MK - The Swiss Higher Education Act stipulates that, in addition to the Matura or equivalent school education, an aptitude test must be passed for admission to Bachelor's degree courses in music and the arts.

This is for the simple reason that school education alone (e.g. Matura) does not guarantee comprehensive training (and practice) in this area. All Swiss conservatoires therefore conduct these aptitude tests - the basic rules and scheduling are harmonized via the KMHS (Conference of Swiss Music Universities).

Basically, but always with regional variations depending on the university and course of study, a practical and a theoretical examination is required for admission to the BA courses. In the practical examination, a performance on the main instrument is expected, and compulsory pieces (short preparation) and sight-reading are often required.

Depending on the discipline, the theory examinations include oral and written aural exercises, melodic dictations, rhythm exercises, knowledge of harmony, etc. Candidates are often interviewed at the aptitude tests. After passing the examination (usually March-April), the universities offer places to the successful candidates. They also keep waiting lists in case there are not enough places available for a particular instrument. In an agreement between the universities, June 1 is the deadline for students to accept a study place and be definitively admitted to the university. The universities can then make definitive plans and accept "latecomers" from waiting lists.

From the point of view of the KMHS, the BA aptitude tests are an important instrument for prospective students: on the one hand for quality assurance of the study program (low drop-out rate during the study program), on the other hand in the interest of the students to have a real chance of successfully completing the study program.

Important: You should always ask the respective university for details on the dates and content of the requirements, which vary from university to university. Most universities provide practice tools and workshops for preparing for the theory exams. Here too, the websites of the individual universities provide information.

Matthias von Orelli - Matteo Gualandi (Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève: 3e année de Bachelor en composition à Genève dans la classe de Michael Jarrell), Gabriela Glaus (Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Music: Master of Arts in Music Education, Major in School Music II, Major in Classical Singing and President of the Student Council at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts) and Roman Halter (Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Music: Bachelor of Arts in Music, Major in Piano) in conversation.

Matteo Gualandi, when did you decide to pass the admission, and where did you pass your entrance exam?

I decided to pass my entrance exam for the bachelor's degree in composition at the Geneva School of Music in December 2015, after speaking with my teachers in Italy.

Gabriela Glaus, when did you make this decision?

I decided to take the entrance exam in my A-level year. However, I had wanted to turn my hobby into a career for some time. So I took the entrance exam in Zurich and Lucerne.

Roman Halter, what exactly did the preparation for the entrance exam look like?

At the beginning of the preparatory class, my piano teacher and I selected the pieces we wanted to work on during the eight months or so we had left until the exams in April 2017 based on the examination requirements of the respective universities. The ear training, theory and dictation courses prepared us for the written and oral parts of the entrance exam. A few months before the exams, I went to audition for various piano teachers at different universities to get their feedback and find out more about their teaching methods. The closer the entrance exams came, the more emotional the preparation phase became. There were days when I felt good about myself and others when self-doubt threatened to consume me. In order to practice the exam situation a week before the entrance exam, I played my complete program for the entrance exam to my former piano teacher at grammar school in addition to the public concert evenings and the many class lessons in Basel. This made it possible to identify the last weak points in the individual pieces, which could then be corrected.

Gabriela Glaus: In my last year at the cantonal school, I was accepted into the gifted and talented program for music. From then on, I had additional theory lessons, which mainly prepared me for the theoretical part. I looked at the sample exams on the universities' websites, but didn't study specifically for them. For the entrance exam in Zurich, I auditioned for a lecturer and went to see her twice to get advice on whether I would even be accepted. She was able to give me good tips and advised me on the choice of pieces for the audition.

I didn't audition in Lucerne, but I already knew my teacher from the visiting day and was sure that our collaboration would work. My singing teacher at the cantonal school also always gave me good advice, and I had an extra lesson every week thanks to my inclusion in the gifted and talented program.

How exactly did the entrance exam go and how did you personally experience it?

MG : The exam went quite well, it was long but I attended it. I tell you that it was impressive to see all the teachers and all the lecturers in the department judging me during the oral on the different exams and asking me questions about my parts.

GG: In Lucerne, the practical part, the audition, took place first. First you sight-read a piece, then you are allowed to choose a piece from your own program that you would like to audition for, after which the panel decides which other pieces they would like to hear. After the audition, the lecturers consult with you and then give you a little feedback, telling you whether you have passed the entrance exam. Of course, I was nervous at the exam, which is why the sight-reading piece went so badly that the lecturers even sang along. However, I did well in the subsequent audition and luckily the teachers chose another piece that I was very confident in and which suited me perfectly. The theory exam took place on the same day. This consisted of a melody dictation and then an oral part, consisting of listening to intervals and triads, singing rhythm tasks, sight-reading and performing a short piano piece. I felt confident during this exam and I did well. After that day, I already knew that I had passed my exam. Now I just had to get confirmation of my place at university.

RH: Basically, the entrance exams at the individual universities did not differ too much: everywhere you were allowed to choose which piece you wanted to start with. The jury then selected excerpts from the other prepared pieces. Finally, there was an interview in which the jury asked you questions - such as about your personal goals or what you expect from your studies. You also had to pass a theoretical or oral exam to pass the entrance exam. I was very nervous about all the entrance exams, as a lot would depend on the result of the entrance exams as to what would happen to me in the future.

The time leading up to the decision as to whether the exam was passed or failed was certainly nerve-wracking...

GG: Well, I already knew that I had passed the exam and just had to wait for confirmation of my place. To my surprise, I received this after three days, so there was no long wait for me."

RH: During the days when I was waiting for the results of my exams, I tried to distract myself and not think about the exams all the time by going outside a lot.

How did you find out about the result of the entry exam and what was your impression?

MG : I saw the results on a screen at the entrance to the school. When I passed the exam, I was very happy.

GG: I received the exam result orally on the day of the exam. My place at university was confirmed in a letter by email. I was delighted, especially as I could now turn my job into a hobby, and immediately ran to my mother, who was delighted with me. I was relieved that I passed the entrance exam at the first attempt and, above all, that I finally knew what I was going to do after my A-levels. But I was also a bit tense, as I would now be moving from home to a new city at the age of just seventeen.

RH: A few days after the entrance exam in Lucerne, I opened my e-mail account. Among the emails I received was one from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. When I opened the attachment with the exam result, my heart skipped a beat. The attachment said that I had passed the entrance exam and that a place had been reserved for me. I felt a huge moment of relief, pure joy and great satisfaction.

How do you summarize the admission experience? And what advice do you have for future students who pass the entrance exam?

MG : It was a positive and very intense experience. I think the best advice to give is to prepare well for individual meetings with the jury in order to get the best out of them and make a good impression.

GG: The entrance exam was a good experience for me. It requires you to take a closer look at the course before you start studying, and I am convinced that this makes you much more aware of what to expect as a music student. Moreover, auditioning is part of the musician's job. It is clear that you are nervous, but you will encounter this moment again and again throughout your life. Good preparation for the entrance exam is half the battle. My advice for students:

Find out early on what the content of the exams will be like. If possible, go and audition for your preferred lecturer before the entrance exam, as these people can always give you valuable tips and you will quickly find out whether it is a good fit.

Make sure you are well prepared for the theory part, either in a special course at the cantonal school or at one of the universities themselves.

For the practical audition, choose pieces that you enjoy singing or playing and that you are comfortable with. Preferably choose a piece that is not quite so difficult. The teachers do not want to see your extreme limits, but rather musicality and creativity in interpretation.

If you need an accompanist for your pieces, this is usually provided by the university. Therefore, when choosing a piece, make sure that it doesn't have the most virtuoso piano accompaniment, and be sure to stick down the sheet music, because if the accompanist can't continue playing because of a mess of notes, you won't be doing yourself any favors.

If you are coming from another city, arrive early enough so that you don't get stressed. Put on something comfortable and pretty that you feel good in and take a snack with you.

And perhaps the most important point: show that you have fun and enjoy making music.

RH: The time of the entrance exams was an emotional rollercoaster. So you shouldn't let yourself be overwhelmed by self-doubt and any doubts from other people. I think it's very important to prepare for the exam conditions right from the start and to make the most of the time available. Having a teacher who motivates you and knows how best to approach the pieces and their difficulties was also very valuable to me.

Peter Kraut - The "No Billag Initiative" is a direct attack on domestic music creation, although this is not clear at first glance. The initiative should correctly be called "No SRF" because the constitution prohibits the federal government from operating its own radio and TV stations (Article 6: "The federal government shall not operate its own radio and television stations in times of peace"). However, if we were the only Western European country that no longer had public broadcasters, which are required by law to provide independent and balanced information, we would lose an important and useful link in many areas of funding. The federal government does not only promote culture through its constitution and laws, but also sport, linguistic diversity, agriculture, basic research, environmental protection, monument preservation and much more. The documentation of these constitutional mandates by means of radio programs and TV formats (such as cultural programs, sports broadcasts, discussions, reports, etc.) is fundamental for political discourse. If SRF no longer reports on important areas of public life that must be promoted in accordance with the constitution, then we can no longer form an opinion on whether these tasks are meaningful and how they might need to be changed. (And it cannot be assumed that private media will step into this gap, as they primarily have a commercial mandate). Our democracy itself would therefore massively curtail one of its most important prerequisites and development opportunities - public debate. This is why the "No Billag Initiative" is so dangerous and anti-democratic.

It will be particularly critical for music, if only because SUISA, the Swiss copyright society for music, will lose almost CHF 40 million in revenue that it receives from SRF broadcasts. This will have a direct impact on Swiss authors. But also indirectly, because without SRF, the diversity of music creation will be much less well documented. No other medium reports on the Swiss music scene as extensively and in such detail as SRF2. Local radio stations that promote local music would disappear. Ticino or Romansh music would hardly be heard any more. In addition, without SRF, many important film productions (such as Tatort, Wilder, The Undertakerdocumentaries, etc.), which provide important platforms for the Swiss film and music industry. This list of negative effects of the initiative could be extended. "No-Billag" does not solve a single problem and makes no contribution to the further development of the cultural landscape, but merely relieves individuals and companies of media fees, which, like taxes, represent a central and solidary resource for the functioning of our society.

The strong statements against the initiative from musicians as diverse as The Young Gods, Peter Reber, Gotthard and Andrew Bond prove that "No-Billag" would be disastrous for the entire music landscape. Anyone who cares about the diversity of Swiss music creation must reject this initiative.

