current aesthetic directions seems to me to be covered. I insist on the regular presence of Simon Steen-Andersen for several intensive semesters. It allows us to continue the tradition of teaching musical theater initiated more than 10 years ago in Berne by Georges Aperghis from an absolutely up-to-date perspective. In addition, our professorial corps is extremely close to the other artistic domains present at the HKB: opera, literature, visual arts and theater.

What role do research and reflection play in the new Master's program?

We are developing ongoing and permanent links with the HKB's Department of Research. Some teachers are also active in the two departments (Music and Research) and projects such as the one on microtonality are conducted in parallel from the point of view of creation and research.

I am quite radical when it comes to research: too often we see the model where the essence of teaching is the artisan's work and then we give a "supplement of the mind" with reflection. In the Master in Composition/Creative Practice, this is exactly the opposite: research and reflection are the absolute starting point, allowing the student to define the kind of artistry he or she will subsequently develop. In other words, we work to ensure that the students' curriculum is defined by their research.

Peter Kraut in conversation with Simon Steen-Andersen, Professor of Composition at the HKB, on the role of composers and education today.

Simon Steen-Anderson, what does it mean to be a composer today? What is a composer?

It is no longer easy, if at all possible, to define definitively what a composer is. But composing usually means planning or arranging events in a chronological sequence. And often the events are also of a tonal nature or have tonal aspects, but that doesn't necessarily have to be the case.

What are the important qualities and skills you need?

Imagination and stringency. The ability to boil down ideas and analyze potential. The will and ambition to implement ideas and visions and to acquire new skills and information when necessary. And then, of course, there are the actual skills: Instrumentation, notation or programming, arranging, editing, etc. But the latter are much easier to learn.

And what's the best way to learn?

I would say "by doing": by playing, trying things out, experimenting. And then by analyzing, discussing and evaluating.

Do composers today have to use multimedia or is it possible to write contemporary, relevant music using traditional craftsmanship - notes on music paper?

Absolutely not - and conversely, being on the move via multimedia is no guarantee of relevance and topicality. Provided that we can agree on what is meant by relevant and up-to-date.

For example, in the natural and carefree multidisciplinarity that has become possible thanks to easier access to technologies and media. And thus the fields and areas that cannot be divided into traditional categories, in the sense of "both-and" or "in-between" instead of "either-or".

Two current events of the composition and théâtre musical classes HKB:

Rising Stars: the Bern Chamber Orchestra performs four world premieres by HKB composition students Charlotte Torres, Jonathan March, John Michet and Ivo Ubezio.

March 30, 2019, 19h30 at the Bern Conservatory, conducted by conducting students of the HKB.

Info under:

> www.bko.ch/konzerte/termine/RISING-STARS

Machinations by Georges Aperghis: Performance tour with the student ensemble of the Théâtre musical, directed by Pierre Sublet.

April 23, 2019 HKB Auditorium , April 26, 2019 Gare du Nord Basel, May 1, 2019 Acht Brücken Köln, May 13, 2019 Lausanne SIMC, August 22, 2019 Cernier/Jardins Musicaux.

Info under:

> hkb-music.ch

Michael Eidenbenz - University rankings usually come to the institutions unasked. The results published in the daily media only state the rank and promotion or relegation of the relevant schools, which then have to explain themselves to the public, politicians or donors without being able to seriously analyze the causes because they do not really know the underlying criteria and their survey methods. University rankings are a form of blackmail, you cannot escape them. Music and art colleges have so far been less in the focus of the omnipresent ratings. There is generally an unarticulated and surprisingly homogeneous opinion about which institutions "have a good reputation". However, very few refer to excellent rankings from any agency on their websites, for example. If they do, it is - still - considered rather embarrassing. There is a great deal of skepticism towards the notorious rankings.

However, there is also a broad consensus that the simplifying competition cannot be avoided sooner or later. The trend is continuing and is due, among other things, to the economic globalization of the educational landscape, which demands standardization and therefore cannot block external, globally communicable evaluations. When Asian countries, for example, make the choice of a highly rated university a condition for the granting of scholarships abroad, this has a global impact on the demand for study places.

So how do we deal with the pressure? Defensively, critically, through disregard and refusal? - Or proactively, for example by establishing our own meaningful criteria and measurement methods? The Association européenne des conservatoires (AEC) has drawn up questionnaires and lists of indicators for U-Multirank, an organization that promises to take account of the complexity of institutions and enable a differentiated search along specific performance categories instead of flat rankings. So far, however, the music does not appear on the U-Multirank website due to a lack of participation by the universities. The European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA) is also currently drawing up criteria for an adequate assessment of artistic achievements in teaching and research. It remains to be seen whether this will safeguard the authority to act and avoid the dreaded trivialization. What is interesting, however, is the ambivalence of the debate. It should come as a surprise that there is such a strong resistance to external institutional evaluation in the field of art, whose values are fundamentally determined by public opinion and resonance. But perhaps this is precisely the reason: we ourselves know the means of magic and staging that are used to create significance. We do not allow ourselves to be deprived of this.

Michael Eidenbenz ... is Director of the Department of Music at the Zurich University of the Arts.

MvO - Xavier Bouvier informs about the experience of the HEM in the field of ranking. Ceci in the context that the HEM has participated in a ranking program of the AEC (Association Européenne des Conservatoires, Académies de Musique et Musikhochschulen).

Xavier Bouvier, vous vous orientez avec votre ranking sur les spécifications ou les expériences de l'AEC. À quoi ressemblent-ils exactement ?

The European Conservatoires Association has been working on the issue of ranking since 2014-2015. A specialized working group has been formed and is focusing on the evaluation and adaptation, for the field of music education, of the U-Multirank system promoted and financed by the European Community. The interest of U-Multirank lies in its multidimensional approach, which focuses more on the specificities, the "color" of the institutions than on their classification on a unidimensional level. In order to test the validity, viability and reliability of the "dimensions" developed by its working group, a pilot project was conducted by the AEC in 2015-2016. For our part, we took part in the data collection the following year.

Quelles sont les expériences de ce ranking et quelle influence a-t-il sur la perception de votre Haute École ?

The data collection showed us the relevance of the "dimensions" proposed by the AEC. The project was exploratory, and we did not continue it until we were able to publish the results and observe concrete changes in the perception of the school by the outside world. For internal piloting, we also have other tools at our disposal, such as our participation in the IBE "International Benchmark Exercise" project, which groups together nine schools: Sydney, Helsinki, Boston, etc. This participation allows us to have good elements for international comparisons.

What do you think of rankings in general, and especially in the context of the Hautes Écoles de Musique?

In a world where information and communication are omnipresent, institutions must pay particular attention to ensuring that the rankings reflect a true image of their profile. From this point of view, the fine approach of U-Multirank represents a welcome development compared to more conventional rankings. Among the problems that arise, it should be mentioned that the majority of Swiss music schools are part of holdings plus large, which are themselves the subject of classifications. This can lead to distortions, the multidimensional image of the holding does not necessarily correspond to that of its part of the Haute école de musique. On the other hand, it is advisable to systematically verify the information circulating on the ranking sites. To take a case that amused us a lot, one of the sites ranked the Geneva School of Music in the top 20 worldwide, but it was located in "Swaziland" and not in "Switzerland". Music education is becoming increasingly globalized, and students are mobile: ranking sites can play an important role in helping candidates to identify the school that best meets their expectations, not only in terms of level of excellence, but also in terms of profile, of "color" in particular.

