With Yvonne Naef's passing, we have lost an extraordinary artist and educator whose work had a lasting impact on many people.

Yvonne Naef spent a large part of her life on stage. An internationally active mezzo-soprano, she sang at major opera houses and festivals, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, La Scala in Milan, the Zurich Opera House, the Opéra Bastille, and the Bayreuth Festival. On stage, her artistic presence unfolded with distinctive authority and clarity. Roles such as Fricka (Die Walküre), Brangäne (Tristan und Isolde), Didon (Les Troyens), and Eboli (Don Carlos) were never mere demonstrations of skill for her, but came to life through her exceptional musicality and creative power. However, her influence extended far beyond the stage and was equally evident in her artistic thinking, her pedagogical work, and her human impact.

Music itself was always at the heart of her musical understanding. For her, singing was not merely an interpretative act, but a conscious engagement with the work, the text, and the moment. She possessed a high level of technical mastery, but never saw this as something that should take center stage. What was crucial for her was the attitude of opening up space for the music and allowing it to take effect. This gave rise to the depth and presence that many found unmistakable.

Yvonne Naef was a figure of authority. Her presence was clear, impressive, and remarkably intense. She didn't need to assert anything or add anything. Her relationship with art was characterized by humility, not in the sense of self-effacement, but as a serious relationship with something greater than oneself.

This attitude also shaped her teaching. Yvonne Naef worked with the whole person, always showing warm affection that was both demanding and supportive, and in which her subtle humor also had its place. For her, sound, language, body, and posture formed an inseparable unity. She knew how to guide the body in such a way that the voice becomes free, and how technique can become a reliable foundation that makes dedication possible in the first place. Her teaching was not aimed at effects, but at authenticity and empowerment.

As a teacher, she set high standards, driven by her respect for art and for the people who entrusted themselves to her. She had a keen eye for development and accompanied many young singers through crucial phases of their artistic and personal development.

Yvonne Naef leaves her mark on voices and lives, and she has inspired many to develop a deep understanding of what it means to devote oneself to music with dedication and sincerity. For many, she became a guiding figure who enabled development and fostered confidence in their own path.

We will miss her as an artist, as a teacher, and as an extraordinary person. We are grateful for everything she has given us.

The SMPV mourns the loss of Yvonne Naef, who was a loyal member of the association for many years and who herself once obtained her teaching diploma from the SMPV.

On March 29, the delegates decided to withdraw the SMPV from the trade union federation because the SGB contributions were simply too much of a burden on the budget. Some delegates complained that they saw no concrete benefit in membership. However, the delegates also gave the Central Board a mandate to negotiate better conditions with the SGB.
The result of these negotiations was presented at the DM on November 8:

The SMPV can switch to associate status. In concrete terms, this means that membership fees will be reduced by around 50%, but the association representative will lose her voting rights at SGB Board meetings.

During the negotiations, however, the Central Committee focused not only on the price but also on the question of what concrete benefits the SMPV would derive from continued membership of the SGB. Together with the SGB, he drew up a work program for the coming years: "Of course, the union's work must primarily be carried out by the SMPV and especially by the Central Board itself. It must identify and analyze the most pressing problems and gather the necessary material. However, the SGB must support it with advice on which approach is most promising in which case. It must inform them when the time is ideal for an initiative on this or that issue and which are the best contact points for this. And they must provide them with direct contacts to politicians who make decisions on this issue.

What points does the work program contain?

The main aim is to enhance the status of the profession of music teacher. The Central Committee therefore believes it is very important that title protection is achieved for this profession. Particularly because a large number of music school teachers will be retiring in the next few years, it is essential that the profession is regulated and that poorly trained teachers or teachers with only artistic but no pedagogical training do not take over these positions. This should prevent the quality of teaching at music schools from declining. However, it is also a measure against lower wages. Poorly trained teachers earn less and the cantons, municipalities and sponsoring associations could get used to this.

In this sense, it is also important that there are more Master of Arts training places in music education for those instruments in which there is an impending or already existing shortage of specialists. At the same time, there must be new, meaningful training courses for musicians with purely artistic training, enabling them to obtain a comprehensive post-qualification for music education work without having to study their main instrument again in a normal Master's degree course in pedagogy, in which they have long been qualified. The KMHS and the VMS are already looking for concrete solutions here, but the support of the SMPV and the political support of the SGB certainly can't hurt either.

For the SMPV and all other associations representing cultural professionals who teach music, dance, drama or visual arts, it is important for two reasons that they are recognized throughout Switzerland as "organizations of professional cultural professionals". Firstly, this would allow them to have a say in the future, for example when a new cultural message is negotiated, and secondly, they should be taken into account when awarding KUOR funding. The second point in particular is the reason why we are always told "You are education, not culture". This is where we need the SGB to establish contacts in politics.

These are the three major tasks that are difficult to solve and take time.

The program also includes smaller but equally important tasks such as guaranteeing that private music schools of all kinds also pay social security contributions and that there is no bogus self-employment. The problem of chain employment contracts must be tackled, i.e. universities should not permanently employ lecturers who have been teaching the same courses for years with a workload of less than 10%. Furthermore, the entry threshold for self-employed people to join the Music and Education Pension Fund is to be lowered. And music teaching is to become a focus sector in order to be able to take action against wage dumping in peripheral regions with many cross-border commuters.

We have not forgotten the important problem of the creeping reduction in staffing levels at music schools, which we will only be able to tackle in a meaningful way when the next revision of the Unemployment Insurance Act is due.

"That would be a paradise for music teachers in Switzerland!" said Wolfgang Pailer, who campaigned against the SMPV remaining part of the SGB because he doubts that the SMPV really receives this support from the SGB.

The Board of Directors undertakes to tackle the aforementioned tasks vigorously and to hold the SGB accountable for providing it with the negotiated support.
And he calls on you, dear qualified music teachers in Switzerland, who unfortunately do not yet belong to the association, to join the SMPV, because every time you join, the weight of the SMPV's initiatives on behalf of employed and self-employed music teachers in Switzerland increases, so that one day "paradisiacal conditions" really will prevail.

Around seventy very different texts were received in response to this survey in the short period of just ten days. This wonderful wealth of responses shows just how much music education knowledge and expertise comes together in our association, and how many individual priorities the individual members set.
The SMPV members agree that the teacher must have a good command of their instrument, that they should also perform themselves as often as possible and that they must know subtle stylistic differences. They are expected to enjoy teaching. More than half of the responses state that music lessons should be fun.