Peter Kraut

... is deputy head of the music department at the Bern University of the Arts HKB/BFH

Lucerne is heading for the future. At the same time, hard work is being done on the present. It's like good music: the linear curves, the past is just beginning, the future is already over. Remembering, we listen ahead. We look ahead to our building site at Lucerne's South Pole, the new Lucerne Campus for Music. For the first time, jazz, church music, research, folk music, education, performance, classical music, school music and everything in between under one roof, in new spaces, in creative chaos. This should give rise to the culture of a contemporary music academy. Thinking about the future, we are dealing with the present: in 2017, we redesigned all of our Bachelor's degree programs, we fought off string concerts in the Precollege degree programs at the political level, and we shone in concerts together with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra and at the Lucerne Festival. We staged music theater events with the Lucerne Theater and, together with colleagues from Ireland and Turkey, our folk music students created surprising fusion gigs at the Alpentöne festival. And the jazz big band toured halfway across Switzerland. We feel like colleagues on our real construction site and have a common score: we are "sur place", we are building new ideas and structures, we know that it goes from the bottom up and that every step needs to be considered. You can only get to the top without disaster if the foundations have been laid, if the content-related spaces have been realistically defined. Today, these should contain what we want to have in the end. On the surface, craftsmen, engineers and architects are building at the South Pole. Behind the scenes, lecturers, students, teachers, researchers and administrators are filling what is being created with content. Every little stone laid today will have an impact on the whole tomorrow.

Michael Kaufmann, Director of the Lucerne School of Music

I started the year with the serious intention of taking the first part of the music theory exam: Acoustics and Music History. The exam dates were at the beginning of May and the beginning of July. I also switched to Ting Sun as my main teacher at the beginning of the year. I got to know her as part of her accreditation and was immediately impressed by her way of teaching. At the end of February, I had a change of pace in my daily learning routine, a scenic opera course in Basel with Maria Gessler and Martin Kronthaler as well as the pianist Riccardo Bovino. We spent three days rehearsing opera scenes under the expert guidance of the lecturers. I received a lot of valuable input there. In spring, I attended the Music and Research module, which dealt with research topics and writing research papers. This module is attended by students in the classical profile as well as students in the jazz/pop profile. I found it very exciting to get an insight into other styles of music that this joint course offered. Before the summer vacation, I passed both exams and my knowledge of music history and acoustics had increased significantly. The fall brought a new opera course in Basel and a new module: Master's preparation in pedagogy. Next year, I will take the second part of the music theory exam and the remaining modules that are part of the degree course. But above all, singing!

Grete Einsiedler, Bachelor Classical Singing, Kalaidos University of Music

Sono una flautista all'ultimo anno del Bachelor of Arts in Music al Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana. Questo corso ha arricchito notevolmente le mie conoscenze in campo musicale in generale e flautistico in particolare. Among gli eventi più significativi dell'anno accademico appena trascorso, spicca a mio avviso l'incontro con uno dei flautisti più importanti nel panorama musicale attuale: il primo flauto dei Berliner Philharmoniker, Emmanuel Pahud. Questa non è stata sicuramente la prima volta in cui abbiamo avuto l'opportunità di confrontarci con musicisti di livello eccelso. Noi studenti, in fact, apart from being followed by maestri di fama internazionale, spesso seguiamo masterclasses con concertisti importanti. For example, some members of the pianoforte class have followed several times corsi e concerti by the famous pianist Martha Argerich. Sicuramente l'anno accademico 2017/2018 non sarà meno stimolante del precedente. As far as I am concerned, there will be some very interesting courses, including one in collaboration with the students of DEASS (SUPSI), which will provide concerts for people in a state of poverty and difficulty (at the theater of the Centro Sociale di Mendrisio). Inoltre, il 12 febbraio al LAC, sarò impegnata in una delle numerose produzioni orchestrali del conservatorio. To finish, at the end of my formative course, I had the opportunity to perform in a concerto solistico at the conservatory on the morning of June. However, I did not realize all the events that inspired me this year. Il conservatorio infatti riserva ai suoi iscritti numerose sorprese!

Chiara Ritoni, studentessa del Bachelor of Arts in Music, flautista

To look back on the past year is to discover the wealth and variety of artistic projects realized by the HEMU through the many videos and photos published. The partnerships are numerous: with the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, the Lausanne Opera, the Société de Musique Contemporaine, the Archipel Festival, the Cully Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, to name but a few. These collaborations allow our students to meet renowned artists and build a strong network at the start of their careers. In March 2017, the HEMU and the EJMA welcomed the Montreux Jazz Academy, which selected one HEMU student from among its six candidates for a creation week with six international jazz icons. In the series Le Flon Autrement, a carte blanche was awarded to the brilliant mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti, who sang her creativity on the theme of Love has no borders. La cantatrice was also very much in evidence during the first edition of the Kattenburg Competition, a new addition to the French-speaking world of lyric singing and based on the desire to create a unique meeting point between HEMU students and their alumni. De quoi entrer en 2018 avec énergie pour nos étudiants et étudiantes ! The year will open with several conferences on current music topics in January 2018 and an innovative workshop aimed at exploring the question of leadership in orchestras in an interactive way. April 2018 will mark the return of the HEMU Jazz Orchestra to the Cully Jazz Festival, and we can only advise you to follow the announcement of the program in advance.

Haute École de Musique de Lausanne

(HEMU)

At the beginning of June, the HKB percussion class played drumming by Steve Reich under the direction of Brian Archinal at the "HKB geht an Land" festival in St. Imier. In September, I took part in the Student Competition of the Eastern Switzerland Soloist and Ensemble Competition, where I won first prize, and finally I was part of the project at the Bern Music Festival for the performance of Gerard Grisey's Le Noir de l'Étoileconducted by Pascal Viglino and Benoît Piccand, for six percussionists in the emblematic Reithalle Bern. The many impressions I gained from my encounters with contemporary music and music education showed me new ways of seeing and playing, which flow into my current work and make it more profound and nuanced.

Mirco Huser, percussion student at HKB in the classes of Brian Archinal, Jochen Schorer and Christian Hartmann

In Les Indes galantesthe opéra ballet by Jean-Philippe Rameau, describes the practice of love in distant lands - it is the European view of the foreign. But Rameau was also a music theorist and influential cultural politician. All in all, a perfect launch pad for a major multidisciplinary project that can be experienced at four venues around Ostermundigenstrasse 103, the new location of the HKB Department of Music. A high-tech auditorium, an old lecture hall, an empty shed hall, a theater hall and various connecting paths will be impressively staged by director Joachim Schloemer with around 50 students and lecturers. However, there will be little baroque music to be heard - rather, students from music, theater, literature, opera, design and art, sound arts and other fields will compose, build, stage, interpret, mediate and librettize large parts of this HKB laboratory. It's a wild affair, topical and dramatic, poetic and enriched with culinary delights. L'Europe sauvageis an obligatory announcement for a wonderful spectacle in the industrial gallows field.

Peter Kraut, Deputy Head of the Department of Music, Bern University of the Arts

I get very excited every time I have an opportunity to perform in music projects: Playing chamber music, performing contemporary music, playing in the orchestra... In 2017, I had the honor of playing a debut concert at the Lucerne Festival together with my colleague, saxophonist Valentine Michaud, and representing my university there. Together we form the duo AKMI and made our international debut in Russia and the USA, performing the premiere of Kevin Juillerat's L'étang du Patriarche which was composed especially for our duo. I was also very busy with chamber music and contemporary music. I played with my colleagues from the ZHdK as part of "Prelude" and "Surprise" in the Tonhalle, performed new compositions by ZHdK students and gained a lot of experience in the process. The ZHdK also gave me the opportunity to present my ideas in the final recital on the subject of Crossover so I performed the Concerto for two pianos and percussion op. 104 (from 2002) by Nikolai Kapustin, a piece I had wanted to play for a long time. In 2018, I will take the opportunity to continue playing interesting concerts and gain new musical experience. As always, there will be projects with the Ensemble Arc-en-Ciel, the ZHdK orchestra, as well as concerts at the Braunwald Music Week, the Lilienberg Recital and the Maison Blanche, a workshop with Brett Dean and much more.

Akvile Sileikaite, Master Specialized Music Performance, Piano, Zurich University of the Arts

In Basel, singing was the focus of important projects by the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (SCB) and the Hochschule für Musik (HSM) in 2017. Some of these were jointly organized by the two institutes, such as the inspiring courses by long-standing guest lecturer Margreet Honig, a masterclass with Christine Schäfer and the project Lament in cooperation with the Gare du Nord. Under this title, Désirée Meiser combined parts from Monteverdi's Orfeo and Sciarrino's Luci mie traditrici to a music theater production that was performed under the musical direction of Giorgio Paronuzzi and Jürg Henneberger and was also part of the program for the 150th anniversary of the Musik-Akademie Basel. Lament was the third opera project at the HSM, after Richard Ayres The recovery of the cricket at the Theater Basel and a project week by Regina Heer on Le nozze di Figaro. The anniversary year was celebrated with a world premiere by Rudolf Kelterborn Musica profana for soprano, baritone and three instrumental ensembles under the direction of Heinz Holliger. Other former Basel directors and professors were on the program in a choral concert under the direction of Raphael Immoos. At the SCB, the questions of historical singing always remain at the center. A CD (Label: Glossa) of the ensemble Profeti della Quinta with music of the early 17th century from the pen of the mysterious "Carlo G." has shed light on the ornamentation practice of this source; ensemble projects in Bogotá and a Senfl concert in Basel (27.1.2018) strive for performances from original choirbook notation and in the project "Studio 31" (SCB/HSM) polyphonic music is experimentally tested and performed in the vocal ensemble.

Basel Academy of Music (FHNW), Basel University of Music, Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, School of Early Music

After 2016 ended with the vote of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which provided the City of Music with a site close to its headquarters in Geneva, 2017 will end with the announcement of the winner of the international architecture competition by invitation for its construction. Les bureaux de Pierre-Alain Dupraz (Geneva) and Gonçalo Byrne (Lisbon), as well as Nagata Acoustics (responsible notamment de la Philharmonie de Paris, de l'Elbphilharmonie à Hambourg et de la salle Boulez de Berlin) se sont associés pour concevoir un grand ensemble comprenant une salle philharmonique de 1700 places (siège de l'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande), une salle de récital d'environ 450 places, une salle lyrique d'environ 250 places et une blackbox destinée aux spectacles expérimentaux, ainsi que la totalité des activités de la Haute école de musique de Genève. Magnifiquely situated at the heart of international Geneva, making the most of the interactions between its various occupants and widely open to the region and the world, the Cité de la musique will open its doors in 2023.