Xavier Bouvier

... est professeur ordinaire, membre du Conseil de direction et chargé de missions à la Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève (HEM)

> www.aec-music.eu/projects/completed-projects/u-multirank

Christoph Brenner - Siamo tutti consapevoli che il mondo della musica, internazionale com'è, sottostà a dei fattori di competizione evidenti. Concorsi ed audizioni mettono i concorrenti in una situazione di competizione naturale; lo stesso fenomeno si presenta nel momen- to degli esami di ammissione in una Scuola universitaria di musica. Nessuno mette in dubbio la com- petizione vera e propria, resta invece la questione sull'adeguatezza dei parametri di giudizio che spesso sembrano privilegiare il cosiddetto "mainstream".

Il discorso diventa più complesso se parliamo di benchmarking, che si basa su un confronto sistematico con strutture analoghe o simili. In un mercato di lavoro (e formativo) internazionale il confronto non è soltanto inevitabile, ma addirittura indispensabile se si vuole migliorare continuamente il proprio livello qualitativo. Based on a structure of "best practices" (which come from effective and efficient practices and not just from "management speak"), the confrontation - with whom you do best - is a stimulus for the daily work and strategic orientation of a school. Segue invece un modello anemico di pura analisi di processi staccati dalla realtà vissuta da collaboratori e studenti, rischia di diventare un approccio con l'efficacia delle macchine di Jean Tinguely, senza il loro fascino, la loro estetica e la loro ironia.

How do we also rank them? Certo, sia la competizione che il benchmarking si basano sul confronto, un ranking è quindi una conseguenza naturale. The problem arises at the moment in which we seek to define a system that creates the illusion of a scientific objectivity through a model based on criteria that correspond to our evaluation and our hierarchy. Il dilemma sta quindi nella scelta dell'approccio: cerchiamo di costruire - o di partecipare - alla costruzione di un modello che riteniamo mediamente oggettivo e rappresentativo, nella speranza che questo s'imponga sugli altri - numerosi - ranking già esistenti, con il rischio reale che tutto il lavoro svolto sia vano! Ci rassegnamo al fatto che i ranking esistono e vengono diffusi, incuranti della loro pertinenza ed adeguatezza? On the other hand, are we trying to find the rules for the most important rankings, by aiming for a better evaluation? Or even: are we trying to do our best, aware of the mechanisms that govern them and of their differences, confident that at the end the ranking systems will, at least partially, recognize the quality of our work?

Christoph Brenner

... è direttore del Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana.

Akvile Sileikaite, who was born in Lithuania in 1992 and has been studying piano at the Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK (Master Specialized Music Performance) since 2015, has won numerous competitions. She believes that only a handful of the competitions have really made a difference to her career; the others were simply exciting and educational to take part in. But competitions will always be very important, and Sileikaite is convinced that perhaps they also serve to give young musicians greater motivation to practise and progress. She also has a clear opinion on the rankings: "As a musician, you know which conservatory is right for you or where the respective instrument is particularly supported. Of course, the most important thing is that you know the professor - it hardly matters where he or she teaches. Except in the case that a professor teaches at different universities, because in this case the ranking could provide important information for the choice of conservatory.

Philippe Dinkel - The notion of ranking confronts art schools with an insoluble paradox: measuring the quality of a course or an institution using quantitative criteria. Certainly, one can quantify the number of applications in relation to the number of students admitted, the level of professional insertion or even the volume of research or continuing education activities - a little like the Shanghai ranking, which adds to the number of scientific publications or the number of Nobel prizes associated with that university. But does the analysis tell us more about the profile of the school in question and the reasons for preferring it to another?

In truth, every high school of art is the product of a unique history and geography, characterized by personalities - professors and students - who are still today so striking that the structure of the curriculum (at least in the western countries) has become much more homogeneous since the implementation of the Bologna reform. Its genetic code distinguishes it from its predecessor in an indubitable way and explains a good part of its specific attractiveness. He also explains why such a student wants to perfect himself with such an admired master within such an artistic community. Finally, he justifies the need to cultivate the diversity of conservatories, in the manner of all living species.

Thus, the development tools of a high school of art are not sought in the place it occupies on I don't know what Olympic podium, but rather in gaining awareness and understanding of the unique and irreplaceable position it occupies among its peers, both close and distant. Confident in its identity, it is therefore projecting itself more confidently into the future by focusing on its qualities and on its distinctive attributes, all the while engaging in a fruitful dialog with its natural environment and its consumers.

One more word on the notion of excellence: although it is often associated with the technical and artistic mastery of the composer or performer, it should not obscure other perceptions, such as those related to transmission and social openness. These are measured not so much in terms of the level of attack on the microphone or the applause, but rather in terms of the harmonious effect produced on the development of a child or a disadvantaged group, which has a direct or indirect impact on the well-being of society as a whole. It is ultimately about the place of music in our lives.

Philippe Dinkel
... est directeur de la Haute école de musique de Genève.

Matthias von Orelli - The Berlin-born cellist Nadja Reich has been studying with Thomas Grossenbacher at the Zurich University of the Arts since 2013.

Nadja Reich, did the university's ranking play a role in your choice of music university?

For me, the choice of music university depended on the main subject lecturer. Admittedly, I only got to know the word ranking in connection with universities in the course of my studies.

Which competitions have you entered and won so far?

I have won first prizes in the following competitions: International Hindemith Competition Berlin, Kiwanis Competition of the ZHdK, International Suggia Competition (Porto) as well as a study prize of the Migros Culture Percentage. I received special prizes or second prizes at the following competitions: Tonali Competition (Hamburg), Orpheus Competition (Bern), Kiefer Hablitzel Göhner Music Prize, Contemporary Music Competition of the ZHdK. I came away empty-handed from these: Instrument Competition of the German Foundation for Musical Life, Final of the Prix Credit Suisse jeunes solistes, Soloist Competition of the Schenk Foundation.

What are your experiences, both positive and negative, with competitions?

Competitions offer challenges. I see my own progress as the goal of a competition - in preparation, I consistently work critically on myself to get one step ahead. I can't fool myself too much and I push myself to my limits to be able to perform under pressure. You get to know yourself; you learn to assess yourself. Exchanging ideas with other musicians allows me to see what I can continue to work on myself, what appeals to me and inspires me, and so on. But depending on the atmosphere, it can also be an oppressive competition.

What impact does winning a competition have on your future career? And what effect does a negative one have?

Positive effects are being noticed, getting feedback and resonance. I can make contacts through a competition and get concert opportunities. In my experience, losing a competition has no consequences, you just try again next time, do it differently, better. You have to try to protect your self-esteem from jumping to conclusions. However, it can also be healthy not to do well everywhere. You can then continue to accept your own questioning, self-criticism or dissatisfaction, get up again and try again.