The members disagree as to whether the responsibility for good music lessons lies solely with the teacher, or how much the pupils have to contribute, how important good framework conditions provided by the music school are, and whether the attitude and cooperation of the parents also have a significant influence on the quality of the lessons for children and young people.

The qualities that individual teachers consider particularly important depend heavily on their own situation, whether they teach school-age children at a music school or whether their class consists almost exclusively of adults, or whether their focus is on early music education. Those who only know individual lessons have a different focus than those who give group lessons and teach chamber music. The instrument someone teaches also influences the focus they set; a pianist finds a good, well-tuned instrument particularly important, while good acoustics in the classroom are more important to a singer.

I will now try to puzzle together the many points of view into a recipe for the ideal music lesson, whereby it should not go unmentioned that a good music teacher constantly rethinks and sometimes changes their point of view.

If I quote colleagues, their names are in brackets.

Recipe for good music lessons

Part 1 The music teacher

For good music lessons, you need a music teacher who is well trained on their instrument and who is passionate about music, their instrument and teaching.
She is very technically proficient on her instrument and is able to teach this technique to a wide variety of students in a way that is individually tailored to them. She has a "magic box" from which she can always pull out tricks on how to solve supposedly very difficult technical problems with ease. Thanks to her analytical ear and alert eyes, she recognizes technical problems right from the start and then builds bridges over the dangerous spots together with the students. She is stylistically confident and is good at conveying stylistic subtleties, allowing students to experience for themselves which accents, dynamics and agogics are best for getting into the flow in a particular style. "Music lessons that open the ears to different musical styles enable musicians to discover their preferences. It is important to offer as wide a range of music as possible in music lessons." (Susanna Fröhlich-Baumann)
The music teacher is empathetic, benevolent, patient and humorous and treats the pupils as equals, always giving them the feeling that she respects and appreciates them, and that when she criticizes something, she always means the thing and not the person. It is important to her "that her students feel comfortable in class. That's why she addresses tensions and then advises them to change teachers or instruments." (Elisabeth Buess) "She packs everything into small and tiny steps so that there is a sense of achievement for the pupils." (Agathe Jerie) "She helps the students to overcome blockages that prevent them from expressing the music they feel deep inside." (Irene Abrigo) She guides the students to repeatedly detach themselves from the musical text and improvise, and she teaches them to listen carefully. She prepares her lessons carefully, but is able to deviate from the concept if the situation requires it. Her lessons are individually adapted to each pupil and she makes sure "that the pupils do not copy her, but that they find their own personal way of playing." (Barbara Wappmann)

She moves confidently between under- and overstraining the students and consistently pays attention to breathing, posture and relaxation and teaches techniques to improve these. She remains curious and arouses the students' curiosity about the music. She communicates her expectations of the students transparently, showing them what she expects of them and giving them confidence. "Together with the pupils, she regularly discusses what they have already achieved, what they want to work on next and what the next goal could be." (André Lottaz) She also gives them clear, realistic tasks to practise. In the case of children, she also involves their parents where possible. She encourages her pupils to make music with others and also shows them that auditioning is not a test where you have to get everything right, but that it is an opportunity to share your music with others and that it is fun.

End of the first part of the recipe for good music lessons. To be continued!

The SMPV as a professional association of music teachers, is the association of employees and the self-employed, while the VMS represents the cantonal associations and their music schools, i.e. the employers. Both associations are committed to high quality music education in Switzerland, both know that this quality comes at a cost and are therefore politically committed to providing sufficient financial resources for music education at all levels.
I talk to Philippe Krüttli, President of the VMS, about the relationship between our two associations, how our cooperation has developed and where he still sees room for improvement in this collaboration:

Dear Philippe, congratulations on your anniversary and thank you for taking the time to talk to us during this hectic anniversary period! How do you see the relationship between our two associations?
Philippe Krüttli: We mostly pursue the same goals with regard to good framework conditions for music teaching, which are enshrined in the music school laws, cultural ordinances and their amendments. Both associations are fighting against wage dumping in the field of music education; however, we have to admit that the wage structure still varies greatly from canton to canton. And we are campaigning for better recognition of our profession at all levels of society.
Of course, some of your members also compete with our music schools with their private lessons. However, if these activities are regulated and monitored, this is not all negative. Competition stimulates business.

It's true, our private tuition platform, my-music-lessons.chworks quite well, but it's mainly adults who are looking for lessons there. Apart from in the canton of Schaffhausen, we can't offer subsidized lessons. And I think private lessons are interesting if you want lessons with a specific teacher or if, for example, you don't want to plan your vacation around the school vacations. Private lessons allow more flexibility.
That's exactly what I mean: your offer (as well as the entire social development, by the way) is forcing music schools to rethink their offer and become more flexible. Today, music schools also offer flexible subscriptions, chamber music courses for adults, other forms of ensemble playing and the like. And at least, unlike other platform operators, you have the same quality standards as we do: your teachers are trained as music teachers, and with the SMPV tariffs you are also setting an example against wage dumping.

Where is our collaboration already working well?
For example, we are both founding members of the Pension fund Music and education and we accompany the programs in partnership Youth and music and Young talents in music. For example, we met SMPV member Markus Hochuli on an expert commission commissioned by the federal government to develop assessment criteria for talented students, and I also remember that SMPV Co-President Annette Dannecker was involved in the development of the VMS professional profile "inspire - accompany - empower". We also work closely together when it comes to maintaining the Schweizer Musikzeitung.

In which areas do we have differences of opinion in view of our tasks as an employers' and employees' association?
I don't see any major differences of opinion. You play your trade union role and we make sure that the interests of our music schools and their employees are safeguarded within our contractual limits. I don't think that as President of the SMPV Bern you have often had to intervene in serious conflicts in our music schools, have you?

Just recently, but you're right, there are usually only individual problems from individual members with their music school management, which can usually be easily resolved.
What do you think about the CLA? Negotiating a CLA is a lot of work, but it would create a greater understanding between school management and teaching staff of each other's position and solve problems such as the lack of an ombudsman's office.
This is discussed time and again. The canton of Vaud has negotiated a CLA with the music school teaching staff over the course of two years. But in cantons where the music school laws are well thought out and the staff regulations of the music schools precisely define the rights of their employees, a CLA is not necessarily an option.