The main challenge for the Haute école de musique in 2018 will also be real estate, with the renovation and refurbishment of the historic building on Place Neuve and the remodeling of its production activities in various halls in Geneva, which will allow it to be even more in touch with the population and consolidate its own identity.

Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève

Matthias von Orelli - Cellist Joachim Müller-Crépon (JMC), pianist Alexander Boeschoten (AB) and trumpeter Manuela Fuchs (MF) talk about how they spent the summer, what this time means to them and the importance of their education at a Swiss music academy.

Please introduce yourself briefly...

MF: Growing up on a farm in Lucerne, I wanted to learn the trumpet even as a little girl. Whether film music or the local village music served as a source of inspiration, I cannot answer with absolute certainty. I really appreciate the stylistic diversity that this instrument brings with it and live it out as best I can with my classical training.

JMC: I am a cellist, 29 years old, grew up in Zurich, and a year ago I completed my studies in Basel with Thomas Demenga with a Master's degree in Solo Performance.

AB: I'm only human...

At which Swiss music academy did you study?

MF: I completed my bachelor's degree with Laurent Tinguely at the Zurich University of the Arts, and moved to Klaus Schuhwerk at the Basel University of Music for the orchestral and soloist master's degree.

JMC: As a young student, I went to Zurich and Winterthur, then HMT, now ZHdK. I also graduated there with a Bachelor's degree in music. After a while abroad, I did my Master's degree in Pedagogy in Basel and, as I said, my Solo Performance Master's degree.

AB: I was able to enjoy my training at the Basel Music Academy with Ronald Brautigam and in Zurich at the ZHdK with Homero Francesch.

The summer and vacation season is now coming to an end. How did you spend these months?

MF: One highlight was certainly the time at the Davos Festival, an unparalleled source of inspiration with many outstanding musicians and a unique energy. One week was taken up with the move, otherwise there were many smaller engagements, so there was no longer a break to really switch off. After a week's break, I need about a week to build up again - I like to compare it to a top athlete, who doesn't normally run a marathon without training.

JMC: As I've had a job at the Bern Conservatory for a year now, my vacation was limited to a good six weeks. I was still very busy with teaching and concerts until mid-July and then took a little break from the end of July to mid-August in South Africa, where I studied for two years and still have many friends. My instrument accompanied me, so I was able to play concerts there and prepare for the coming concert season.

AB: There is no such thing as vacation time for a musician. Nevertheless, summer is a special time, as the concert business in the cities comes to a standstill and creative work is concentrated in various wonderful festivals.

What does vacation mean to you? Is it really a time to relax or rather a time to recover from the daily grind of studying?

MF: For me, these are days without organizational and office work as well as free time, which is almost more important for clearing my head, especially as I can't switch off these mental to-do lists at the touch of a button.

JMC: During my studies, I mostly spent the summer on courses or at festivals. There were at most a few days to take a break from the instrument. A few years ago, however, I started to plan a few days a year to put the instrument aside and do other things. For me, it's a time to gather my strength and thoughts for the coming season. Sometimes you come out of such phases with new perspectives on your own playing and the music, which you might not get from constantly being involved with the music. I find that incredibly refreshing.

AB: I think that vacations, i.e. a time to take a break and relax, are essential for any creative work. Nevertheless, I haven't felt this deep need for a vacation since my school days - our profession is simply too beautiful for that.

Is there also a moment when you are happy not to have to touch the instrument for a few days?

MF: Absolutely! You're mentally tired at the end of the season. A friend of mine is amused by the fact that my instruments end up in the cellar.

JMC: In any case. If it's well planned and I allow myself this "free time" out of deep conviction, then that's wonderful. It's just as wonderful to come back to the instrument. It's perhaps a bit like a relationship when you don't see each other for a few days. Afterwards, you look forward (I hope) to seeing the other person again and exchanging experiences.

AB: Sure, but after a week my fingers start to itch again.

You know many musicians from other countries. Do you also talk to them about the different university models?

MF: Excitingly, this exchange mainly takes place with other trumpeters.

JMC: To be honest, I've never experienced it like this before. I've probably read up on other universities, but the only time I've compared the university model was in South Africa, where I studied at a university and not at a college.

AB: Yes, of course, but in the end the whole thing stands or falls with the name and class of the main subject lecturers. The institution is secondary.

What do you notice, or to put it another way: how do you see the Swiss conservatoires in an international comparison?

MF: ... that the Bologna system is regulated uniformly internationally - not even throughout Switzerland.

JMC: I think we can generally count ourselves very lucky in Switzerland. The choice of places to study and the diversity are very impressive for a small country, and I also believe that Swiss music universities don't have to shy away from international comparison. I am very happy that I was able to do most of my studies here.

AB: This is very different, there are good and bad classes at most schools and only a few achieve an international reputation.

Do you see any points that you think need to be improved in this system?

MF: For example, the main subject lessons: at some schools, 60 minutes are scheduled in the three-year bachelor's degree, at others 90 minutes, while I know from a German university that the bachelor's degree there lasts four years and you have 120 minutes of lessons. In Austria, on the other hand, you even have a teaching degree in those four years. How can that be compatible?

JMC: Since we talked about vacations and summer months earlier, it might be worth considering whether the semester break should be adapted to the surrounding European countries. As a student, it can sometimes be difficult when a master's course takes place very late in the summer and the universities in Switzerland start up again at the same time in mid-September.

AB: The Bologna system is absolute nonsense for music, but the trend towards international standardization and digital structuring can hardly be stopped.

How do you feel about Swiss musical life in general?

MF: A paradise for freelance musicians! The demand and appreciation is largely there, and music schools offer optimal, legally regulated working conditions - including social benefits - which is not at all a given abroad.

JMC: Diverse, lively, inspiring - a very nice mix, and it has a bit of everything. And I don't just want to refer to classical music. I also enjoy listening to jazz and other styles. Switzerland has a lot to offer! Perhaps the larger institutions and concert organizers sometimes need to have a little more courage to innovate. But that's criticism at a very high level.

AB: The "cantonal spirit" creates certain barriers, but basically the world is still in order in Switzerland. Especially when you look at certain European countries.

MF: Parallel to the orchestral routine, I will be recording a CD this fall with the pianist Carl Wolf, where we will focus on the diversity of the instrument. At Christmas, I'll be playing with the Classic Festival Brass Ensemble at the KKL again, followed by various solo concerts. One of them will be composed especially for me by the Basel musician Olivier Truan (the founder and head of the successful klezmer band Kolsimcha). I hope there will still be time for one or two rehearsals...

JMC: I would like to develop my instrument further and also set up my own projects. Together with Alexander Boeschoten, I am currently working on a concert series in Zurich next year. The organization is new territory for me, but it's incredibly fun and also very good for my cello playing to take on other tasks alongside my daily practice.

AB: ... and I should practise some more.

Matthias von Orelli - Summertime is semester break time. Nevertheless, the Swiss music academies offer a rich program, go out of the schools or cooperate with festivals that take place in summer and early autumn. The Tour d'horizon is intended to arouse curiosity to visit some of these events.

The Biennale Basel Plucks was launched in 2013 and will take place for the third time this year at the Musik-Akademie Basel under the artistic direction of Peter Croton. The aim of this festival is to illustrate the richness and diversity of the Basel masters and talents of the plucking guild. Renowned international guests round off the colorful and rich program, which will take place in 2017 under the theme of Collaborations. With its music schools in Basel and Riehen, the Jazzcampus and the FHNW Academy of Music, Hochschule für Musik and Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, the Musik-Akademie is virtually predestined for such a biennial, because in addition to the big names, young talent should also be able to participate, be involved and perform.

Basel Plucks, September 27 to October 1 at the Musik-Akademie Basel

In September, the Musik-Akademie Basel celebrates its 150th anniversary and invites the whole city to join in as a highlight on September 23, 2017. From morning to evening, a wide variety of ensembles will perform music from all genres and eras, interpreted by teachers, lecturers, pupils and students. Government and academy representatives will address the guests at the official ceremony in St. Martin's Church. A commissioned composition by jazz musician Guillermo Klein will be premiered. The event is intended to highlight what the Music Academy has been bringing to the city of Basel for 150 years: music, music, music.

Jour de Fête, big party at the Basel Music Academy, September 23, 2017

The Bern University of the Arts (HKB) works together with culturally interested communities in the Canton of Bern on the HKB geht an Land program, with the aim of getting out of the city. This year, the HKB is visiting the Vallon de Saint-Imier. The students are exploring the industrial and even anarchist past of the Bernese-Jurassic communities around the Chasseral and are given the opportunity to open up the spaces of former factories and reinterpret and revitalize them. The projects are also intended to initiate ideas for the future use of industrial buildings that have lost their function in many places. Musically, for example, students from the piano class can be heard interpreting Russian and regional composers in the non-classical setting of the Saint-Imier abattoir. The local population is also invited to perform experimental music in these spaces under the direction of percussion lecturers.

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The summer also sees the start of two master classes at the BUA's Department of Music. In July with Benjamin Schmid (violin), Thomas Riebl (viola) and Peter Bruns (cello), in August with the low brass professors Ian Bousfield (trombone), Thomas Rüedi (euphonium) and Rex A. Martin (tuba). The two master classes take place as part of the Simmenklänge HKB talauf - an extremely fruitful collaboration between the Lenk Cultural Foundation and the HKB.

Lenk, July 3 to 7, 2017 or August 21 to 26, 2017

At the opening of the 2017/2018 season, the Haute école de musique de Genève (HEM) presents a production of Kiss me, Kate by Cole Porter, the "ancestor of musical comedies" and one of the greatest musical successes of the post-war period. It is a show that perfectly combines classical and boulevard theater, while on the musical side it brings together opera, music hall and revue. Sous la direction artistique de Marcin Habela, la régie de Christian Räth et la direction musicale de Nader Abbassi, l'orchestre de la HEM accompagne les chanteurs des écoles de musique de la Romandie. This HEM production was staged in collaboration with the Théâtre du Galpon and the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne (HEMU).