What makes a good competition, what are the points of criticism from your point of view?

The measurable and perfection in the "craft" often play off free interpretation and spontaneity or do not necessarily support these aspects of music-making in their deepening. It is not really possible to measure music as a whole. So much is also based on the personal impression you make and your taste. I think it's great when competitions give you the opportunity to deepen your own interests or become aware of them through a rather free choice of program. I like to create programs and am happy when I can give free rein to my curiosity. This often makes it easier for me to stick with something over a longer period of time and find my own personal way of implementing it bit by bit.

Georges Starobinski - The importance of competitions in the curriculum of music students varies greatly depending on the field of study. In some specialized Master's programmes at the Basel School of Music, Classical Music, concert and competition activities are part of the curriculum, for example in the Chamber Music, Lied, Soloist and Contemporary Music courses. However, this is not the case at the other institutes of the university (Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and Jazz), which also has to do with the different competition cultures. Of course, students from other fields of study (especially from the Master's in Performance) take part in competitions, as good competitions can play a very positive role in launching a career, for example when they provide prizewinners with performance opportunities for a few years, advise them on PR or support them with contractual issues. For example, the "Psychophysiological audition and audition training" course in Basel is very popular as preparation. Like all Swiss music academies, the Basel School of Music also works with some competitions in Switzerland, for example when only a limited number of candidates are admitted on the recommendation of the university management.

Success at prestigious competitions is important for the international reputation of a university and for the reputation of lecturers among their peers. And finally, the best students want to study in classes that are of a particularly high standard. On the other hand, it should not be forgotten that the reputation of a university is based on excellence in all areas of a diverse and networked educational offering that is only partially compatible with the profile of the competitions. It would therefore be wrong to reduce the relevance and impact of an education purely statistically to competition successes, which are only representative of a minority of students.

The landscape of music competitions in Switzerland is broad and diverse in classical music, limited in jazz and regrettably almost non-existent in early music. The most visible are the five competitions that are members of the World Federation of International Music Competitions. In an international comparison (122 members), this number is high for the size of our country, especially when you consider that we enjoy a very high international appeal in competitions. At the center of the Swiss competition landscape is the Concours de Genève (founded in 1939) as the oldest and most open competition in terms of disciplines. It is surrounded by very prestigious competitions dedicated to an instrument and the memory of a great musical personality: Clara Haskil International Piano Competition (since 1963 in Vevey, every two years), Tibor Varga International Violin Competition (since 1967 in Sion, every two years) and the Concours Géza Anda (since 1979 in Zurich, every three years). Migration from Eastern Europe has left its mark on the Swiss competition landscape! As expected, it is the solo instruments par excellence (piano and violin) that are represented there.

In addition to these summits, there are other competitions that significantly expand our landscape, either because they are dedicated to a specific repertoire (Concours Nicati, Soundzz.z.zzz...z competition for contemporary music, ORPHEUS - Swiss Chamber Music Competition for chamber music) or because they are explicitly national in scope, such as those of the Schenk Foundation, the Foundation for Young Musical Talent Meggen, the Prix Credit Suisse Jeunes Solis- tes, the Kiefer Hablitzel Göhner Music Prize or the Migros Culture Percentage study prizes.

The Swiss Youth Music Competition, which also has a specialist jazz and pop commission chaired by Bernhard Ley, head of the Basel Jazz Institute, is important, especially for young talent in Switzerland. However, it is the only national jazz and pop competition in our country. The situation is actually not much better abroad. However, there are efforts to introduce a competition culture for jazz and pop. This means that there is a varied and sought-after competition landscape in Switzerland, in which only early music is missing. You have to go abroad for that.

Georges Starobinski
... is the director of the Basel School of Music, Classical Music

MvO - In the 18th century in particular, music developed into a real growth market. In London, so-called music gardens (such as the one in Vauxhall, which was accessible to a broad section of the population) were established, which engaged individual musicians or entire orchestras. Guests could promenade while they played. Concert series, such as those organized by Johann Christian Bach or Carl Friedrich Abel in London from the 1760s onwards, were particularly important and, above all, very lucrative. At the same time, various concert entrepreneurs competed for the favor of artists and audiences, a well-known example being the music publisher and impresario Johann Peter Salomon, who brought Joseph Haydn and his music to London from the 1790s onwards. Compared to England, the commercialization of music in Germany took place at a lower level. The most important market there was printed music and other music-related publications. In addition, profitable concert companies were established, such as the Gewandhaus concerts in Leipzig, which began in November 1781. This conquest of the market was accompanied by an increased discourse on music. Reviews became increasingly important, whether in academic journals or in specialized music magazines.

The Paris World Exhibition of 1889 can be seen as the beginning of the music industry, as a result of which the first industrial gramophones were produced and the first industrial music recordings were made at the same time, which could be played in the newly invented jukeboxes. The founding of the Deutsche Grammophon company in 1898 is of particular importance in this respect, as it marks the beginning of the mass production of sound carriers. With the first vinyl recording by Enrico Caruso in 1902, the new technology began its worldwide triumphal march, and in the years that followed it was continuously improved and perfected. This development led to CD technology, which brought the music industry golden times in the 1980s and 1990s - the CD reached its peak sales in 1997.

This music market, which flourished for decades, is now facing completely different conditions. This is exemplified by the numerous closures of traditional music stores in Switzerland. The music industry is feeling the effects of the almost complete disappearance of the stationary recorded music business as well as the drastic decline in demand for physical sheet music and musical instruments. In the meantime, the CD business has been completely overtaken by music streaming. Surveys from Germany show that the market share of streaming services was around 48% in the first half of 2018, while the CD business still accounts for just 34%. These findings also make another problem relevant: How can the industry even survive in this environment, how will royalty payments to individual artists still be secured in the future if the revenue per streamed track is less than 0.01 centimes? So how will artists be able to hold their own in the market in the future?

PR, marketing and audience development have now also become important tools in the classical music industry (numerous publications on this interaction prove this), talent alone is no longer enough, the market needs to be cultivated. Established artists, and the talents of tomorrow even more so, must realize that it is almost impossible to earn money by selling recordings. This is no different in the pop sector, where profit can primarily be made from concerts. For young, still unknown artists in particular, the question arises as to whether the debut CD should not be given away straight away given the minimal income. Income is hardly to be expected, but the attention generated by a professional recording is still eminent, as is the fact that a recording provides sound material that can be presented to concert promoters or agents.

Advantages for consumers

Unsurprisingly, promoters also have to be inventive when it comes to paying artists a low fixed fee in return for a share of the concert income. In this way, the organizer transfers the risk to the artists - they then have to decide for themselves up to what point it is still worthwhile and pays off for them. The musician's profession is grueling, and the beginning of a career is particularly demanding. Whether it is more difficult today than it was a few decades ago can certainly not be answered conclusively, because most musicians have chosen this path out of conviction. You can mourn the golden age of the CD market, but at the same time digitalization also holds huge potential for the music industry, which needs to be exploited and can have a positive impact on the music market.