I know that the shortage of specialists at music schools is an issue at the VMS, which also worries us. How can we counteract this?
The various surveys we have conducted and the feedback we have received from numerous music schools show a worrying situation, especially for subjects such as piano or guitar. We are in contact with the KMHS to find solutions: Further training as a supplement to basic training, the question of how people without a Master's degree in pedagogy can acquire specific qualifications or working on internship modules that facilitate the transition from studying to working are our next starting points to improve the situation.

Philippe Krüttli, President of the VMS ©️VMS

On 7 September at 5 p.m., almost thirty listeners await the concert organized by the SMPV Schaffhausen in the magnificent Louis XVI-style guild hall of the Sorell Hotel Rüden in Schaffhausen full of excitement and anticipation. Perhaps it is the fact that it is possibly the last beautiful, warm weekend of the year, perhaps it is also the fact that the two young singers, Albina Asadullina, soprano, and Elena Dietrich, mezzo-soprano, are still unknown in Schaffhausen, but both the musicians and the audience are so committed that the initial brief disappointment at the small audience disappears almost immediately.

The president of the Schaffhausen chapter of the SMPV begins by briefly informing the audience that the two singers have won a special prize at this year's Elvirissima singing competition and why the concert in honor of singing teacher Elvira Lüthi-Wegmann, which otherwise takes place annually in the monastery church of St. Katharinental near Diessenhofen, is being held this year in the Zunftsaal of the Zunft zum Rüden, but then the musical delicacies begin quickly. The singers show off their skills with Johann Strauss' Fledermaus, brilliantly and sensitively accompanied on the piano by Maja Wüthrich. Works by Schubert, Mendelssohn, Massenet, Bellini, Vaughn Williams and many others follow - sometimes one sings, sometimes the other, sometimes the two very different voices merge in wonderful harmony to form a duet, for example in the famous "Flower Duet" from the opera "Lakmé" by Léo Delibes or in the witty little piece "The Art of Kissing" by Andreas Hammerschmidt. Their flexible voices effortlessly combine high and low notes, captivating pianos are followed in the next moment by hall-filling fortos, and the two dance across the stage, changing from role to role with wit and grace.

One of the highlights of the Siberian-born Tatar Albina Asadullina's performance is the Tatar folk song "To the Mother". The intimacy of the a cappella piece, the lightness of Asadullina's voice in all registers and the tremendous power of her expression leave the audience so spellbound that they could have heard a pin drop. The Swiss mezzo-soprano, Elena Dietrich, also has these moments: In "Tell me the Truth about Love" by Britten or Schönberg's "Der genügsame Liebhaber", the 26-year-old former ETH chemistry student shows what great acting talent she has and that she is able to maneuver her voice effortlessly from Sprechgesang through soft lyrical passages to the highest heights. The third member of the group, pianist and accompanist Maja Wüthrich from the wine-growing village of Wilchingen in Schaffhausen, should by no means go unmentioned. On this evening, she does what makes an excellent accompanist at the piano: she often disappears into the background, shines in the introductions, interludes and final passages, supports the singers, goes along and lives with them, and shows her pianistic skills even in the most challenging passages.

The audience thanked the three musicians with thunderous and long-lasting applause. After two wonderfully witty and virtuoso encores, the concert evening comes to an end. A musical delight that lingers on for a long time and makes you want more.

Martha Gmünder was born on July 4, 1937 in Teufen AR. After a happy childhood in Teufen and Sankt Gallen, she completed her training as a primary school teacher in Rorschach in 1957.
Her desire to study music then led her to the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, where she graduated as a harpsichordist in 1966. It was natural for her to join the corresponding professional association, the SMPV, in the same year and remain an active member until 2016, i.e. for 50 years.
She taught harpsichord and basso continuo at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and at the Zurich Conservatory. She was also a passionate and sought-after chamber musician.

Martha always saw herself as a political woman. The fight for social justice and equal rights shaped her thoughts and actions. As a representative of the teaching staff, she regularly campaigned for improvements to working conditions at the Zurich Conservatory. In Pfäffikon ZH, she was the only SP member of the school council to campaign for high-quality, professional music teaching. For many years, she worked for the SMPV on offering attractive further education courses. She was also a delegate of the Zurich section at the SMPV delegates' meetings.
After her retirement, Martha took over the presidency of the Zurich section of this association from 1999 to 2004.

It was a time of great upheaval in the university landscape, especially for conservatories, which were forming new universities together with other art disciplines. When a suggestion from the MUV/VPOD led to the opportunity to conclude the first collective labor agreement (CLA) at a Swiss music school at the Zurich Conservatory, she did not hesitate for a moment. Together with Sybille Schuppli from MuV/VPOD, she concluded this groundbreaking agreement in 2002. A model employment contract and the accompanying salary regulations for music schools also caused quite a stir in the canton of Zurich. Since then, workload guarantees for music teachers have been introduced at many music schools.

Anyone who witnessed Martha's detailed thinking can perhaps imagine how helpless it made her to lose her memory more and more in recent years. She died on August 7, 2025 after suffering a stroke. May her warmth, her commitment, her sense of justice, but also her pioneering work for better working conditions in the field of music education remain in our memories.

Bethli Maurer

When Elvira Lüthi-Wegmann made a generous bequest to the SMPV so that it could set up a foundation to support young singers in Switzerland, she had no idea that a Bologna reform would put an end to SMPV professional studies. She decreed that prizes could only be awarded to students of SMPV teachers. Today, we are at least allowed to admit singers who are already SMPV members themselves. However, this often excludes students on performance courses because fewer and fewer university professors are joining the SMPV, which means they unfortunately cannot send their students to the competition and because you have to have a Master's degree in education to join the SMPV and only students on the Master's degree course in education can be accepted as student members.
Perhaps it is due to this smaller group of people being able to take part in the competition at all that the two juries felt that the standard of the competition was clearly lower than in previous editions. As a result, no first prize was even awarded! However, it may also be due to the fact that, by chance, no outstanding talent such as the great Chelsea Zurflüh (winner 2021) or the highly talented Evan Gray (winner 2023) entered.
A special feature of the 2025 competition was that there were two juries, because the SMPV Schaffhausen section donated a special prize in the form of a concert and Thomas Weiss, President of the SMPV Schaffhausen, together with the pianist, Jean-Charles Reber, and the singer, Daniela David, traveled to Schaffhausen as the second jury.