Théâtre du Galpon, Geneva, from 15 to 24 September 2017

As part of the annual orchestral academy of the HEM and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (OSR), the orchestra of the HEM, enriched by soloists from the OSR, will perform under the direction of the young Erik Nielsen, originally from the United States. Les musiciens joueront des œuvres de compositeurs originaires de l'Iowa à l'instar de Nielsen : la Suite de ballet Billy the Kid d'Aaron Copland ainsi que la Symphonie n° 2 pour orchestre de Charles Ives. Ces concerts seront donnés dans le cadre de la série de concerts Prélude.

Victoria Hall, Geneva, 19 octobre 2017

L'opéra inconnu Ascanio de Camille Saint-Saëns sera interprété à Genève pour la première fois dans sa version concertante sur la base du manuscrit original de 1888. Guillaume Tourniaire en assurera la direction musicale et l'orchestre de la HEM jouera accompagné par divers solistes internationaux.

Grand Théâtre de Genève, 24 et 26 novembre 2017

In July and September, the Kalaidos University of Music presents concerts in unusual places. As part of the series Musik ver-rückt: Konzerte an ungewöhnlichen Orten, piano and chamber music will be performed at the Ernst Schweizer Metallbau company in Hedingen. Or the young piano students Laetitia and Philip Hahn will perform at Bischofszell Nahrungsmittel AG. An opera and operetta evening will also take place at the Hotel Blume in Baden.

Hedingen, July 7, 2017

Bischofszell, September 3, 2017

Hotel Blume Baden, September 7, 2017

In August there will also be auditions for a Master's degree in Performance or a Master's degree in Specialized Performance Singing with Christiane Oelze and Jan-Hendrik Rootering.

Winterthur, August 22, 2017

Dans le cadre de la collaboration entre le Montreux Jazz Festival et la Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne (HEMU), l'HEMU Jazz Orchestra interprète un program intitulé V comme Vian, a tribute to the famous French writer and poet Boris Vian, who was one of the emblematic figures of Parisian jazz in the 1950s. Les arrangements musicaux sont l'œuvre de Philip Henzi, professeur au département Jazz de la HEMU, avec l'appui de Florian Marques, d'Yves Marcotte et de Matthieu Durmarque, tous étudiants en classe Master de composition. The interpretation of these pieces by the young musicians of the HEMU Jazz Orchestra provides a new interpretation of Boris Vian's music, without any retouching of the original words or notes. Les œuvres transpirent le talent extraordinaire de Vian, son penchant pour l'absurde et sa passion pour le jazz de Duke Ellington.

Hôtel des Trois Couronnes, Vevey, 1er juillet 2017

Les concerts interprétés par les élèves de l'HEMU dans le cadre des concerts gratuits Music in the Parc sont également le fruit de la collaboration avec le Montreux Jazz Festival.

The teaching of contemporary music has been part of the HEMU's program since 2016. The group The Hemulators proposes an electro-rock concert; it stems from the work of students who have followed this course. The program also includes a funk soul project with Dave De Vita as well as the formation El Gran Combo Caliente, an Afro-Cuban musical project dedicated to the great masters of salsa.

Parc Vernex, Montreux Jazz Festival, 4 juillet 2017

A inizio luglio è previsto a Lugano-Besso il concerto degli studenti del Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana che hanno ottenuto il Master of Arts in Specialized Music Performance e che suoneranno come solisti con l'Orchestra della Svizzera italiana. Sotto la direzione di Alexander Vedernikov, si esibiranno Charles Crabtree (corno), Ekaterina Valiulina (violino), Anton Jablokov (violino) e Daniel Tengberg (violoncello). 

Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI, Lugano-Besso, 3 luglio 2017, ore 20.30

Qualche giorno dopo si potrà assistere al concerto dell'Orchestra sinfonica del Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana accompagnata dagli studenti della Scuola universitaria di musica di Lugano. Sotto la direzione della maestra Xian Zhang, presenteranno il concerto per orchestra (Sz 116) di Béla Bartók e Scheherazade op. 35 di Nikolaj Rimskij-Korsakov. 

Chiesa San Francesco Locarno, 7 luglio 2017, ore 20.30; LAC Lugano, 8 luglio 2017, ore 19.00

This year, the Alpentöne festival will once again take place in Altdorf, with the Lucerne School of Music as a cooperation partner. In this context, a university conference on transculturality in music will also be held under the title "Folk music without borders?

Altdorf, August 17 and 18, 2017

An international university meeting with workshops and concerts by student ensembles will also be held as part of this festival. Participants include the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance from Limerick, the Codarts-Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Rotterdam and the Institute for Jazz and Folk Music at the Lucerne School of Music.

Altdorf, August 19, 2017

The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts is also collaborating with the Lucerne Festival again this year for the staged concert Dies irae with music by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, George Crumb, Michael Hersch, Antonio Lotti, Jorge Sánchez-Chiong, Giacinto Scelsi and Galina Ustwolskaja. The JACK Quartet, the Lucerne Festival Alumni Ensemble and various students of the Lucerne School of Music will be performing. The concert was conceived by Patricia Kopatchinskaja, who is also the artistic director of the concert.

Lucerne, September 2, 2017

Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) is enriching the time between the summer and fall vacations with the Summer School 2017. In the field of music, the course Interactive Creation & Notation - for sounds, visuals & live performance offers an insight into forms of cooperation between music, visual arts and scenic forms in space. Musical settings between improvisation and composition are practically explored and expanded through interaction with visual media and live performance. The course provides impulses, tools, notation possibilities and targeted coaching for the introduction and realization of own projects, compositions and concepts with musical, visual and scenic interaction.

ZHdK Zurich, September 8, 9 and 10, 2017

The ZHdK Highlights festival also takes place in September. It is an attempt to show a "best of" from semester and final projects from all areas of the university. There will be exhibitions, concerts, presentations, performances and interventions in eight exhibition and performance spaces throughout the Toni-Areal, presented by students and graduates of the 2017 academic year from more than twenty degree programs.

ZHdK Zurich, September 2 to 23, 2017

At the semester opening concert entitled what's now?, Ensemble Boswil will present a program of rhythmically and temporally differentiated works by two ZHdK lecturers (Isabel Mundry and Philippe Kocher) and two composers from the classical American avant-garde (John Cage and Elliott Carter).

ZHdK Zurich, September 18, 2017

Matthias von Orelli - A survey launched in spring 2016 served as the basis for the report, which was produced in collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK). Fortunately, all but one canton took part in the survey, meaning that the overview obtained can be considered comprehensive. Here are a few relevant insights into this report.

In September 2012, the new constitutional article on the promotion of music education in Switzerland was approved. The introduction of this new constitutional provision and the adoption of the 2016-2020 cultural dispatch by Parliament also affect the music education offered at Swiss conservatoires. The cultural dispatch states that "... foreign students make up only 50 percent of all students at Swiss conservatoires, which is clearly too low...". In fact, the proportion of enrolled students with a Swiss admission certificate in the field of music at universities of applied sciences is quite low in comparison to other fields of study, which prompted SERI, the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) and the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK) to explore various possible solutions to improve the chances of admission for young Swiss musicians.

The report clearly shows that in all cantons, school authorities and school administrators are keen to support the development of musically talented young people as early as possible. In concrete terms, this means enabling young talents to take part in concerts and extracurricular musical activities alongside the school curriculum. This is of great importance, as the report also shows that students who have participated in cantonal talent development programs prior to their studies are very successful at the conservatory. This is accompanied by the finding that interest in music has increased and that an improvement in musical skills has been observed. This can be measured, for example, by the excellent results that music students achieve in performances or music competitions in Switzerland and abroad.

The increase in pupils' musical skills is a direct effect of the aforementioned support measures. Fortunately, the report also finds no fundamental conflict between an intensive musical education and successfully coping with everyday school life. For example, at the end of upper secondary level, around 100 pupils are already taking part in targeted measures to promote gifted pupils alone - sometimes with the clear goal of higher music education. This fact alone justifies supporting musically gifted pupils as early as possible.

Switzerland has a dense network of options for promoting musically talented young people, although these can vary from canton to canton. In some cantons there are measures to raise young people's general awareness of music (for example with workshops), in other cantons the measures are aimed at the specific promotion of talents that have yet to be discovered or whose talent is already established (for example in art and sports classes). And still other cantons concentrate on providing access to basic music lessons in the first place.

In cantons that have a conservatory, the offer is understandably more varied and more specific. In these cantons, the promotion of talented students with a view to studying at a conservatoire is concentrated on institutions that work closely with these conservatoires. These institutions function as points of attraction and competence centers and serve to promote exchange with upper secondary schools (for example with presentations by teachers from a conservatory at grammar schools and conservatories or the precolleges at the conservatories).

The sometimes scarce financial resources mean that the desired support measures for musically gifted children cannot always be offered as desired. The existing subsidies are often not sufficient to cover these costs. In addition, individual cantons that have a conservatoire have pointed out that the inclusion of students from outside the canton in the support measures sometimes fails because the canton of residence of the candidates concerned does not have adequate funding instruments. In principle, students from the respective canton are given preference when it comes to access to the support measures.

The report also takes a look at the financial contribution made by the pupils and their parents. This contribution usually depends on how intensive and demanding the musical education is. The closer a student gets to tertiary level, the higher the amount that parents have to cover. Various parties have therefore expressed a desire for scholarship opportunities for the period before entering a music academy, in line with the Confederation's stronger commitment to the "Youth and Music" program, which is set out in the 2016-2020 Cultural Dispatch.

In addition to the efforts for the measures listed in the report, the cantons also confirmed that they want to actively promote music ensembles, cultural promotion associations and musical events that are related to the musical culture of young people and a wider audience. The responses to the survey from the individual cantons confirm that great efforts are being made to develop musical skills at all levels of the education system and beyond. This applies not only to funding but also to the educational offerings. The report shows that against the background of all these measures to promote musical culture, it is difficult to imagine that highly talented young people could fall through the net. The very high success rates recorded for candidates with a Swiss admission certificate in the entrance examinations for music universities seem to confirm that the promotion of talented young people actually works.

However, one important question remains: What is the connection between the measures to promote musically talented students and the low proportion of foreign students in some degree programs at conservatories?

It is primarily up to the cantons to implement the aforementioned constitutional article on the promotion of music education in Switzerland at the level of educational institutions, and accordingly the cantons were also asked for support in finding ways to increase the proportion of students with a Swiss admission certificate at conservatoires. The report shows that the cantons with one university are not considering increasing tuition fees for foreign students or introducing quotas to increase the proportion of domestic students on music courses. In the extremely competitive environment of music, the quality and excellence of the candidates for a music degree should be the main criteria for admission to a conservatory. This position is underlined by reference to the expert conference of the Swiss University Council, which is convinced that, in the opinion of a majority of cantonal representatives, limiting the number of students with a foreign admission certificate would run counter to the excellence objectives of the conservatoires. The quality of applicants is therefore a priority.