Michael Kaufmann - Craftspeople such as carpenters, watchmakers, locksmiths or bricklayers learn a trade. They rightly see their work as an art. They create something new and pass on the precision of tradition with a passion for quality. Nevertheless, they have to survive on the markets and "sell" their work. They have to survive in everyday life. It is the same for musicians. Even though the majority of their training and professional life is devoted to craftsmanship, artistry, interpretation, harmony, rhythm, musicological issues, composition and stage presence, there are also markets in the music business that you simply have to serve in order to survive.

Universities are about learning to play musical instruments at the highest level, about training to become an artistic personality. Discourses on interpretation, musical material, historical references and the question of what music is actually supposed to do are important.

The result should be creative people who have mastered their craft and who make contemporary statements about our times. At the same time, they should be able to pass on their knowledge and skills to young people, who fortunately still learn about the essence of music and its eminent importance in the education of viable human beings at school.

Link to the market

In this noble task, music academies must not remain in an ivory tower and focus only on purely musical issues. It is a central - and increasingly important - task of universities to establish a link to the market and to everyday practice early on in the course of study. Not least because only a small proportion of professional musicians pursue a musical career "just like that". In real life, most music professionals move multidimensionally in different worlds: in concert, as musicians in theater or film, in everyday school life, at a music school, in cultural management, etc. Practice-oriented teaching modules on everyday life, stage practice, the music market, the digital world, pedagogical practice, multimedia, communication, music education, etc. are a "must" at a modern university of music. Likewise, further education courses for all those who want to acquire such skills in the professional world. You can't learn everything during your studies and, depending on how the markets develop, you have to remain flexible throughout your life.

The professional profile of music professionals is constantly changing and awareness is hopefully also increasing thanks to the universities, which are adapting to market developments at an early stage. Future musicians should also be increasingly aware that music has its price because its social value is enormous. Just as the traditional craftspeople mentioned at the beginning of this article certainly do.

Michael Kaufmann
... is Director of the Lucerne School of Music

Graziella Contratto - Apart from the originality of the artistic idea, they all share the empathetic concern of Bern University of the Arts to build a bridge between "art" and "society". The variety of mediating, intercultural concepts, projects and activities at the HKB can now be experienced on a specially developed website. An important detail: many of the projects were conceived and designed by students at the university. As future artists, they have thus internalized the attitude particularly promoted at the HKB of repeatedly leaving the disciplinary personal learning space in order to react "synaptically" to the social conditions of our time. They are accompanied and supported by renowned mediators from all art disciplines.

As an art academy, the HKB also promotes exchange between its own departments such as literature, music, design and art, theater, opera, research and conservation or continuing education: The broad field of mediation opens up a new, transdisciplinary view of one's own activities, the "work" and oneself. But the website wants even more: in addition to information in text, image, film and sound on the individual projects, it offers interested persons, institutions or bodies from politics, culture and business the opportunity to get in touch with the university in order to resume specific projects, develop them further in a new environment and thus introduce them even more to the "world out there". Art at the HKB is not self-sufficient. The students and lecturers want to reach out to others, ask questions and always see themselves questioned in the process.

> www.synapse-hkb.ch

Interview with two young mediators from the HKB

Arion Rudari, you are a classically trained baritone with an HKB Master's degree. What inspired you to choose music education as a specialized second Master's degree?

At first, far away from music education, I realized that I was not yet "ready" on a vocal level and wanted to take my time to become a better singer. At the same time, I also realized that I wanted to discover new forms of performance: to create and try out my own concepts, to seek more contact with my audience and to let classical music become entertainment again.

What do you think awaits you during your studies? How will you develop as a performing singer?

After a year, I can say that I have actually been able to make the desired progress vocally and am still working on it. I also wanted to expand my repertoire in all genres: opera, song, oratorio, standard, niche, contemporary... everything has its place. In my Master's in Specialized Music Performance "Mediation", my two focal points, singing and the development of professional mediation skills, can be combined in a complementary way. Within a year, I was able to take part in a contemporary opera, perform a self-conceived mediation music performance at the Zentrum Paul Klee and even perform and record parts of Mahler's Wunderhorn cycle - an ideal and surprisingly well-functioning variety for me.

In which direction do you personally see particularly relevant tasks for a placement?

As an opera fan, especially in opera, that few people have too much to say about the final product of an opera production. Accordingly, I am currently trying my hand at projects that a) put the production back into the hands of all those involved, b) also bring amateurs and amateurs onto the stage and thus demand interaction between professionals and amateurs and c) move back in the direction of entertainment. In my opinion, entertainment, intellect and art are not mutually exclusive.

Where would you like to or could you be working in 10 years' time?

The question that I would prefer to answer a year before the end of my studies. I dream of doing what I'm already doing, only I want to reach an even more professional level by then: on the one hand, to be a successful concert and lieder singer and, on the other, to sing and stage operas together with amateurs and professionals, to set up my own form of opera studio, so to speak. For example, creating Mozart's Figaro together with hairdressers or putting on a Don Giovanni with addicts. Quasi "opera for everyone".

Salome Böni, you are a flautist and one of the first alumnae of the Master Specialized Performance "Music Mediation" course at the HKB. What are your musical activities like at the moment?

After finishing my studies last summer, I was lucky enough to be able to dive headfirst into the world of work. I put my heart and soul into teaching a flute class at the Oberemmental music school and have been working in music education at Konzert Theater Bern since March 2018. In addition, the further development of our musical generation project "Silberwellen" as well as my personal development as a flutist are close to my heart.

As one of your study projects, you realized the Silver Bear-winning senior citizens' project "Silver Waves" with great success. Were you able to develop further projects based on this mediation and business model?

My head is full of ideas: Following the revival of "Silberwellen" in the Bernese Oberland, further performances of this mobile intercultural senior citizens' project are now to follow in other locations. The successful concept of having older people perform together with classical music students in an artistic mediation project really touched all the participants, myself included. I am also fascinated by the topic of death. Through a personal encounter with a dying person who asked me to play for him, I realized how comforting it can be to give someone with music what is no longer possible with words. I would like to tackle the idea of "assisted dying with music" soon.

As a professional mediator, how do you perceive the social relevance of music today? What is your personal position?

Today, thanks to technology, music is available anytime and anywhere - the choice of musical styles and different interpretations is huge. Going to a concert hall or listening to a radio program at home is no longer a prerequisite for listening to music. As a music educator and flautist, I am interested in the question of how we can offer something in addition to the live concert experience that clearly stands out from what is available on the internet. Experimenting with the framework in which music is presented seems particularly important to me: Music should break out of the concert hall even more often and take place in unfamiliar places. This removes a major inhibition threshold for many people and makes encounters with music more spontaneous, personal and natural.