The main jury, chaired by myself, consisted of the Foundation Board members Dr. Lena-Lisa Wüstendörfer and Dr. Bernhard Hunziker, the Opera Director of the Lucerne Theatre, Dr. Ursula Benzing, and the Deputy Director of the Zurich International Opera Studio, Thomas Barthel.
It is pleasing, but also surprising, that the assessments of both juries largely coincided.
I talk to Thomas Weiss (Thomas) and Thomas Barthel (Tom) about Elvirissima 2025:

Dear Thomas, dear Tom, what are your impressions of Elvirissima 2025?

Tom Barthel: Unfortunately, I wasn't there in 2023, but I can clearly say that the technical level in 2025 was significantly lower than in 2021. Many struggled with intonation problems, the basis of the technique was missing, and the breath control didn't work.

So you felt the same way? I was very disappointed this time. For nine out of seventeen candidates, one of the things I wrote on my evaluation forms was "Intonation is not optional!"

Thomas Weiss: I also found that the technical basics were lacking. However, almost everyone was very committed as actors and covered up the technical deficiencies with show effects - but very charmingly. As a non-participant in the audience, if I hadn't been listening so closely, I would have found many things "quite nice".
Thomas BarthelYes, it was generally a weak vintage. I wonder if this is due to the coronavirus pandemic. These singers started their studies five years ago or were in their first semesters. Maybe that's why they lack the stability of a serious basic education.
Thomas Weiss: I noticed an excessive nervousness and tenseness in many of them, which manifested itself, for example, in auxiliary postures with the hands. And somehow the joy of singing was missing.

Exactly, that's almost what bothered me the most. I asked some candidates during the feedback: "Do you actually like singing?"

Thomas Barthel: The development is wrong. We are reaching an impasse in which showmanship is more important than technical basics, naturalness and artistic spontaneity. This requires clear guidance from the lecturers to lead them out of this impasse!

Tom, you hear a lot of singers from all nations at the auditions for the IOS (International Opera Studio, Zurich Opera House; editor's note). Do you notice this problem mainly among young Swiss singers, or is it an international problem?

Tom Barthel: Unfortunately an international one.

What advice would you give to young singers and their trainers?

Tom Barthel: You need to work on the basics better. We need secure intonation, clear vowels and a clean vocal balance. And then I wish them more patience! Today, everyone wants to be successful and firmly committed by the age of 22 to 24, even if they don't have the basics. This is a very unhealthy development.

What do you think about the choice of program and subject? In the feedback round, I asked some of them about the fact that it is unwise to offer arias from different subjects for a competition, and I noticed that they have an astonishingly poor knowledge of literature and know little about vocal subjects.

Tom Barthel: At a competition or when auditioning for an agency or a house, you present yourself clearly with one subject, even if you are trying out different subjects in your development and training. The decisive factor here is not whether you can manage an aria, but whether your voice comes across the orchestra at the loudest part of the part to which this aria belongs.

Now we have criticized a lot, but it wasn't all bad; we found five winners, and although the qualitative differences between the singers were smaller than in other years, both juries came to very similar decisions independently of each other. Thomas, how did you choose?

Thomas Weiss: It was clear to us that we wanted two different vocal ranges for the concert, otherwise we might have chosen the two mezzi who won second prize in the main competition. Then, of course, expression was very important to us. And the two voices had to go well together.
Tom Barthel: What is there is the basic vocal material and the volume, even if this is often generated by pressure. And the genuine musical expression also determined who we awarded the prizes to, didn't it?

Exactly, musicality and expression were decisive. Thank you for this interview!

And that is our wish for the potential candidates of Elvirissima 2027: work on the technical basics, find out about vocal subjects, listen to lots of fellow professionals, get to know wonderful music and be inspired without copying it. After all, the technical basics are only the means to an end of conveying the musical expression in order to be able to touch the audience (and sometimes a jury) with it.

From left to right: Elena Dietrich, Ambra Biaggi, Aline Brechbühl, Albina Asadullina and Valérie Fleur Ryser
© klangworker.ch   

Winners Elvirissima 2025

Even if the jury was not entirely happy with the standard of Elvirissima 2025 and we did not award a first prize, this should in no way diminish the success of our five winners. They truly deserved the prizes we awarded them:
Ambra Biaggi (mezzo-soprano, 2nd prize ex aequo) impressed the jury with her presence, expressiveness and stylistic confidence, while the jury praised her mezzo-soprano colleague, Elena Dietrich (2nd prize ex aequo), for her energy, courage to achieve great dynamic differentiation and great expressive will. Aline Brechbühl, soprano (3rd prize), impressed the jury with her beautiful, warm timbre, expressiveness and radiant high notes. Valérie Fleur Ryser (soprano, 4th prize ex aequo) scored with her interpretation of Gounod's Juliette aria "Je veux vivre" and with her fervent singing and Albina Asadullina (soprano, 4th prize ex aequo) with her sweet sound and heartfelt expression.
The special prize of the Schaffhausen section in the form of a duo recital in Schaffhausen went to Elena Dietrich and Albina Asadullina.

Congratulations!

Article 18² of the Canton of Graubünden's Culture Promotion Act (KFG) states that "The minimum annual salary and the number of teaching units for a full-time position are based on the requirements for primary school teachers in accordance with the Education Act." In fact, however, the fixed lesson length for primary school teachers is 45 minutes, while that of music teachers is 60 minutes, as stipulated in the 2018 Cultural Promotion Ordinance in disregard of the KFG. Music teachers in Graubünden therefore effectively earn a quarter less than their colleagues at elementary school, even though the KFG stipulates equal pay.

Dear Aita, you have submitted a request (elsewhere this is called a "motion") to the Graubünden government to remedy this grievance. How was it originally justified during the discussion on the Culture Act Ordinance that music teachers have to work longer hours for the same salary?

Aita Biert: The council members were of the opinion that music lessons do not require any preparation or follow-up and that the responsibility for music lessons, which are often individual lessons, is much less than for classroom lessons.

We both know that this is not true. Why aren't the music school teachers fighting back?

A.B.: Music teachers generally have too little self-confidence. Somewhere, the fact that they were allowed to turn their hobby into a profession still haunts their minds and they say they are "just music teachers".
They are specialists who have completed at least a Master's degree. They therefore have a higher qualification than primary school teachers. But they are afraid of losing their job if they fight back, fearing that pupils will take fewer lessons if they become more expensive and that only the children of the well-off will be able to attend music lessons. In addition, there are many cross-border commuters working in the canton of Graubünden who do not consider the wages to be too low.

You then withdrew your mandate and supported the government's counter-proposal. Why did you do that and what did it look like?