In conclusion, the report shows that conservatoires and their teachers play an essential role in promoting musically talented young people, particularly in the run-up to music studies. This function is particularly important where young talent is promoted and trained in the Swiss education system. And - as stated in the cultural message - it has a further dimension, which is summarized as follows: "The seven Swiss music universities offer an excellent education with international appeal".

Matthias von Orelli - The Master of Arts in Specialized Music Performance at the Haute École de Musique Genève - Neuchâtel (HEM) and at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne (HEMU - Vaud, Valais, Fribourg) are structured identically within the framework of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO), but sometimes have different study focuses. At both schools, the course is open to a limited number of students, and primarily students with outstanding artistic abilities are admitted to the course. In Geneva, two aspects in particular are taken into account for admission: a remarkable artistic personality and/or the ability to contribute innovative research approaches in the field of musical performance practice.

There are different specializations within the Geneva Master's degree course. For example, conducting, where the aim is to be able to lead a professional ensemble after graduation, be it a symphony orchestra, a chamber orchestra, an opera ensemble or a specialized ensemble. The prerequisite is mastery of an orchestral instrument or playing the piano, as well as practical knowledge of instrumental and vocal music, an understanding of stylistic issues and a high level of artistic sensitivity. At the same time, knowledge of repertoire and score reading are also expected. Another point is the ability to plan rehearsals and implement them accordingly - a very extensive and demanding profile overall. The Argentinian Nicolás-Eduardo Duna is studying for a Master d'interprétation spécialisée orientation direction d'orchestre in Laurent Gay's class in Geneva. He does not describe himself as a child prodigy, nor does he come from a family of musicians. It was "only" at the age of twelve that he became interested in music and consequently decided to make music his profession. At the age of sixteen, he decided to train as a conductor, which he supplemented with private piano lessons and participation in a choir. A gradual approach to the world of music, which, as Duna herself says, was more about dedication than talent. Based on her own online research, Duna became aware of the Master's program in Geneva, which meant continuing her studies in Europe.

Duna believes it is particularly important to bring extensive experience with you to your studies and to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of music, be it harmony, counterpoint or orchestration. He is now enjoying this education at what he describes as an excellent Swiss music academy, including the exciting collaborations with the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève and the ZHdK. His only regret is that sometimes everything happens almost too quickly for him to be really well prepared in front of the orchestra. After completing his studies, he would like to continue with a Master's degree in music theory or pedagogy, while at the same time preparing for auditions and conducting competitions.

The above-mentioned requirements are also part of the choral conducting specialization, whereby either vocal training or piano playing is required. The aim of this specialization is to lead a professional choral ensemble (whether an opera or radio choir, or a specialist ensemble).

The medieval music course in Geneva deserves special attention, as it deals with philological fields of research in addition to practical questions. The focus is on musical practice and its special features with regard to various playing techniques, ornamentation and improvisation. In this way, the specialization takes account of the growing enthusiasm for early music in recent years. As research in this field has gained a great deal of knowledge, the course aims to provide as broad an insight into the field as possible, so that cultural, technical and theoretical knowledge is promoted in equal measure. This also includes musical practice on historical instruments, as this differs greatly from that on modern instruments, which can be illustrated by the choice of keyboard instruments, where harpsichord, clavichord, fortepiano or organ are available.

The MA in Specialized Music Performance can also be found at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne (HEMU), and the career of Swiss singer Marina Viotti impressively illustrates the diverse range of courses on offer there. The daughter of a musical couple, she came into contact with concerts and opera at an early age. But when she wanted to become a singer at the age of seven, her parents thought it was too early - she should play the flute first. She did so, then studied literature and philosophy in Lyon and also sang in a metal band. At the age of 21, she went to Marseille to study cultural management, but supplemented this with training in choral conducting, whereupon the teacher said she should sing. Although she was comparatively old at the time, she took the plunge, moved to Vienna and studied privately with Heidi Brunner because the university there did not approve her application due to her late start with singing. She studied in Vienna for three years, worked at the Vienna State Opera and again sang in a choir. The decision to study in Lausanne was linked to the desire to give her life a clear structure. This was followed by a Master's degree with Brigitte Balleys, which she completed last year. For Viotti, the great advantage of her studies (in addition to the network she built up, the numerous support she received from the university and the experience she gained) is that she has already been able to sing her first recitals, oratorios and even roles at the Opéra de Lausanne. Everything she learned at the university (such as body expression, phonetics, improvisation, singing, acting) she was able to put into practice straight away. And the orchestral concert at the end of her studies was certainly a highlight.

What struck Marina Viotti was that the course offered guidelines on the one hand, but on the other allowed a great deal of flexibility to develop within them. This development also includes the crossover projects, where concerts combine classical, pop and jazz, projects with contemporary music and master classes with a focus on baroque are offered, or students can perform at the École de Jazz et de Musique Actuelle. Viotti considers these cross-border projects to be particularly beneficial in today's world. As Nicolás-Eduardo Duna has already highlighted for Geneva, this includes collaborations - in Lausanne, for example, with the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne or the Opéra de Lausanne. Viotti considers auditions at the Opéra in particular to be a great luxury compared to other music academies. Viotti completed her three-year Master's degree in 2016, enriched with an extensive network and initial professional experience. This is probably one of the reasons why her calendar is full for the next two years, mainly in Switzerland with opera productions in Lausanne, Geneva and Lucerne, but also with concerts and two opera productions abroad.

The requirements for Master's students at the HEMU Lausanne are comparable to those in Geneva, as the intention in Lausanne is also to offer the Master's to a small number of students who have outstanding abilities and aspire to a career at the highest level. One of the highlights of the Master's program is a CD production, which particularly inspired the Moldovan Alexandra Conunova. The winner of the International Joseph Joachim Violin Competition in Hanover and the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow did not actually intend to do a second Master's degree. But when the opportunity arose to study with Renaud Capuçon, she changed her mind. Conunova emphasizes that the freedom to plan her studies according to her own schedule is a great advantage, as the focus is clearly on the instrument. After completing the two years of study, a complete CD recording is produced, which means actually designing it herself. This requires creativity in the cover layout, linguistic skill in the formulation of the booklet text and the description of the recorded works, as well as a technical understanding of the high-quality recording and its editing. A very challenging job, but also a unique and important experience that the HEMU makes possible for its students. For Conunova, the Master's was an important stepping stone. She now works with four agencies that represent her in four countries. She believes that she was lucky to have met the right people at the right time. And the goal has remained the same for years: to be happy herself and to share her honest way of making music with others. She herself wants to continue to understand and study what makes up the life and works of a composer - her Master's degree has encouraged her in all of this.

Matthias von Orelli - It all began with the memorable refusals of numerous music stars who had been asked to provide the musical backdrop to the inauguration. This clearly showed that Donald Trump's policies and culture are hardly compatible. In the meantime, the new US president has also threatened to make drastic cuts to cultural funding, in particular by threatening to abolish the two government funding institutions for culture, the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts, founded by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965) and the NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities). Numerous Republican politicians in the Senate have also made it clear that they do not believe in state cultural funding. They want to leave the arts to the market, organize them privately or, ideally, abolish them altogether. Moreover, it is no coincidence that the austerity plan is closely aligned with a budget proposal from the arch-conservative Heritage Foundation, the same foundation that has been calling for the abolition of the NEA for years. The attack on the two organizations is emblematic of the new anti-liberal climate in the US. The fact that the ideology of one state is also reflected in cultural funding in other European countries is alarming.

Donald Trump enforces his taste in art as rigidly as the presidents of Poland and Turkey or the prime minister of Hungary. Only "edifying" art that serves the government's nationalistic self-image is promoted. The US Republicans have a similarly limited understanding of art. For decades, they have been waging a bitter war against the arts, which are considered liberal and immoral in their circles. Reason enough for three voices from the Swiss music academies to express themselves on the subject of "Trump - music culture".

Sara Horvath - The land of opportunity has a president who does not respect borders. He wants to build a wall along the country's border.

The United States of America, the place to be: In the last century, the USA was a place of refuge and a new home for many Europeans, a chance to live and think in freedom. In recent decades, America has often taken on global political responsibility, far beyond its own national borders, and we Europeans have eyed this with suspicion, perhaps demonstrating against it - but secretly we were glad that there was still a big brother who could help when things got dicey. In recent years, for many of my peers, this same America was also the country where dreams were more tangible, more real than here at home. La La Land sends its regards. It is quite possible that some of this is a thing of the past for the time being. Some Americans seem to be fed up with taking care of everyone but themselves. Too many of their men have been stationed somewhere in the world and when they came back they were stripped of their humanity. Too many foreigners came and were able to fulfill their dreams while their own people came up short. And then comes Trump.

This person irritates me. I would like to get past him, ignore him. Stunned, a friend stared at the election results on November 8 and asked me in horror whether I had noticed. I had. Although I stayed out of this American circus, which I neither really understood nor took seriously. But I wasn't surprised by the result. If we Swiss can produce voting results that nobody seemed to want and nobody could have predicted - why shouldn't the Americans be able to do the same? Can and may? That's the way democracy works. The majority is right. In a sense, Donald Trump may be an extremely American president. His presidential communication via Twitter is reminiscent of the pioneering spirit of the first European immigrants, to name just one example of his unconventional attitude. And since America has never been organized as a monarchy, it is also fitting that he does not appear too statesmanlike. I would like to go into a little more detail on another aspect that seems to me to be American.

The Russian composer Nikolai K. Medtner was on a concert tour in America around 1920. He was "depressed by the business-like, sober everyday life in which neither poetry nor spiritual values have a place." He had the impression that "Americans were afraid of the Night and its mysterious spirits (Tyutchev), because when it gets dark, they switch on millions and millions of electric light bulbs to avoid encountering the mysterious and to preserve the shiny surface even at night. "1

Whether there really is no room for poetry or spiritual values in the land of opportunity remains to be seen. But I can also see the shiny surface on Trump's face. Preened and blow-dried, a man stands at the microphone who looks much younger than he really is. A man who has a questionable way of dealing with facts, who is more concerned with the shiny surface than with what is true or has happened. A politician who seems to be more familiar with show business than current world events. "The world has not lost its mind, but its heart!" This sentence also comes from Medtner's correspondence and seems more relevant today than ever. After all, who takes time for matters of the heart these days?