Links

> www.synapse-hkb.ch/silberwellen/

> www.fluchtgespräche.ch

> www.felicitaserb.ch

> www.alejandra-martin.ch/vermittlerin

> www.karenbrubaker.com

Stephan Schmidt - Over the last few decades, a kind of institutional synthesis of the arts for music education has been created at two locations in the heart of Basel's old town. Since the foundation stone was laid in 1903 with the construction of the new main building and the large hall on Leonhardsstrasse, the building has been continuously improved and converted, new buildings have been added and usage concepts have been repeatedly changed and optimized. Maintenance, further development and expansion have always been in line with the pursuit of constant improvement and contemporary quality, which applies equally to everyone involved. As music itself, the conditions for its production and mediation, the demands on performance practice and the associated structures of education and mediation are constantly changing, structural changes are always accompanying signs of this continuous change in content: the opening of the Vera Oeri Library (2010), the Jazzcampus (2014) and the renovation of the Great Hall (2017) were important milestones in the institutional development and signs that the diverse needs and requirements of music schools, institutes and music academies in the areas of teaching, research and public events are given equal space and weight. With around 1000 well-attended events per year and its central location in the heart of the city, the Musik-Akademie Basel is also one of Basel's most important cultural institutions.

Stephan Schmidt

... is director of the Musik-Akadmie Basel and the FHNW music academies

Xavier Bouvier - A major project for musical art in French-speaking Switzerland, the Cité de la Musique de Genève is now in its final project phase. Sélectionné à l'issue d'un concours d'architecture international, le projet Résonances by architects Pierre-Alain Dupraz and Gonçalo Byrne will be completed by 2024, the planned opening date for this ambitious and prestigious infrastructure. Following many similar structures in other cities (Helsinki, La Haye, London, etc.), the city will regroup production and teaching infrastructures in a single location. Its program of public halls is mainly concentrated in a 1750-seat symphonic hall - dedicated to the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and invited orchestras - a large studio, and a "black box" experimental hall. Largely open to the public, the building also includes a library, catering and mediation spaces, and the entire teaching program of the Geneva Music School. The cohabitation in one place of the professional musicians of the OSR and other ensembles from Geneva, and the professors and students of the Geneva School of Music will be a factor of dynamism and emulation.

"Pôle culturel ouvert à tous les publics, à toutes les générations, créatif, onirique et stimulant l'imagination" selon la philosophie du projet, la Cité de la Musique amènera à Genève un développement majeur en terme d'urbanisme culturel. Historically, the musical center of Geneva was established in the mid-19th century around Place Neuve, with the emblematic and ambitious buildings of the Conservatoire de Musique (1855), the Grand-Théâtre (1876), and the Victoria Hall (1894). This historic site will be brought into harmony with a new location on the Place des Nations, at the heart of international Geneva. This installation opens up new perspectives for musicians, but also for the Organization of the United Nations: host of numerous cultural diplomacy events, the institution has always shown its interest in having such a large cultural infrastructure at its doors. Emblematic of classical and contemporary musical practices, the Cité thus opens itself up to other musical cultures, deploying itself in a double space of musical practices: historical and contemporary, traditional and open to cultures.

Xavier Bouvier

... is coordinator of teaching at the HEM Genève.

Steff Rohrbach - Since September 2014, jazz education in Basel has been taking place at the new Jazzcampus on Utengasse. A place that is unparalleled worldwide and which, with its ideal infrastructural possibilities, is developing into a center of excellence and a place of gravity for jazz. Anyone entering the Jazzcampus for the first time may initially look around with some irritation. The expectation of a modern building is not necessarily satisfied straight away, as the various buildings almost look as if they have always been here. A second glance reveals a surprising language and an architectural approach that we are not used to. The inner courtyard with its fireplace, the surrounding façades with their bay windows, and even more so the rooms quickly convince us that the architecture here, which is completely geared towards the needs of jazz education, has made something possible that does not exist anywhere else. The result is a building ensemble that has become a real reference object in terms of acoustics and spatial sound. Building entirely on the ideas and needs of today's musicians, acousticians and architects have worked together from the very beginning, integrating acoustically necessary elements into the architectural interior design. The result is 49 music rooms of various sizes, from small labs and teaching studios to ensemble rooms, almost all with separate air supply (no sound transmission) and specially developed, atmospherically variable lighting.

Steff Rohrbach

... is responsible for communication & projects at the Basel University of Music, Jazzcampus

Marco Castellano - The site of the former large dairy offered a unique opportunity to unite the various disciplines of the ZHdK with numerous exhibition and performance venues under one roof for the first time. The Toni dairy in the Zurich-West development area was already well established in the public's consciousness as a production site and subsequently as a cultural venue. The greatest challenge was to realize the diverse and complex construction tasks resulting from the different uses under one roof. The load-bearing capacity of the old dairy was limited, so that all the room structures (music classrooms, concert halls, recording studios) could only be realized with lightweight constructions, which was a challenge from an acoustic point of view. In the run-up to the project, representatives from the various disciplines defined requirements for the project in working groups and accompanied the entire process. With representatives from music, film and theater, for example, the acoustic requirements for the rooms were clearly defined from the outset and reviewed and adapted throughout the implementation process. The three concert halls and two chamber music halls differ from the requirements not only in terms of acoustics. In close dialog with the acoustics planner, the architects gave each hall its own unmistakable shape and identity, which strongly characterize the building, but in such a way that the halls can still be used flexibly in as many different ways as possible.

Marco Castellano

... is Head of the Building Room at the ZHdK

Michael Kaufmann - Planning for the new Lucerne School of Music building began with the purchase of land in 2012. Two years later, the winning project was selected from the architecture and planning competition, which was followed by a one-year phase of optimizations and financial adjustments to the preliminary project. The building permit was granted in spring 2016 and construction of the 80 million euro project began in November 2016. The good news after more than three years of construction: the Lucerne School of Music will definitely be able to move to the "Südpol" site on the outskirts of Lucerne in summer 2020. Right in the middle of the "Luzern-Süd" urban development area and in the direct vicinity of the existing Südpol building, which houses the Lucerne Municipal Music School, the rehearsal rooms of the Lucerne Theatre and the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra as well as the alternative cultural center Südpol. This will create a new and attractive "cultural pole" on Lucerne's square, already known as "Kampus Südpol".

However, the clearly most important challenges for the architecture, for us users and for everyone involved are the issues surrounding sound insulation and acoustics: both are highly complex issues in terms of planning and physics, and ultimately the new building is measured primarily against precisely these criteria. The most important aspects are summarized here and passed on as experience:

- Involve acoustic experts from the outset: It is essential to involve the acoustics experts at the start of planning. Both sound insulation and acoustics for all room categories must be specified as early as the tendering stage of the architectural competition.

- Consider external experience: We recommend visiting concert halls and music academies in Switzerland and abroad. This is the only way to incorporate the experience of others and compare different concepts.

- Sound insulation from A to Z: Ensuring absolutely reduced sound transmission through appropriate structural and constructional measures is key. Box-in-box constructions must be provided for concert halls, percussion rooms and ensemble rooms. These usually have to be fought for with the client, as they entail considerable additional costs. Due to the standards, it is equally important to define sound insulation levels for all room categories, as this is the only way to ensure quality control during the construction period.