A.B.: The government has recognized the problem. From 2026, the handling of contributions for singing and music schools will be taken over by the Office for Culture, Department for Cultural Promotion. The government saw this change of responsibility as an opportunity to fundamentally review the teaching structure and the cost implications and then work out a fair proposal with the Association of Singing and Music Schools of the Grisons (VSMG) and other stakeholders, which the Grand Council could then have voted on again. That seemed very sensible to me. The ordinance also states that the canton subsidizes a maximum of 14 teaching units per music student per year. An immediate adjustment would have caused massive problems, because suddenly only 10.5 lessons per year would have been subsidized by the canton instead of 14. But I really hoped that the government's proposal could find a majority in the council.

The Council narrowly rejected the proposal by 56 votes to 48. How did this disappointing decision come about?

A.B.: The opponents turned it around so that we wanted to achieve a pay rise of 25% for music teachers, which they could understand, as they would also like more pay. They didn't understand at all that this was not about a pay rise but about the equal treatment of music teachers with primary school teachers, which is laid down in the KFG, i.e. it was actually purely about implementing the law that they themselves had passed. I was very disappointed!

What happens now?

A.B.: The government proposal put forward by J.D. Parolini would have been expedient. As this has now been rejected, the government should actually adapt the Culture Ordinance to the Culture Act on its own initiative, as it should have done from the outset. We will see whether it does so. Otherwise, we really must consider whether it would not make sense to take legal action, because the law is clearly being flouted. The kindergarten teachers in the canton of Graubünden succeeded in winning their primary school teachers' wages through a lawsuit, which was upheld. For the time being, the SMPV OstSüdost-Schweiz and the Verband Sing- und Musikschulen Graubünden must clarify legally whether such a lawsuit could have a chance of success. And we must sensitize music teachers in the canton to the problem and motivate them to join the SMPV, their professional association, so that we are an ever larger group that can work together for justice and equal treatment.

This is also where my new favorite topic fits in: "Music teacher, music educator" should also become a protected profession in the canton of Graubünden - as it already is in the cantons of Vaud and Lucerne.

A.B.: This would certainly go a long way towards improving the recognition of our profession, but there is still a long way to go. I hope that we can solve the problem of unequal pay before then!

Aita Biert, member of the SP Grand Council of the Canton of Graubünden and member of the SMPV Central Committee

John Michet (former student) On Monday, June 30, 2025, an extraordinary artist suddenly flew up to the stars to make them dance with his music, to make them vibrate with the profundity of his performance, to make them blush with the charm of his interpretation and to make them shine with the radiance of his soul. Gilles Landini was a pianist with a differentiated playing style, always in search of a true interpretation and a sensitive teacher who was never stingy in sharing his culture and knowledge. He leaves us wonderful musical recordings (available on YouTube and elsewhere) and a pianistic and pedagogical legacy through his students.
He was never, as he himself said, a "pianist factory", but rather a "gardener for musicians" who gave them what they needed to develop. His ability to understand people, to listen and his empathy allowed him to get everything out of his students that they could express. The aim was never just to know the score, but to interpret it and enter into a discourse with the composer. Thanks to his historical knowledge, he loved to place the works in the context of their time of origin; geographically, geopolitically and biographically in relation to the composer. He not only wanted to convey culture, but also always wanted to ensure that a work was performed authentically.
He didn't like standardization, he wanted diversity, honesty and personality.
He wanted music to go everywhere and be accessible to everyone.
He loved everything that was true and whole, just as he himself was.

Alexis Domjan (former student) We all know what a wonderful musician Gilles was. He was an artist with heart and soul. Pianist, teacher, director, poet with his fingers and his pen. Throughout his life, he loved music and passed it on to his friends, his students and his audience.
Gilles discovered the piano at the age of 9 in lessons with Susanna Sierro-Rigoli. He later began studying at the Conservatoire de Genève, where he passed his first professional exams with flying colors.
In 1987, she received the prestigious Gabrielle Agostini Scholarship.
He continued his training with Edith Fischer - Claudio Arrau's artistic heir. Gilles writes: "With my wonderful Edith, I find a whole world of musical and pianistic reflection." It was with her that he obtained the diplôme de virtuosité in 1991: premier prix avec mention très bien et félicitations du jury.
In 1990, he joined the Neuchâtel Conservatory of Music, which he remained loyal to until his death. As part of the SMPV, he passionately trained young professional musicians. Time and again, he organized "joint courses" with his piano class. Wonderful moments of work, exchange, music and shared laughter...
Gilles performed in all the major cities in Switzerland, but also in France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria - and even in the prisons of Bellechasse and Bochuz. He wanted the music to go everywhere ...
He gave hundreds of recitals: piano solo, chamber music or orchestral concerts. With the support of his partner Daniel, he regularly played in Alsace under the banner "Musicademeure", and he never hesitated to give a spontaneous concert - as in July 2024 in Bigton on the Shetland Islands. A faithful participant in the Fête de la Musique in Geneva, driving the piano classes in Neuchâtel, a regular at Espace 2's Schubertiades and Edith Fischer's Blonay Festival, he shared music wherever he could...
From 1996 to 2001, he presented a weekly popular science column on the "Zig Zag Café" program on French-speaking Swiss television. On the Geneva radio station Radio-Cité, his "17 heures" made classical music shine. In 2004, the broadcaster Mezzo chose him as the central theme for the documentary "Helvetica , voyage musical en Suisse romande". He was a regular guest on the Disque en Lice program on the radio station La Première.
Gilles was also responsible for several opera productions: Le Château de Barbe-Bleue by Bartók in 2001, La Voix humaine by Poulenc based on a text by Jean Cocteau in 2003, in which he himself played the piano part, and Ginevra degli Almieri, a creation by Raffaello Diabrini-Palazzi, in 2004.
Gilles recorded two CDs: the first in 1992, dedicated to Schubert, D'Alessandro and Rachmaninov, and a tribute to Chopin in 1999, recorded at the salle de musique in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Both received praise for their immense artistic quality.
In 2007, Gilles was artistic director of the Grieg Festival, which was organized by the Neuchâtel Conservatoire to mark the centenary of the composer's death. He performed there and was responsible for the staging of Peer Gynt.
In 2010, he was chairman of the association that was to organize the Chopin-Schumann-Reinecke Festival. In February 2025, he initiated a wonderful musical evening on Espace2 to celebrate Edith Fischer's 90th birthday.
Gilles loved to pass on his knowledge and skills. He gave courses in music history for amateur musicians in Neuchâtel and Geneva, at the conservatory, but also at the senior university. He said that musicians had to come down from their ivory towers. That's why he explained the historical background of the work and the composer before he sat down at the piano: that was always an enrichment.
Gilles' repertoire was very extensive. He wrote: "Everything I play is my favorite". He continued: "In my way of living music, interpretation is the means to present these wonderful composers as living friends." Of course there is Mozart: "Deeply human at heart, with light and shadow", he wrote. He also loved the sophistication of Chopin and Grieg. And of course he did not forget all the great composers, most of whom he interpreted: Schubert, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, Rachmaninov, Bach, Bartók, Haydn, Franck, Debussy, Fauré, Dvorák, Ravel, Vierne, Sibelius, Mussorgsky,Gilles also loved to write, he wrote over thirty poems.
With the deep humanity that he radiated, Gilles lives on in us. His credo is not only that of a musician, but also that of the generous and committed person that he was: "Music is for everyone and must reach everywhere".