The time in which Donald Trump is elected the most powerful man in the world is a time in which more always better means. A time that is looking for quick profits and shiny surfaces. A time that does not want to engage in lengthy searches or laborious processes. We musicians are also children of this time. We can learn from Donald Trump by looking at him, recognizing the signs of the times and not contenting ourselves with shiny surfaces, but instead confronting the darkness within us and around us. Without electric light bulbs. In this way, we might also find our lost heart again.

James Alexander - When asked to contribute a column to this journal, I reminded the editor that I'm not American (I have Canadian and Swiss citizenship). However, since Canada and the US share the longest undefended border in the world - at least at the time of my writing these lines - the economic and social life of Canada have always been heavily influenced by its powerful neighbor to the south. In this regard, I was impressed by recent statements from Canada's Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, defending the open and humanitarian values on which Canadian society is based and until recently, the US was always proud to proclaim as well. So, as a Canadian who studied in Santa Barbara, Chicago and New York I'll add a few thoughts here, albeit from a Swiss perspective!

In the short time since Donald J. Trump took office (I am relieved to learn that the "J" stands for John, and not James), the world has lost no time in responding, for the most part critically, to his actions as President. As shocking as his election is to me personally, he nevertheless was elected democratically: what I find more disturbing is to consider why America chose him, and to ask in what direction our society as a whole is heading. After all, one doesn't need to look very far from home: why did no-one predict Brexit, and why was a beautiful young British politician, wife and mother murdered for her belief in a tolerant and integrated society? What is happening in Hungary, and what will happen in Holland and France? Politics aside, these European countries also share a rich culture and long tradition of "classical" music. To take a horribly cynical view, one could argue that there is little to fear from the effects of a Trump presidency upon musical life, since I assume that the names of many important performers and composers are probably unknown to him: unlike Mexicans or Muslims, how can he block or ban people he's never heard of?

If we continue in this light, what, if anything, can artists/musicians do in the current political climate, and what should we as a community be saying to the societies in which we live and work? To stand in front of the American embassy in Berne or even the White House in Washington with angry posters probably wouldn't attract much attention, even if one is a star: look at Trump's sad denouncement of Meryl Streep, one of the greatest actresses of our time. Many of us teach, as well as perform, and to teach music is in my opinion directly related to teaching human values. To excel as a chamber musician, it is essential to learn to listen to your partners, respect other points of view, and to speak with a unified voice. Without this, the result is empty noise - as in politics. The qualities that make a great work of art or a strong society are universal. Listening recently to a moving performance of Bach reminded me that sooner or later (and I suspect the former) Trump will be gone, but Bach is here to stay.

Ranko Marković - So now Donald Trump has also made it into the Swiss music newspaper... While nmz-Online has already published 14 articles mentioning Trump since the beginning of the year alone, we at the ZHdK have given it little thought so far. How could Trump affect the music if there is no indication that he himself could be affected by the music? Nowhere has it been mentioned that the 45th US president has played the saxophone, piano or guitar, sung Beethoven's Ninth in a choir or sung karaoke on a company outing. His language is vulgar, his diction choppy, his voice hoarse - Trump sounds and the only possible reason for this - as every good teacher knows - is the lack of qualified music lessons as part of their education.

So it's no wonder that Donald the president has a very bad image among musicians, actresses and actors: Elton John refused to sing at Trump's swearing-in ceremony, DJ Moby is not bookable for the business tycoon and amateur politician and Robert de Niro wants to "punch him in the face". A musical campaign is running until the end of April at ourfirst100days.us, in the course of which dedicated singers are launching a new anti-Trump song every day. Angel Osten opened the series, followed by Mitski and other artists from the alternative scene. Not forgetting Meryl Streep, who found sensitive and articulate words to criticize Trump's inhumane behaviour at the Golden Globe Awards. Without having tested the man personally, I refer to my many years of experience in music education and claim that Donald Trump is unmusical. Last but not least, I derive the proof for this assertion from the application of a verse written by Johann Gottfried Seume in 1804, which reads:

Where people sing, settle down quietly,

Without fear of what is believed in the country;

Where one sings, no man is robbed;

Villains have no songs.

Quod erat demonstrandum.

So now the villain Trump has not only made it into the White House, but even into the Swiss music paper. In Vienna they would say: "The world will never stand still...". But that's all half as bad: a trained Austrian (like the Austrian woman) knows that the end of the world is a temporary phenomenon. By the time the ZHdK has agreed on a comprehensively reasoned position on Trump and by the time classical musicians have become aware of their social responsibility, the man may no longer be president. Or he has sing learned. My repertoire suggestion for his farewell would be an old Viennese song, which was probably composed in 1679 by the balladeer, bagpiper and impromptu poet Markus Augustin:

Oh, dear Augustine, Augustine, Augustine,

Oh, dear Augustin, everything is gone.

Grade

1 From Daniel Shitomirski: "About Nikolai Medtner and his music", in: Introduction to the piano music of Nikolai Medtner. Berlin, Verlag Ernst Kuhn, p.8.

Sara Horvath

... is a student at the Bern University of the Arts, majoring in classical piano with Tomasz Herbut and collaborative piano with James Alexander.

James Alexander

... is a lecturer in chamber music at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève.

Ranko Marković

... has been Head of the BA Classical Music program and Head of International Relations Music at the ZHdK since 2014.

Stephan Schmidt, director of the Académie de musique de Bâle (Basel Music Academy) and of the Hautes écoles de musique de la Haute école spécialisée du nord-ouest de la Suisse (FHNW Music Academy), as well as guitarist of international renown, has been the new president of CHEMS since the beginning of the year.

Like his predecessors, he wishes to represent the voice of our country's music schools on issues that are of particular importance, be it the implementation of article 67a of the Constitution (which has not yet had the desired effect) or issues relating to the international professional environment or the law on the encouragement and coordination of higher education (LEHE). He sees a major challenge in the weight and role that will be given to music schools and colleges in society in the future, given that they remain largely underestimated both in society and in the cultural industry. Faced with what is currently happening in the United States, the question also arises as to whether CHEMS should take a political stance, in whatever form that may be.

Stephan Schmidt believes that music has a role to play in social politics (not politics) to the extent that this art contributes to a better understanding of ourselves in our cultural dimension. It is therefore also necessary to aim to make a respectful and responsible use of music in order to lay the foundations for a future that allows for spiritual and cultural development - in its quality as a specialized conference, CHEMS can take the lead at the level of professional training. Himself a concert guitarist, Stephan Schmidt describes the extreme difficulty of finding the right balance between this dual role of director on the one hand, and his soloist performances on the other. These two activities are a source of pleasure, but also demand that they be carried out with the highest level of quality and responsibility. One problem is the large number of musicians who teach, plan, have children and want to perform an authentic artistic work. Ultimately, it is important to recognize the privilege of working with and for your passion.

In conclusion, Stephan Schmidt expresses, on the one hand, his wish that CHEMS be scouted and his reflections taken seriously, and on the other hand, that the various actors and institutions of the musical landscape get together, express their interests more clearly and learn to defend them better on the political level. They are still too little aware of the incommensurable enrichment that fine music can bring to existence.

Matthias von Orelli - The music universities in Switzerland are facing major challenges. The KMHS gives the individual universities a voice in society, in politics and in the music scene. Stephan Schmidt talks about his goals and ideas as President of the KMHS and explains the role that music can play in political issues.

Stephan Schmidt, you are the new President of the KMHS (Conference of Swiss Music Universities). What would you like to focus on in this role?

The presidency of the KMHS is not an official function, but a temporary mandate to represent the Swiss conservatoires. In this respect, like my predecessors, I will give a voice to those issues on which the conservatoires need to be heard or should be heard. The focus will therefore be on issues that affect music in general and education at conservatoires in particular:

The implementation of Article 67a of the Constitution, for example, has not yet brought the hoped-for momentum in key areas, but in our view requires further efforts and improvements, especially in the area of university preparation (precolleges).

In addition, we need to educate politicians and society more and better about the realities of the music profession: the necessarily internationally oriented training profile, the artistic and pedagogical quality requirements, the everyday combination of different fields of work and activity as artists, teachers, employees, freelancers, self-employed, unpaid practitioners...

The last few years have been characterized by revolutionary changes in the higher education landscape. The last major innovation was the Higher Education Funding and Coordination Act (HFKG), which has been in force since January 1, 2015 and has created a uniform legal higher education area for universities, universities of teacher education and universities of applied sciences (with music). In this context, it is now necessary to clarify what say the KMHS specialist conference of the universities of music will have or can achieve.

How do you rate the music academy landscape in Switzerland at the moment?

Although it has undergone radical structural changes since the days of the conservatoires, it is actually very well positioned today. The past few years in the UAS context have brought many positive things for us, in addition to some aspects that were not so easy to deal with, such as the many reorganizations in the training courses and in the financial and organizational structures: research and reflection have brought a lot of dynamism at all levels, the long-term planning mechanisms are now better able to meet the needs of music training than in the days of the conservatoires...

In your opinion, what are the major challenges facing music academies in Switzerland, and what role does the KMHS play in this?

In the coming years, the importance and role that music-making, music education and training, i.e. music schools and conservatoires, will be accorded in society will be decisive. We are convinced that this role and importance, whether in society or in the cultural industry, continues to be greatly underestimated. The conservatoires must play their part in this, and the KMHS can be a mouthpiece for this. Funding issues are often at the forefront of this, but it is not just a question of money; first and foremost, it is about making clear the importance and appreciation that is accorded to our work and our needs. Despite the constitutional article, music has not always had an easy time of it recently. We never tire of emphasizing the importance of music and musical work, but it is not just my subjective observation that the understanding of music has seen better times.

In any case, clubs, associations, music schools and conservatoires will have their hands full in the coming changes in order to make the necessity and efficiency of their work clearer to society at large. We should be open to change so that transformation and not dismantling and destruction will characterize the way we deal with music.

In any case, the music profession remains a valuable and promising model for the future if we are prepared to improve the conditions so that it can be lived with inspiration, organized wisely and financed solidly. What is needed for this is often not clear to the musicians themselves and often even less so to society. Who knows what musicians often do at the same time: practice, teach, give solo concerts, chamber music, ensemble, orchestra, opera etc., organize, lobby, think, search, research, write... usually simultaneously as employees, freelancers, self-employed, unpaid practitioners...