- Sample rooms are recommended for classrooms with standard acoustics: Music lessons take place every day. This is why the creation of acoustically superior rooms for all instrumental groups - and therefore also the use of flexible materials such as curtains, carpets, panels etc. - is probably one of the most challenging tasks of all. Two years ago, we decided to create a "model room" in Lucerne, which was optimized in two phases through the highly complex installation of differentiated panels and reflective surfaces. The major advantage of this is that users can contribute their experience by playing in the model room and contribute directly to improving the standard. This investment is worthwhile, as it avoids high correction costs on the finished building (and during operation).

- Concert halls as acoustic "beacons": Last but not least, it is also important to create acoustically excellent concert and club spaces, as this is the only way to create the "value" of concert venues that can be played in public. Compromises should be avoided here. Instead, it is worth consulting other experts, simulating the acoustics, using the most suitable materials and focusing clearly on what you want to hear. In Lucerne, we have deliberately opted for a high-quality chamber music hall, which is designed to deliver the best possible acoustics in precisely this performance segment.

When building a public music academy, financial resources should be used carefully. However, cost-cutting exercises in sound and acoustics are out of place. Perfection and high-quality workmanship are the order of the day here. If, on the other hand, the design of the other rooms and the installation standards are somewhat more restrained, a budget balance can certainly be achieved. We have tried this in Lucerne with the character of a "music workshop".

Michael Kaufmann

... is Director of the Lucerne School of Music.

Christoph Brenner - Cosa fai se sei una scuola giovane e piccola in un mondo dominato da tradizioni? In a small territory inhabited by just 300,000 people? In a poleo economico e culturale d'importanza mondiale ad appena 60 chilometri di distanza? In a labor market characterized by the difficult economic situation of the country's border region and the involvement of the main economic sector?

Al momento della sua fondazione, 30 anni orsono, il Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana (CSI) sembrava non avere alcuna chance. Eppure... nonostante mezzi finanziari limitati e la presenza di concorrenti di peso sia a Nord che che a Sud, il Conservatorio è riuscito a conquistarsi il suo spazio, puntando innanzitutto sulla cooperazione e sulla creazione di reti.

Reti interne, in quanto è strutturato in tre dipartimenti: in aggiunta alla Scuola universitaria di Musica (SUM) e alla Scuola di Musica, nel 1999 è stata fondata una scuola pre-professionale, oggi Pre-College. I tre dipartimenti, pur con direzione, contabilità e gestione dei contratti separati, cooperano in modo inter- e transdipartimentale, non solo per la formazione dei docenti strumentali/vocali e la relativa pratica professionale, ma anche nella pianificazione del personale, nella progettazione di un iter unico e continuato dell'allievo dalla Scuola di Musica alla SUM e nella presenza sul territorio: laddove la SUM si orienta chiaramente verso un orizzonte internazionale, gli altri dipartimenti sono fortemente ancorati al territorio, facendo del Conservatorio una vera scuola ticinese. Il Pre-College, tra parentesi, è co-diretto dai due direttori della SUM e della Scuola di Musica, fatto che - piuttosto sorprendentemente - gli ha permesso di sviluppare un forte profilo autonomo nell'interesse dei suoi allievi.

La cooperazione è naturalmente quella con le altre realtà universitarie sul territorio, primis la SUPSI (Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana), alla quale la SUM è affiliata, ossia integrata a livello universitario ed autonoma a livello amministrativo e finanziario, modello che si è dimostrato vincente: un Doppio Master per formare docenti di educazione musicale concepito assieme al DFA (Dipartimento Formazione ed Apprendimento, già Alta scuola pedagogica); un Master di Ricerca artistica assieme all'Accademia Teatro Dimitri (ATD), anch'essa affiliata alla SUPSI; le assi di ricerca tematiche e trasversali all'interno della stessa SUPSI. Inoltre, da quasi 20 anni, nell'ambito della Rassegna 900presente: SUPSIArts, con produzioni - in sinergia with la stessa ATD e con il Corso di laurea in Comunicazione visiva del DACD - di opere "tradizionali" (es. Rape of Lucretia di Britten), più sperimentali (es. Kraanerg di Xenakis, con riprese TV della RSI) e importanti commissioni (es. quella al compositore spagnolo Sánchez-Verdú per Il Giardino della Vitaspettacolo teatrale su testi di Isella).

Vent'anni fa, la musica contemporanea in Ticino non era neanche una nicchia di mercato: il Conservatorio ha quindi colto la possibilità di diventarne l'attore principale. Also in this case the collaboration has been fundamental: since two decades Rete Due and RSI have been co-producers of Rassegna 900 presente. Entrambi sono partner strategici anche in vari altri ambiti, dalla produzione musicale (coproduzioni, prestazioni di servizio) ai radiodrammi.

In una situazione di trasformazione si trova l'Orchestra della Svizzera italiana (OSI), da sempre un partner importante, non solo nella formazione (es. per i diplomi di solista), ma sempre più anche nella produzione, come in una memorabile Nona Sinfonia di Mahler, scelta per essere pubblicata in CD nel 2017 dall'Associazione degli Amici dell'OSI.

A milestone was also reached in 2015 with the inauguration of the LAC, the new cultural center of Lugano, with a theater and concert hall, which plays a key role in the development of Lugano's cultural scene. Numerose sono state le cooperazioni del CSI con il LAC (es. matinée domenicali) e con Lugano Musica (es. EAR, rassegna di musica elettronica, e approfondimenti tematici), e fortemente cresciute sono state le sponsorizzazioni per gli eventi al LAC, sono regolarmente "sold out".

If the Conservatorio is to continue to be successful in the future, it must maintain the balance between international residential school and regional support. Dovrà cercare di consolidare i suoi punti forti (scuola piccola e flessibile a basso impatto burocratico, internazionale, multilinguistica), insistere sugli ambiti che gli permettono una posizione egemonica almeno relativa (pedagogia musicale in lingua italiana, musica contemporanea, attività orchestrale) e coltivare il suo eccellente corpo docenti e l'alto livello dei suoi collaboratori. Il lavoro in rete sul territorio è indubbiamente un elemento cardine per trasformare i punti deboli enunciati inizialmente in punti di forza, e le necessità in virtù.

Christoph Brenner

... è direttore del Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana.

Giulia Genini (Co-responsabile della formazione e musicista freelance), come può, secondo Lei, il Ticino affermarsi in un contesto artistico in Svizzera, risp. quali sono i suoi punti vendita unici? 