Monique Buunk Droz (former SMPV examination manager in French-speaking Switzerland) A humanistically educated, radiant, generous artist with a versatile culture and refinement - this is what we will remember of Gilles Landini, who leaves us a great legacy of his life. The large mourners who paid their last respects to him in Veyrier on Wednesday, July 9, were proof of this.
I have fond memories of our collaboration on the SMPV exams and how he always treated the candidates with warmth and respect. I also have fond memories of our broadcasts on Radio-Cité

I quote the message from the Conservatoire de Neuchâte:
"A man who was much more than just a teacher."
Several of his students remember Gilles Landini, who died suddenly after an operation at around 12.30 p.m. on Monday.
The Conservatoire de musique neuchâtelois would like to pay tribute to the tireless commitment of this teacher, who had in particular a deep empathy for all those who needed special support.
He has become the "pianist of the angels".

Question from an SMPV member: I am employed part-time at a music school for 30%. However, I don't get paid during my vacation. The school director says that vacations are included in the monthly salary and that I don't benefit from anything during vacations. Is this permissible?

Answer from Dr. Kovacs:

1. The employer must pay the employee the full salary due for the vacation (Art. 329d para. 1 CO, Swiss Code of Obligations). The employee may not be paid less during the vacation than if he had worked during this time. Agreements that place the employee in a worse position are null and void. The mandatory provision of Art. 329d para. 2 CO also stipulates that vacation may not be compensated in cash for the duration of the employment relationship.

2. However, there is an exception to this principle: in the case of irregular employment, it can be difficult to calculate the current vacation pay, as each monthly salary is different and the current year does not yet allow an average salary to be calculated. In such cases, compensation for vacation pay in the monthly salary paid on an ongoing basis is permitted as an exception to the legal text.

However, this is subject to the following conditions: Firstly, the employment must be irregular. Secondly, the portion of salary earmarked for vacation must be clearly and explicitly stated, provided there is a written employment contract. Thirdly, the individual written payslips must show the portion of salary intended for vacation (e.g. 8.33% vacation pay). Simply stating "vacation pay included" is not sufficient. It is necessary for the vacation pay to appear by stating a specific amount and/or percentage, both in the employment contract and on the individual payslips.

If these conditions are not met, the employer must continue to pay the salary attributable to the vacation during the vacation. Under certain circumstances, this may even constitute a double payment if the normal salary was actually paid plus the vacation pay, but this did not meet the aforementioned requirements. The fact that the employee has actually taken the vacation to which they are entitled does not change this.

3. conclusion and answer to the specific question: The music teacher works part-time, but on a regular basis. The vacation pay is not shown either in the employment contract or on the payslips. The music school director's actions are therefore contrary to mandatory law. The teacher can therefore demand back pay for her vacation. The limitation period is 5 years. The salary claim for vacation can be asserted during or after termination of the employment relationship.

Strategically, however, you should always consider whether you should assert claims during the current employment relationship. It is important and right to assert claims. But sometimes it can also cost you your job.

Twenty years ago, the SMPV joined the SGB. The vote on joining was preceded by heated discussions: those opposed to joining felt that the SMPV did not fit into the SGB in terms of the sector, complained that the SGB was too left-wing and that the SMPV should be politically neutral, or emphasized that self-employed people would gain nothing from membership of the SGB. However, the application for membership submitted by several section presidents stated: "This (i.e. joining the SGB) would allow the SMPV to obtain useful information regarding the protection of the profession of music teacher in Switzerland, but also to reach decision-makers in education and culture".
In the end, the delegates were persuaded by the argument that the SGB would protect SMPV members in a crisis situation. In order to be able to pay the SGB contribution of CHF 12.50 per member at the time, they even agreed to a membership fee increase of CHF 10.

What many delegates were not aware of is that the SGB does not, of course, do the trade union work for the association. The association must be the union that recognizes, names and precisely describes the current problems of music teachers in Switzerland and then seeks solutions to the problems.
Sometimes the problems are minor labor law injustices that can be solved by a discussion between a section president and a music school director. However, some problems affect many people and can only be solved through changes to laws and regulations at cantonal or national level. Here, the SGB can at best open doors and arrange contacts with decision-makers.

First doubts

At the 2007 AGM, the CMA submitted a motion to leave the SGB again. The reason given was that the SMPV was not receiving any equivalent value for the CHF 60,000 SGB membership fees per year. The then Central President, Jakob Stämpfli, who represented the SMPV at the SGB board meetings, reported that only one topic relevant to the SMPV in the broader sense was discussed at the board meetings in 2006. The Central Board admitted that it had not considered during the membership discussion that the important issues for the SMPV in education and cultural policy are decided almost 100% at cantonal level, and that the SGB as a national umbrella organization was therefore the wrong forum. However, he conceded that individual sections had had good experiences with the cantonal associations.
However, Rolf Zimmermann (SGB), with the support of Hans Peter Völkle (SMV), succeeded in convincing the SMPV delegates of the advantages of remaining with the SGB.

The crisis

The "big crisis" came in 2020, when the pandemic initially paralyzed everything and severely restricted the music industry, among others, for a long time.
The self-employed were particularly affected, as they received negligible - if any - compensation that was insufficient to cover their living costs. In addition, art teachers of all disciplines were not regarded as artists, but as mere teachers, meaning that they were excluded from support for cultural workers. The SGB stood up for SMPV members when it managed to ban private music lessons in presence during the lockdown. However, the problem of the lack of compensation was not easy to solve, so we did not receive any help there. The SGB immediately passed on its information about new Federal Council ordinances or the possibilities of Suisseculture-Sociale emergency aid to the SMPV Central Presidium. However, as President of the SMPV Bern, I received this information directly from the Canton of Bern just as quickly.
I think it's fair to say that the protection we had hoped for from the SGB in a crisis was not there to the extent we had expected.