A difficult, but also a fantastic, fulfilling profession that can bring great satisfaction and self-fulfilment if you learn to organize it properly and find or create the right conditions.

The world seems to have come apart at the seams politically at the moment. The new American president is trampling on human rights and freedoms without hesitation. What does this make you feel?

It is not my place to make political statements here. Nevertheless, I hope for a functioning balance of state powers. In any case, the separation of powers of our time was hard-won and is a valuable asset that will have to prove its stability time and again in the future. Today's music and music-making also include a certain independence on the part of musicians who stand up for a world view based on the cultivation of fundamental human rights and freedoms. This was not always possible. Musicians were and are not per se free from moral conflicts or even misconduct. The same applies to the world, which - as you say - seems to be coming apart at the seams.

Should culture, especially music, interfere in political discussions?

That's what music is supposed to do, but not in a party-political way, but in a socio-political way. Making music and creating music is part of the self-image of our cultural human existence. We have an immeasurable musical wealth that surrounds us, and it is up to us not only to preserve it in a meaningful way, but also to develop it further, to make it possible to hear and experience it again and again and, above all, to make it accessible to all those who have no access to it or have not learned to perceive it. That is politics.

Music has also been abused on occasion, and has itself consciously contributed to abuse. So music is not good per se. However, there is good and bad music, and it can be handled well or negligently, it can even be used to manipulate or to educate with love and respect. It is up to each and every one of us not only to find the right path, but to look to a future that gives us confidence and spiritual and cultural development.

And what can a KMHS achieve?

The KMHS is a specialist conference, an important mouthpiece in the field of vocational training, no more and no less.

You yourself are an internationally renowned guitarist. How do you reconcile the activities of a performing musician and director of a music academy?

Not at all. The one competes with the other, and it's a daily tug-of-war for time. Every job has its non-negotiable demands in terms of quality, and my responsibility for this wonderful institution, the FHNW Academy of Music / Basel Music Academy with its approx. 560 employees and its mission, as well as for my family, is paramount at the moment.

My solo performance often has to take a back seat, even if it almost drives me crazy from time to time. But this problem is one that is familiar to everyone who teaches, organizes, has children and wants to work authentically as an artist. It is and remains an insatiable restlessness that can never be balanced. But it's also a good thing, it can hardly be done any other way. It is also a privilege to be able to work out of passion.

What is your wish for the near future of KMHS?

That people listen to us and take our ideas seriously. I also hope that the various players/institutions in the music landscape as a whole will move closer together, formulate their interests more clearly and learn to represent them better politically.

We have had to learn to adapt to many things in a rapidly changing environment, but unfortunately many still fail to see how good music could enrich their lives immeasurably.

Matthias von Orelli - In addition to special Master's degree courses with individual focus options, music universities in Switzerland also offer a Master's degree in Specialized Music Performance, which aims to develop artistic excellence in a comprehensive sense. This primarily includes unrestricted skills on the instrument, voice or in performance, as well as an individual artistic profile, the development of own projects at the highest level, extensive repertoire knowledge, the ability to reflect and a strong performance presence and competence. This Master's degree is primarily aimed at students with above-average talent who want to achieve a top international level through individualized training.

Founded in 2010 as a private school, the Kalaidos School of Music offers music studies in classical, jazz and popular music in Switzerland and neighboring countries. The expansion of the MA Specialized Music Performance course (which was conceived in 2015) from one student in 2016 to an expected seven students in 2017 underlines the growth of this school. Pianist Sven Bauer was the only student of Lev Natochenny at the beginning, but there are now three pianists studying with him. From February, a Chinese violinist will be studying with Xiaoming Wang (concertmaster at Zurich Opera House and leader of the Stradivari Quartet). This shows that international experience is taken into account when selecting lecturers at the school.

At Kalaidos, modules such as self-marketing, public relations, concert acquisition, agency contacts or career service are part of the course in addition to the primary artistic teaching. Participation in at least three competitions or master classes is also planned. The final examination consists of three concerts: a non-public concert, the public master's concert and a public concert as a soloist with orchestra.

For Sven Bauer, the path to the Kalaidos University of Music was a natural one. He initially studied with Lev Natochenny in Frankfurt am Main and was able to continue his studies with "his" professor when he decided to attend Kalaidos Musikhochschule. Moreover, the educational concept of this university suits Sven Bauer, who is aiming for a career as a soloist and, thanks to the flexible system, has the opportunity to obtain a state-recognized Master's degree in addition to his already considerable concert career. The young violinist David Nebel, on the other hand, is only on his way to an MA Specialized Music Performance. He considers the decision to do a Bachelor's degree at Kalaidos to be the ideal solution for him. He also needs a lot of time and flexibility for concerts and CD recordings, but ultimately also for his own practicing. He therefore feels that the system on offer is tailored to him, and the fact that his teacher, Alexander Gilman, teaches at the school was also decisive for him. A school abroad was out of the question, as his family lives in Switzerland and he wants to focus his studies primarily on the ideal teacher. Nebel emphasizes that studying at Kalaidos undoubtedly requires a great deal of self-discipline, but in return he enjoys a degree of flexibility that he might not have elsewhere. And thanks to the private lessons, the student is also making rapid progress in his development - Nebel is correspondingly confident about the coming months and the intended transfer to the MA Specialized Music Performance course.

Violinist Anne Solveig Weber was accepted as a junior student at the Munich University of Music at the age of 13 and came to Zurich via Paris, where she now studies with Nora Chastain. When she arrived in Zurich, she was in the middle of her Bachelor's degree and immediately followed this up with a first Master's degree. After a break of one semester, she was able to continue her studies with the MA Specialized Music Performance. The wide range of courses on offer at the ZHdK, which are tailored to the needs of the students, as well as the individual modularity of the study profile were decisive factors in her choice of study location - she appreciates the fact that the university makes it possible to attend activities accompanying her studies, such as the orchestra academies with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra or the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. She also considers the MA Specialized Music Performance to be ideal because it allows her to already have one foot in professional life, while continuing to receive impulses from great teachers through her studies in order to further develop and perfect her playing. In three semesters, Anne Solveig Weber will probably complete the MA Specialized Music Performance and then start to shape her professional career - be it with a position in a large orchestra, active chamber music activities or teaching.

Mezzo-soprano Madeleine Merz, who is studying the same course in Zurich, also benefits from this individual approach. She attended acting classes as a minor subject for two semesters and also trained in orchestral conducting. She has discovered that bodywork, which plays a major role at the ZHdK, is an important aspect of her training. Her goal is to perform as a soloist on national and international stages and to constantly develop herself further. Thanks to the exchange offered between the individual specializations within the Specialized Performance Master's, she feels equipped to assert herself as a versatile artist in the music business. In general, these specializations and focuses in Zurich are a central factor in the development of a universal and self-responsible artistic personality that can ultimately move competently in the cultural sector. The ZHdK can also boast a variety of other subject areas (theater, dance, film, art, media and design), which offer a particularly creative environment and are further enriched thanks to collaborations with other music academies. For example, the ZHdK cooperates with the Bern University of the Arts (HKB) in the field of opera. Due to changes in the opera business, the ZHdK is responsible for training singers, while the Swiss Opera Studio at the HKB is responsible for scenic training. It was there that Madeleine Merz was given her first major role.

Other factors were decisive for the change of university. On the one hand, her lecturer, Yvonne Naef, who only teaches in Zurich (an application without a specific wish to teach was out of the question for her), and on the other hand, the desire for change after completing her Bachelor's degree at the HKB, a degree in choral conducting and church music at the Bern Church Music School and the MA Music Performance with a specialization in opera, also at the HKB. For Madeleine Merz, the main feature of the MA Specialized Music Performance in Zurich is the individuality with which she can shape her course of study and the focus on developing a comprehensive, independent artistic personality.

Daniel Weissberg - When we conceived the Music and Media Art course 15 years ago, the CD-Rom was supposed to be a flourishing future that we had to take into account in our training. At the time, even experts had no idea that the music business for computer games had been flourishing for years. Today, few people know what a CD-Rom is.

In Swiss German, the future is expressed using the present tense. Few things are overtaken by the present as quickly as visions of the future. Facing the future, in German: looking the future in the face. One of the genuine characteristics of the future is its facelessness, which makes it a projection screen for all kinds of wishes and fears - and these do not come from the future.

Perhaps conservatoires once looked the past in the face too one-sidedly for too long. However, the opposite of a mistake would also be a mistake.

Facing the Pres(id)ent

The only thing we know about the future is the present. Swiss German is right about that.

Daniel Weissberg

... has been co-directing the Music & Media Arts program in the Music Department at HKB together with Michael Harenberg for 15 years.

> www.medien-kunst.ch

Matthias von Orelli - How do the conservatoires see their future and that of the students, and how do the students themselves perceive these questions? Here are the thoughts of a student from Lugano and reflections from the conservatoires of Bern and Lausanne.

The Northern Irish conductor Darren Hargan (*1983) is currently studying for a Master of Arts in Music Performance (Ensemble conducting - contemporary repertoire) at the Scuola Universitaria di Musica/Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana in Lugano (although he already has a name as a pianist and coach). He is a young musician who is deeply concerned with the questions of the future of being a musician, responsibility and the status of educational institutions. In conversation, he emphasizes the enormous importance of music.

He sees music as a foundation of our society, which not only stimulates the mind, but also enables us to coordinate and express ourselves. After Hargan made the decision to study music, luck helped him with his own professional future. Following his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, he was offered a permanent position at Zurich Opera House, which made it easier for him to start his career. However, according to Hargan, students need to understand that a music academy, however good it may be, cannot really prepare them for day-to-day life in the music business. It is important for every musician to learn every day in order to be ready for the future. It is therefore all the more important that the various internationally renowned music academies in Switzerland each have an individual profile in order to be able to support talented musicians according to their abilities.

When asked about the future, Hargan sees a particular challenge for conservatoires in helping students to find their own voice in the increasingly fast-paced music market. For him, a conservatory can only be successful if it has the opportunity to create a link between education and the music profession and at the same time encourages students to invest as much time in business matters as in practicing their art. Hargan considers it hopeless if one is merely able to play a certain selection of pieces with above-average virtuosity without asking oneself (economic) questions about career development. He is also very concerned about another topic: children. They are our future, and the young conductor describes it as a shame that so many children will never have the opportunity to play an instrument at school or attend a concert. Although some children learn the necessary practical skills, the system often fails them by not allowing them to fully exploit their creative potential.