If you think about the cultural offer present on the territory of Ticino in relation to its dimensions, you will be very pleased to see that this triangle of Switzerland is extremely lively and dynamic and that it is in step with other important Swiss cultural centers. Se prendiamo il frangente musicale i dati parlano chiaro: la presenza di un'orchestra stabile, l'OSI, con collaborazioni di prestigio internazionale tra solisti e direttori d'orchestra, un coro, il coro della RSI, con 80 anni di tradizione, un'orchestra barocca, I Barocchisti, among the most prestigious in the world, the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana, renamed Scuola universitaria di Musica, which offers a wide range of training and postgraduate courses among the most advanced and diverse, la Scuola di Musica del Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana attiva in tutto il territorio ticinese nelle sue diverse sedi di Lugano, Mendrisio, Bellinzonese e tre valli e Locarno, la Civica Filarmonica di Lugano che vanta una tradizione addirittura centenaria, una sala da concerti nuova di zecca, il LAC, stagioni musicali di ampio respiro che spaziano dalla musica classica al pop, al jazz. Per non parlare di musei, teatri, esposizioni, festival, il tutto in una cornice unica: un territorio ricco di storia a contatto con una natura esplosiva. Il Ticino è un vero concentrato di cultura e bellezza. That's for sure, and it's all in the palm of your hand. 

Che significato ha la creazione di reti nell'ambito dell'insegnamento e della ricerca per il Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana?

La rete intesa come interdisciplinarità, contatto e collaborazione - non solo in riferimento a insegnamento e ricerca ma direi inter tutte le componenti dell'istituto, siano essi i dipartimenti, gli insegnanti, gli allievi, i responsabili, le sedi eccetera - è senz'altro uno schema di vital importanza per l'attività del Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana. Connecting and maintaining communication between all the various components of the Scuola universitaria di Musica is a continuous task. This allows to define the common lines and to stabilize in a defined and enhanced way the school's commitments. 

Luca Medici (Direttore della Scuola di Musica e Responsabile delegato del Pre-College del CSI) quali sono le principali sfide per il Ticino come Cantone e come centro culturale in Svizzera e in Europa?

Direi che la prima sfida a livello ticinese è quella quella di realizzo la ricchezza del mondo culturale e formativo della scena ticinese, sembra scontato, ma a fronte di tante eccellenze, forse ciò che oggi manca è un disegno, una politica culturale, delle linee guida. This is necessary to achieve clarity and to guide the future development of this scene: Every Ticinese is a fan of Daniele Finzi Pasca, of the OSI, of Teatro Dimitri and of the CSI, especially to continue with these excellences and to become a part of society, we need lines of guidance that will carry us into an ever greater involvement of all strands of society. In this way, our cultural mandate in relation to Switzerland and Europe will be easier to interpret, to promote what a small territory with resources to invest can achieve, to create a true Ticinese cultural identity and to affirm it!

Michel Gagnon (Direttore generale del LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura), quali sono per Lei le grandi opportunità del Ticino come polo artistico e come sede del Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana?

Il Ticino è un luogo peculiare e virtuoso. È una realtà territoriale di piccole dimensioni con un'offerta culturale decisamente superiore ad altre simili per grandezza. In addition to being the seat of the cultural center of the city, the area is also home to such institutions as the Museum of Art of Switzerland, the Orchestra of Switzerland - a fresh addition to the ICMA -, the Swiss National Music Foundation and the Conservatory of Switzerland, to name just a few. There are events of international importance such as the Locarno Festival or diffuse ones in Switzerland, including the STEPS Dance Festival, and contemporary events such as the FIT Festival Internazionale di Teatro. In this favorable contesto è sviluppata un'importante tradizione musicale legata alla classica, con un numeroso seguito di appassionati. Al LAC abbiamo una sala concertistica con un'acustica eccezionale, che ha permesso di fare un ulteriore passo in avanti. Le rassegne di musica classica si sviluppano sull'arco di una stagione, da ottobre a giugno, e ospitano orchestre prestigiose, assieme a direttori e solisti di alto livello. Lo scorso anno, a inizio estate, abbiamo pure ospitato un paio di concerti spettacolo all'aperto in Piazza Luini. Al LAC trova casa l'Orchestra della Svizzera italiana (OSI) con la quale abbiamo siglato un progetto di resenza artistica da cui sono nati interestingi progetti in collaborazione con gli altri partner artistici: con LuganoInScena è, ad esempio, realizzato lo spettacolo di danza con musiche dal vivo La mer + La sagra della primavera (interpreti Compagnia Virgilio Sieni e OSI). La scena musicale è inoltre supportata dalla Radiotelevisione Svizzera sia in qualità di produttore dei Concerti RSI sia per la sua diffusione con un canale radio culturale dedicato. Il Ticino è dunque un territorio fertile e virtuoso nel quale sia l'istituzione Conservatorio sia i suoi studenti possono crescere. In this prospettiva si inserisce la collaborazione nata tra LAC e il Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana (CSI) che propone matinée musicali la domenica mattina aperte al pubblico nella grande Hall del centro culturale. Sono occasioni della durata di circa un'ora durante le quali si esibiscono gli studenti del CSI, suonando un repertorio costruito appositamente e introdotto da una breve presentazione. I concerti si rivolgono a tutti e tra il pubblico troviamo appassionati, neofiti della musica classica che cercano un modo per avvicinarsi a questo mondo e molte famiglie. L'atmosfera è informale e la relazione con il pubblico diretta, a due passi dai musicisti abbiamo grandi cuscini per i bambini.

Quali sono le principali sfide per il Ticino come Cantone e come centro culturale in Svizzera e in Europa?

Not arroccarsi su sé stesso, but far prevalere la identità culturale e favorire le collaborazioni. For the LAC it is evident that, in the name of a strong radicamento al territorio, an international response is fundamental through the quality of programming, transversality and the dialogo fra le arti che vi trovano spazio. Allo stesso tempo, soffermandomi sempre sul LAC, è necessario essere un centro culturale contemporaneo, quindi dinamico, inclusivo e aperto a un pubblico quanto più vasto e internazionale possibile. Significa inoltre essere un centro di produzione e sviluppare un attento programma di mediazione culturale in grado di offrire occasioni di incontro con l'arte sorprendenti e piacevoli. It is important to take stock of these various "ingredients" and to make the most of them. Se torno al paradigma della musica classica, al LAC accogliamo le migliori orchestre e direttori in un cartellone che è quello di una grande città europea, ma allo tempo lavoriamo per sviluppare produzioni e iniziative importanti con l'Orchestra residente alla quale si aggiunge la collaborazione con il Conservatorio per diffondere la musica classica sul territorio e verso i giovani.

Affianchiamo così ai grandi concerti sinfonici e recital, concerti dell'Orchestra della Svizzera italiana per le scuole e per le famiglie, concerti spettacolo in Piazza Luini, matinée musicali assieme al Conservatorio, approfondimenti che creano collegamenti tra la musica classica e l'arte (Un quadro - una musica), e progetti digitali dedicati alla musica classica. In this last aim we are launching LAC orchestra, a web platform and a tablet application that invites users to learn about the instruments that make up an orchestra and to understand its formation through music, l'interattività e tanti filmati sorprendenti che ritraggono il singolo orchestrale o il maestro suonare la stessa aria da prospettive diverse e inedite. Riassumendo, sicuramente una sfida è quella quella di sapere bilanciare gli ingredienti qui sopra citati, un'altra è quella quella di garantire la qualità in ogni cosa e saper sorprendere in modo positivo. This, in my opinion, is the one that in just 3 years has allowed us to be naturally welcomed by the community, to be known in Switzerland and beyond national borders and to continue to grow.