Major concerns of the SMPV

1. Creeping job cuts and a lack of unemployment benefits:
   Only those who have earned at least 20% less in the last two years receive unemployment benefit. If a music school teacher loses two to three weekly lessons every second year, they will lose 50% of their original employment in eight to ten years, but will never receive unemployment benefit. Wolfgang Pailer has been pointing this out repeatedly since 2007. Last year, the SGB organized a meeting with SECO for Annette Dannecker, where she was told that changes could only be made in the event of a major revision of the law.
2. The SGB is also unable to help us with the problem that music teachers are only considered by politicians to be in the field of education and not culture, which is why the SMPV, unlike the SMV, is not subsidized and art teachers are at a disadvantage in the event of a crisis.
3. Music educator/music teacher would have to become a registered profession. The SGB could support the SMPV on the long road to title protection.

Room for negotiation

After the 2025 DM decided to leave the SGB at the end of the year, he gave Annette Dannecker a mandate to negotiate - also out of gratitude for the financial concessions made by the SGB over the past three years. Some sections would like to remain with their cantonal confederations and would also be prepared to pay the corresponding cantonal membership fees. A "light membership" with the SGB with virtually no rights but also very low costs, with which the sections would buy the right to remain with the cantonal confederations, would almost certainly be accepted.
In terms of its statutes, however, the SGB can probably only offer a change to associate membership (7.80/member plus the contribution of the cantonal associations). This would require an increase in the SMPV membership fee. The question is therefore not whether the SMPV can afford (associate) membership, but how it assesses the cost-benefit ratio today, and whether it wants to afford it.

Ursula Oppenheimer-Isler began playing the violin at the age of 7, first privately and then at the Winterthur Music School with Aida Piraccini-Stucki.
She obtained her teaching and concert diploma at the Zurich Conservatory with Prof. E. Morawec from Vienna. Master classes at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and study visits to Vienna complemented her training. She then continued her training with Yehudi Menuhin. In 1962, she played at the Gstaad Music Weeks in a soloist ensemble under the direction of Nadja Boulanger and Yehudi Menuhin.

In addition to her successful concert activities as a soloist, chamber musician (she particularly enjoyed duo evenings with violin and piano) and orchestral musician in the Eastern Switzerland Chamber Orchestra, she devoted herself with great dedication to violin teaching.

Through her marriage to Wolfgang Oppenheimer, she became a "Ticino native". In her new home, she performed and gave concerts on many occasions together with renowned colleagues from Ticino. After being primarily a mother for a few years, she also took up teaching again, initially in a private setting.

In 1978/1980 she was appointed violin teacher at the newly founded conservatory in Curio (Malcantone), now the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, where she taught until her retirement for health reasons in 1998.
She was an accredited SMPV/SSPM professional trainer and regularly acted as an expert at SMPV diploma examinations and intermediate examinations and as a juror at various regional competitions of the Swiss Youth Music Competition in Lugano.

In 1993, Ursula Oppenheimer-Isler was elected to the Central Board of the SMPV/SSPM as a representative of Ticino; from 1996 to 1999, she was even Vice President. She also had to step down from these posts in 1999 for health reasons.

She died suddenly but very peacefully in the early afternoon of February 19, 2025, after listening to three wonderful pieces from her much-loved violin literature that morning.

It is very exciting to hear and read from SMPV colleagues about the special concerts, student concerts, courses and cultural participation projects they are planning for the period from June 7 to 28, 2025, and to feel that some of these events are real projects of the heart.

Members usually call us for advice on labor law or music education issues, for support in filling their profiles on my-music-lessons.ch or rent-a-musician.ch  or simply to inform them of a change of address. But now it's about their music and their music education - in other words, about what drives them every day and what they are passionate about. This reminds me a little of the time when the SMPV still offered professional training and was not yet a purely professional association. Back then, the focus was on the daily artistic and pedagogical work of SMPV members and not on the technical and administrative side of things. I personally think it's great that the Tour Musical brings something of this back to us!

The tour events
Apparently, the SMPV members are still reluctant to use the sponsorship brochure designed by the organizing committee and use it to find cooperation partners for their events. But perhaps we will repeat the tour in two to three years' time and then make the brochures available at least a year before the start of the tour so that there is enough time to find sponsors. In any case, most of the events registered so far are taking place without cooperation partners. They can be divided into three groups:

Section events
The Vaud section, for example, has registered the "Palmarès", the concert of the best students in the level examinations, which will take place on June 17 in Villeneuve. On 14 June, the tour will head to the Alte Stadthaus in Winterthur, where the Winterthur/Zurich Oberland section is organizing three concerts for pupils and teachers. The Bern tour music lesson will take place on June 20 and the concertant! in Bern with Eva Röntz, cello and Reto Reichenbach, piano on June 21, and finally the tour will take us to Schaffhausen, where the SMPV music school concert will take place on June 28.

Solo or chamber music concerts by members
In this category, members register concerts or a combination of courses and a concert. Guitarist Hanspeter Krüsi, for example, sets a special accent with his color concert on 11 June in Aathal-Seegräben, where he bathes the church in different colors and then transforms them into music in an improvisational virtuoso manner. Marc-Henri Aubert combines a master class and a recital in Vufflens on June 21, and Adalberto Riva poses the question of whether a piano can sing in his commented concert in Morges on June 28.

Larger events
Violinist Marc Tairraz has submitted what is probably the most spectacular project to date: on June 21, he will unite his amateur orchestra Amati and Amati junior, made up of his young violin students, with the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne for an interactive concert on the stage of the Lausanne Opera. The audience solves quiz questions about the program during the concert. On the same day, the GuitarSoundOrchestra under Jürg Moser performs the anniversary concert "30 years GSO" in Boswil. With around 20 guitarists aged between 13 and 26, the GSO is the largest guitar ensemble in Switzerland. On 28 June, the Tour-Musical-ad-hoc-Choir under Johannes Schröder will perform a varied program at the Rosengarten in Bern. If you would like to sing along, you can register at smpv.ch/bern/registration-tour-musical-chor-bern can still register until May 24.