"Many children never got to know the great musical achievements of mankind, such as Beethoven's music, which inspired writers, scientists and politicians," emphasizes Hargan. The fact that his Ninth was played after the fall of the Berlin Wall shows that people saw it as the only correct response to one of the most important events in the history of the 20th century. "This is another reason why classical music has a right to exist, and we all have a duty," says Hargan, "to ensure that all sections of society see the value and necessity that art has for children's lives." Excluding them from this experience risks missing out on the benefits that music could have brought them. "There is no question - music must have a future. The world is changing faster and faster, and we've never had so many opportunities to connect with people all over the world." Hargan adds that there is no time to look back over one's shoulders with nostalgic wistfulness. As a child of the 21st century, we must embrace these opportunities with open arms and follow the instinctive trait of all of us: Create!

When asked about the role of students of the future, society also plays a central role from the perspective of the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne (HEMU). Students should develop an awareness of the position and role that musicians and artists play in society, with a particular emphasis on curiosity and openness towards other art forms and the intention to facilitate connections with them. Just as Darren Hargan would like to see, there is also an awareness from the university's perspective that future students must not only be able to meet the demands of a constantly evolving job market, but should also contribute to innovations that influence the music business. The understanding of a future music culture consists of being open to the world, living in the present time and at the same time being aware of the cultural heritage and recognizing the need to bring this heritage to life (without nostalgic nostalgia) and transfer it into our time.

Tomorrow's students are therefore urged, HEMU believes, to acquire the tools to develop their musical practice, to define their own professional goals in order to find a place in society and to share these values and skills as widely as possible. In conclusion, the appeal goes out to all: "Be entrepreneurs; be as at home improvising jazz standards as you are with Mozart and try to figure out how to best serve yourself at the conservatory by creating your own offerings and actively participating in the development of the curriculum within the academic requirements."

Supplement in SMZ 12/2016

Under the title Music and migration KMHS publishes with this issue of Swiss Music Newspaper its annual supplement for the first time. The aim of the publication is to shed light on the breadth and richness of Swiss music academies with regard to a selected and burning issue. It was therefore obvious to take up the topic of music and migration - not only does it currently play a major geopolitical role, but it is also a focal point in the political context of Switzerland. It therefore also affects the internationally oriented Swiss music academies: students and lecturers who leave their homeland and make their home in another country, musicians who spend a large part of their lives traveling and rarely see their home country. These are just two of the aspects covered in the supplement. We hope you enjoy reading it.

Sous le titre Music and migration, la CHEMS publie avec cette édition de la Revue Musicale Suisse son premier supplément annuel. The aim of this publication is to highlight the diversity and richness of Swiss music schools in relation to a specific theme. The theme of music and migration is presented as an example of the important role it currently plays not only at the geopolitical level, but also in the world of music: It is enough to think of the students and teachers who leave their home country to pursue their education and have to find their mark in other countries, and of the musicians who spend a large part of their lives traveling and rarely see their country of origin. Ce ne sont que deux aspects de cette thématique, que ce supplément se propose d'explorer. We wish you a pleasant reading.

The Conférence des Hautes Écoles de Musique Suisses (CHEMS) aims in particular to encourage the diversity of Swiss music schools in order to guarantee a range that is as broad and complete as possible in terms of musical styles and music education. The range of these offers is of great importance. In addition to the standard training programs, certain high schools distinguish themselves through individual offers. The wide range of bachelor's and master's degree courses and the complementary courses offered by the Zurich University of the Arts make it one of the best art schools in Europe. The two high schools in French-speaking Switzerland, located in Geneva and Lausanne, are ideally complemented by the diversity of their curricula. The Geneva school is based on the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze, founded in 1915, one of the oldest institutions in the world in the field of music and movement teaching. In Lausanne, the jazz and contemporary music departments are offered exclusively in French-speaking Switzerland. In this field, Lucerne contributes particularly to the diversity of the Swiss (or even European) landscape of music schools. In fact, Swiss folkloric music has experienced an unprecedented revival of interest over the last few decades, an enthusiasm to which Lucerne has responded with a branch of folkloric music. To illustrate the incredible range of music on offer, we will focus on Bâle and the interpretation of old-time music. Bâle is an international center of musical knowledge, where the music of the past is performed, studied and researched. The Haute école de musique de Berne acts as a bridge between Swiss and French-speaking Switzerland and focuses in particular on the teaching of music. The diversity of the Haute école de musique tessinoise is supported by the cadre italophone in which the school occupies a place of choice in the field of instrumental and vocal pedagogy, in particular with a double master's degree in collaboration with the Haute école pédagogique de Locarno.

Matthias von Orelli - In addition to the general training programs, which are similar at all schools, the individual universities distinguish themselves with individual offerings. Students encounter this diversity at each university on a daily basis, for example in the extensive range of cultural activities on offer, some of which are rooted in the history of the individual institutes. The Zurich University of the Arts was formed from the merger of the University of Art and Design and the University of Music and Performing Arts and has been housed in the creative environment of the Toni-Areal since September 2014. With an enormous range of Bachelor's and Master's degree programs and continuing education courses in a wide variety of art fields, as well as research, artistic research and design research, it is one of the leading art academies in Europe. This diversity makes it possible to provide interdisciplinary answers to complex questions of our time, based on strong disciplinary competencies. Zurich attaches great importance to national and international cooperation (for example with the university and ETH), which opens up networks for students' future careers.

With Geneva and Lausanne, French-speaking Switzerland has two music academies that ideally complement each other in their diversity thanks to their focus. With its conservatory, Geneva has the oldest music education institution in Switzerland and can look back on a correspondingly long tradition. With the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze, which was founded in 1915, it is also home to one of the oldest institutions in the field of music and movement training. In addition, Lausanne is home to the joint Institut romand de pédagogie musicale (IRPM) of the two music academies, which focuses on education, music education research and the teaching of music, complemented by the professional training of music teachers and music lecturers. The diversity is also enriched by numerous collaborations with regional partners, as exemplified by the universities in Geneva and Lausanne. Another aspect in Geneva is the Master's degree course in ethnomusicology, which was offered for the first time in the 2016/2017 academic year (in collaboration with the universities of Geneva and Neuchâtel). The joint collaboration between the two universities of music in French-speaking Switzerland at the Institut de recherche en musique et arts de la scène (IRMAS) represents a further enrichment.

Based in Geneva and founded in 2005, the Center for Electroacoustic Music (CME) is - alongside the equally renowned Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology in Zurich - a center of excellence in the field of composition, electroacoustics and musical informatics. This center addresses the issues of dissemination and transmission of electronic music and the divergences between technical innovations and traditional composition. The center's work has gained significance through international cooperation with institutes such as IRCAM in Paris and the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in Montréal. Historically, classical music has been taught at the Lausanne School of Music for over 150 years. The range of courses on offer is complemented by the jazz and contemporary music departments (which are spread over four locations) in particular. The Lausanne School of Music also works very closely with non-professional courses at the Conservatoire de Lausanne, which is particularly advantageous for students.

In the field of contemporary music, the Lucerne School of Music also offers pioneering courses in interpretation, improvisation and composition with Contemporary Music Studies. These are aimed at instrumentalists who wish to pursue an artistic-interpretative career in contemporary music. For example, graduates are offered the opportunity to participate in the HELIX ensemble, the OFF program of the Donaueschinger Musiktage or to help shape the annual Wege der Wahrnehmung festival and the New Music Days festival.

In Ticino, too, there is a focus on performance, where great emphasis is placed on new music, which manifests itself, for example, in the fact that conducting training focuses on ensemble conducting in the field of contemporary music or a vocal class specializing in new music. This significance is also enhanced by the fact that the Scuola Universitaria di Musica is also a leader in music production in this area.

In Lucerne, the Lucerne Conservatory, the Lucerne Academy of School and Church Music and the Lucerne Jazz School came together in 1999 to form the Lucerne School of Music, which in turn is part of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Central Switzerland. In one area in particular, Lucerne contributes to the diversity of the Swiss music academy landscape. Due to the fact that Swiss folk music has experienced an unprecedented upswing in recent decades and traditional music is appealing to more and more musicians and listeners, the Lucerne School of Music (within the Bachelor of Arts in Music program) offers a folk music major. In addition to lessons on the main instrument, the program includes numerous ensemble courses in which a wide-ranging repertoire is developed. The focus is on the university's own folk music ensemble Alpini Vernähmlassig, which has since become a much sought-after ensemble. What further emphasizes the aspect of diversity is the extension of the study experience to other areas, which is why folk music students always have to take classical music or jazz as well. With this broad spectrum, the next generation of folk music students can be offered an ideal training platform with great potential.

The diversity of the aforementioned Ticino School of Music is certainly helped by its proximity to the Italian-speaking environment, for which the school occupies a special position in the field of instrumental and vocal pedagogy. Also new is a double master's degree offered under the umbrella of the Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana together with the University of Teacher Education in Locarno, which covers everything from music and movement to music teaching at elementary school and school music I.

The Basel music academies on the Musik-Akademie campus, which have been part of the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland since 2008, deserve special attention. Although the Hochschule für Musik, founded in 1907, and the Schola cantorum Basiliensis, founded by Paul Sacher in 1933, have different focuses, they are driven by a similar spirit of innovation, which is also a special feature of the city in other artistic genres. Central to this is the continuous dialog between practice and research. This is demonstrated by the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, which has provided decisive impetus for historical performance practice from the very beginning and has become a center of knowledge with international appeal. A similar pioneering spirit gave rise very early on to courses of study at the Hochschule für Musik with a focus on new music, where interpretation, free improvisation and composition are taught and reflected upon. In the electronic studio, which played an important role in this, numerous impulses were given and important experience was gained, which later flowed into the completely newly conceived Jazz Master in Producing and Performance, for example. Another Basel specialty is the focus on chamber music, which finds expression in the regular courses of study and in the graduate course for string quartets (Walter Levin Chair).

The Department of Music at Bern University of the Arts creates a bridge between German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland with its locations in Bern and Biel, which is reflected in the wide range of courses on offer, but also thanks to lecturers from both cultural regions. A central focus is on transdisciplinarity and music education, which run through all content, as does the lively research activity, such as the study of historical wind instruments. In cooperation with the University of Bern, the Bern University of Music offers the opportunity to study for a doctorate in the jointly run Graduate School of the Arts. It also runs the Swiss Opera Studio and has a specialty in music and media art as well as the Théâtre musical specialization, a course for musicians who see themselves as both composers and performers.