MvO - In the course of establishing research at the universities of applied sciences, the ZHdK has intensified its research activities. Seven institutes and two independent research focuses are primarily active in the field of artistic research, including cultural mediation and musicology. The beginnings of research at the ZHdK date back to the 1990s, when Daniel Fueter, then Director of the Conservatory and the Zurich University of Music, took up the subject and pursued it with a group of like-minded people. Even back then, it became clear that the area that Gerald Bennett was responsible for (in addition to his founding activities for IRCAM in Paris, he was also co-founder of the Swiss Center for Computer Music) could be a unique selling point for the future ZHdK. This subsequently led to the founding of the Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST), which researches music in the context of new technologies. Individual focal points soon emerged more and more clearly. The ZHdK's research projects are funded by national institutions such as the SNSF and innosuisse (formerly CTI), by private foundations or by the EU, or are collaborations with universities, the ETH, universities of applied sciences, other research institutions and business partners.

It is in the nature of things that research at ICST is particularly interdisciplinary and has an enormous range of aspects, both scientific and artistic. Some examples from the current project catalog are presented below.

The field of audio haptics investigates the relevance of vibrations via haptic feedback in instruments for the accuracy of music-making. To this end, the ICST has carried out perception studies and experimental investigations, which have led to the question of what electronic musical instruments could look like in the future and what improvements haptic feedback could enable. As little systematic research has been carried out in this area to date, the findings of the ICST are all the more important, especially as Stefano Papetti and his group have been able to present them in publications and at international conferences.

Research in the field of interfaces has now also produced usable results. The starting point was the SABRe project, about a bass clarinet enhanced with sensors, which initially developed into a start-up company that was able to launch the SABRe Multi Sensor on the market at the beginning of March. This is a modular system with various sensors, which can now not only be used for clarinets and saxophones, but can also be mounted on numerous objects.

The project Trees, Making Ecophysiological Processes Audible and the follow-up project Sounding Soil are about researching natural sounds and their relevance for understanding ecosystems. On the one hand, sound installations can be used to sensitize people, and on the other, the interface between art and science can be experienced. The scientific aspect is being investigated in cooperation with the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Research (WSL) and the ETH.

The ICST also addresses the questions of communication, experience and the possibilities of new technologies. What significance does a telematic environment have for the music (performance), what does a telematic performance look like, how can new technologies be used so that musicians can play together without having to be in the same room? What are the opportunities and problems that arise from a time delay? The institute is developing tools to understand and apply these phenomena. Another topic is games. The focus here is on the question of how gaming strategies can be integrated into musical compositions and performances and what influence they have on musicians and audiences.

The works of Anton Webern are an important focus of research in the field of musical interpretation. As the analysis of a performative interpretation of 20th century music has hardly any tradition in interpretation research, the question of a performance theory of dodecaphonic music or rules for its performance practice (for example in questions of tempo or intonation) is of great importance. In the area of the older history of interpretation, basso continuo realizations of the 19th and 20th centuries are under discussion. The research department also focuses on the history of music in Zurich, including the complete edition by Erich Schmid, as well as research into the life and work of Stefi Geyer and Adolf Busch and the management of Fritz Muggler's extensive tape collection.

The ZHdK Department of Music's research focus on musical interpretation also includes music physiology, which enjoys an international reputation. Research is carried out, for example, in the field of stage fright and stage competence and on the prevention and overcoming of severe strain and misalignments when playing string instruments, piano or percussion. The Zurich Musician's Hand Center (ZZM), also known as the Hand Laboratory, also belongs to the field of music physiology. Here, biomechanical measurements are carried out and consultations are offered, which record and help to minimize the various stress factors of a musician. This alone shows how broad the field is, ranging from physiology to neuropsychology.

One aim of research at the ZHdK is to achieve a greater transfer between research and teaching. Even if not all practitioners are currently showing a great deal of interest in research, the results of research are increasingly being incorporated into teaching thanks to the courses for Bachelor's and Master's students. However, this connection should be strengthened and possible synergies better utilized. Dominik Sackmann's reader on historical performance practice is a good example of this. Music physiology is just as firmly anchored in teaching, as can be seen from the fact that a chinrest model called Zuerich was presented on the basis of a recently completed SNSF research project on individually suitable violin positions at the ZHdK. With its various height and angle settings, this allows different individual head positions, even while playing, in order to prevent fatigue. ICST research is also closely linked to practice, because in addition to experimental research, all areas of research require interaction with composers and performers, and some researchers are also lecturers. The potential of the latter research has meant that the repertoire of electronic music has become much more present at the ZHdK, the offerings for Master's and Bachelor's students in the field have become more numerous and interest in live electronics is growing among lecturers and students, so that the repertoire is finding an increasingly natural place in teaching.

In contrast to university musicology, the main subject of research at the ZHdK is sound and its production, working with sounds or sound history. And Dominik Sackmann is convinced that this research is of great importance for the entire Department of Music because it can change it. Research stimulates active curiosity, which is enormously important for a university. Especially in a place where interpretation is taught, it must also be possible to raise the question of incompetent or incomplete interpretation. However, this can only be uncovered and corrected if research provides contemporary answers and possibilities. In this way, research can become an engine for keeping interpretations up to date with the state of knowledge. And this understanding should also be transferred to the students, to the next generation of artists who are open and curious - but ultimately also to the lecturers.

ICST also adopts this perspective, in the knowledge that we communicate differently due to new media technologies and always have new channels for exchanging information, which sometimes radically changes our lives. Art is eminently important here because it takes on the critical function of considering how these technologies are changing us and how they influence the creation and reception of art. It is not about creating even more gadgets, but about recognizing the opportunities and risks of technological innovations in the field of artistic production.

Challenge and goals

Research at the ZHdK would like to get even closer to practice, become even more visible and be more closely intertwined with the degree programs. One day, research at an art academy should be a natural part of the curriculum. However, the question remains as to how this can be financed and how the third-party funding quota can be achieved. There is also the question of where the next generation of academics will come from one day. The structural problem lies in the fact that Swiss art academies are not yet able to offer their own PhD programs, but this would be important for the next generation and distinguishes Switzerland from other countries where the art academies have a third cycle due to their university status. Fortunately, the Department of Music at the ZHdK can help itself with intensive cooperation with the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz.

Another challenge of research is the goal of maintaining independence in the choice of methods and content. This is particularly relevant with regard to the competition for third-party funding and requires the creation of understanding in the scientific community. The research departments must succeed in making their concerns clear. Cooperation can also be important for this. The ICST is a major magnet for cooperation with other relevant institutes in the field. Either way, it is important to maintain good contacts between the music universities.

> www.zhdk.ch/forschung

> icst.net

> www.zhdk.ch/forschungsschwerpunkt-musikalische-interpretation-1414

> www.sabre-mt.com

> blog.zhdk.ch/soundingsoil/

> blog.zhdk.ch/trees/