This is just a small selection from the tour program that you can find on tour-musical.ch and more events are being added all the time, and of course we will be happy to add your concert to the tour map if you register it by May 15, 2025 at the latest:  smpv.ch/anmeldeformuar-formulaire-dinscription-modulo-di-registrazione-tour-de-suisse-musical

Answers to the most frequently asked questions
- If you want to register a concert with pupils from your music school, you must discuss this with the music school management. We will then link the event to the music school's homepage and add it to the list of cooperation partners. For example, the Muri-Gümligen music school has allowed our colleague, Elisabeth Ronja Haerdi, to perform the open-air concert with two ensembles from the music school as part of the tour.
- Yes, if you find a cooperation partner in categories C' to F, you may retain the entire sponsorship fee yourself.
- A picture of the performers, the performance venue or an instrument is suitable as a contribution picture for your event.
- The Tour Musical instructions for members and the declaration of consent for your pupils and their parents can be found at smpv.ch under "Downloads".

I will be happy to answer any further questions at marianne.waelchli@smpv.ch

We look forward to your contribution to the Tour Musical!

The Guitar Sound Orchestra under the direction of Jürg Moser performs on June 21 in the old church in Boswil
photo by Renate Moser

Question from an SMPV member: I am a music teacher at a music school and also work as a choir director. After a longer period of illness, the school management only wants to pay me my hours as a teacher as sick pay and claims that my work as a choir director is a contractual relationship and therefore I am not entitled to sick pay. This is despite the fact that the teaching and choir conducting jobs were assigned to me together. Can this be legal?

Answer Dr. Kovacs:

1. The answer to this question depends on whether the activity as a choir director is carried out as part of an employment relationship or as a self-employed activity.
2. Almost any activity can be carried out on a self-employed or employed basis. Differences of opinion regularly arise about this. For this reason, the activity should be described in writing in a contract. In particular, the question should also be clarified as to whether it is an employment or an assignment. Ultimately, it is the wording of the specific contract (and not the title) that determines whether the activity is employment or freelance work. The more precisely this is described, the clearer the legal classification can be.
3. The courts have developed an extensive practice for defining these types of activities. They consider the following demarcation criteria to be essential:
   3a) The following characteristics in particular speak in favor of self-employment:
   - Free determination of working hours by the choirmaster
   - The choirmaster is not bound by the instructions of the choir board and is responsible for his or her own activities.
   - The program is selected by the choirmaster.
   - The choirmaster must pay all social security contributions himself.
   - The choirmaster receives a fee for independent work (not a salary).
   - No remuneration is paid in the event of illness or for vacations.
   3b.) The following in particular argues in favor of self-employment (employment as an employee):
   - The choirmaster is employed as an employee.
   - The choirmaster is part of the organization of the employer (association, school, etc.) and follows its instructions.
   - The program is selected by the employer.
   - The employer pays a salary and deducts social security contributions from it.
   - The employer pays sickness and vacation in accordance with legal requirements.
4. Only in an employment relationship is the continued payment of salary for a limited period of time, depending on the duration of employment, prescribed by law. In contrast, self-employed persons are generally required to provide for themselves and receive nothing in the event of illness. This is subject to cases in which it is expressly stipulated in the specific contract or in a collective employment agreement that benefits are paid by the client in the event of illness.
5. The bottom line is that the individual delimitation criteria must be determined and classified in the present case. The choir director subsequently stated that she also has to follow the music school's timetable for her choir conducting activities and that the concert programs are predetermined. In addition, AHV/IV/EO contributions are deducted from her wages for all activities. In addition, the teaching activity is contractually regulated together with the choir conducting. These are strong indications that both activities are to be treated uniformly as an employment relationship. This means that the sick pay must be paid equally for both activities.

That is why our "Tour Musical SMPV/SSPM" will take place from June 7 to 28, 2025. It is a stage for the artistic activities of our members and for the music education success they demonstrate with performances by their students.
The Tour Musical OC provides you, dear members, with documents for the tour: on our homepage, smpv.ch, can be found under "Downloads/Documents" in"Instructions for members" detailed information about the Tour Musical. You will also find a form "Registration/declaration of consent", which you can have the students performing at your tour event or their parents fill out and sign. This ensures that you are legally protected if videos of your tour event are later published on the interactive map on tour-musical.ch be published.

We include various categories of events on this tour map and in the tour program:

1. section events such as teacher concerts or music lessons that take place during the three tour weeks.

2. concerts by our members (solo, chamber music, choir or orchestra), if the concert organizers agree that part of the performance may be filmed and posted on YouTube, and that this video may be included in the description of the event on tour-musical.ch. In return, we will advertise the event in our tour program.

3. events organized by the sections or individual members especially for the Tour Musical, which can take place with or without cooperation partners.

Events with cooperation partners
The OC has compiled a "Sponsors' Brochure", which you can order by telephone from the Central Secretariat (031 352 22 66) or by e-mail from marianne.wälchli@smpv.ch and which you can use to attract cooperation partners for your tour event. In the brochure you will find a table showing exactly how much the SMPV will donate for which service. In the lower categories, you yourself provide the primary service with your performance or the performance of your students, and therefore you may retain the donation amount. In the higher categories, the SMPV provides services in the form of advertising space, writing and publishing company portraits and landing pages on its various websites. This effort must be compensated. You therefore negotiate the sponsorship agreement with the cooperation partners and the SMPV for these categories. In such cases, the SMPV claims a percentage of the donation amount for its work.

You, the cooperation partners and the SMPV can all benefit from such events. You benefit from the fact that the SMPV advertises your event and from the fact that the sponsors support your event financially. They benefit from advertising for their company - bear in mind that the approximately 2,500 SMPV members teach around 32,000 students of all ages throughout Switzerland. And finally, the SMPV benefits from the fact that the events with cooperation partners open up new circles that get to know the SMPV and also the platforms mein-musikunterricht.ch and rent-a-musician.ch.

Competition
Don't worry, the OC does not presume to be able to judge which member is the most artistically talented or which member teaches best. Rather, the competition is intended to encourage members to organize unusual projects for the tour. The member with the most original performance on a particular tour day will be rewarded with the title of "artist of the day" or "teacher of the day", and on tour-musical.ch a portrait of the member appears, which in turn is linked to their profiles on my-music-lessons.ch, rent-a-musician.ch and the member's homepage.

If you do not wish to take part in the competition, you can do so when you register for the Tour Musical in the Registration form  note.