The Schola accounts for four of the five finalists in the 2026 MA Competition in Bruges for harpsichord: Irene González Roldán, an alumna and assistant to Andrea Marcon, wins first prize. The Audience Choice Award goes to finalist Olga Davnis (class of Francesco Corti). Also reaching the finals are Louise Acabo (a former student of Francesco Corti) and Anastasiia Egorenkova (from Andrea Marcon’s class).

Peter Hong-Jo Lim, a harpsichord student at SCB in Francesco Corti’s class, won the Indy Baroque Competition on the recorder and received the Devona and Amos Gerber Grand Prize as well as the Audience Award.

In York, too, nearly all the prizes went to Schola ensembles: Bianca Cucini (class of François Joubert) won the Jury Prize at the York International Young Artists Competition. The ensembles Ossian’s Dream (Jaume Guri Batlle, Léa Al-Saguir, Anne Sophie van Riel, Martin Egidi, Claudia Reyes Segovia, Pau Fernández Benlloch) and Tra Noi (featuring Bianca Cucini and Rafaela Salgado) each receive the Eubo Prize, and the ensemble Lagrime (Franziska Blömer, Maximilien Brisson, Barbora Hulcová) is awarded the Cambridge Early Music Prize.

Born in 1967, Clot Buchli studied clarinet with Antony Morf at the Lucerne University of Music and at the Basel Academy of Music with Hans Rudolf Stalder. He has been a member of the Graubünden Chamber Philharmonic since 2002. In addition, he performs as a soloist and is actively involved in a wide range of chamber music activities in various ensembles and styles. As a sought-after guest musician, he also performs with various Swiss orchestras. In 2002, he received the Canton of Graubünden’s Cultural Promotion Award for his musical achievements. Buchli teaches at the music schools in Chur and Landquart and lives in Haldenstein.

Any Sabadi, born in 1998, is a singer-songwriter. She first gained recognition in 2019 when she participated in the BandXost competition, where she took third place with her original compositions. Initially performing songs in English, she later turned to her native dialect and developed a personal style blending soul, pop, R&B, and singer-songwriting. A hallmark of her performances is her use of a keyboard and loop station, which she uses to create polyphonic soundscapes live on stage.

Through its recognition awards, the city of Chur honors cultural achievements spanning at least ten years that are of particular significance to the city and its surrounding area. The grants and recognition awards are each endowed with 4,000 Swiss francs.

The court has thus upheld Gema’s position: The exploitation and reproduction of musical works from the Gema repertoire are subject to licensing requirements, and providers must pay royalties to the copyright holders. This decision marks Gema’s second legal victory in a case against an AI provider. Back in November 2025, the Regional Court had already ruled in Gema’s favor in a legal dispute against OpenAI.

On January 21, 2025, Gema filed a lawsuit against Suno in the Munich Regional Court in order to enforce its members’ right to compensation for the use of their works. Despite being asked to obtain a license, Suno had not responded.

Original article:
https://www.gema.de/de/w/suno-entscheidung-2026

The award is presented each year to the most promising talent at the Verbier Festival Academy. The announcement was made following Oniani's performance as Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata, presented by the Academy's Atelier Lyrique with the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra, conducted by James Gaffigan.

Originally from the mountains of Georgia, Ana Oniani first studied orchestral conducting before turning her attention to singing. She is a graduate of the Vano Sarajishvili State Conservatory in Tbilisi. In 2025, she was accepted into the Academy of the Opéra national de Paris.

The Prix Yves Paternot was established in memory of Yves Paternot—founder of the Amis du Verbier Festival and a long-standing member of the festival’s board of trustees. In addition to the prize money, the award includes an invitation to perform at an upcoming edition of the Verbier Festival and also offers the winner the opportunity to receive up to 15,000 Swiss francs in additional support for their artistic and professional development.

Bernardo Ferreira is from Covilhã and is the winner of the Paulo Gaio Lima Prize (2023) and the Helena Sá e Costa Prize (2022). He holds a master’s degree in performance from ESMAE – Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espetáculo in Porto and began the Master of Performance program at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) in Zurich in February under the guidance of Thomas Grossenbacher. He is a founding member of the Cecilia Quartet, a member of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, and a guest performer with the Remix Ensemble at Casa da Música.

The Prémio Jovens Músicos is jointly organized by the Portuguese public broadcaster RTP (via the Antena 2 channel) and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Held annually, it recognizes outstanding talent and the artistic development of young performers across various disciplines and age groups, and is considered one of Portugal’s most prestigious music competitions. The expert jury for the 2026 cello category featured a distinguished panel of judges: Sérgio Neves, Teresa Valente Pereira, and Jed Barahal.

The aim of the study is to «develop possible visions of the future of the music industry and music culture and, based on these, derive concrete recommendations and areas requiring action for policymakers.» The goal is to establish, at an early stage, the conditions for a legally sound, fair, and culturally responsible use of AI in the music sector.

The Popakademie contributes its expertise at the intersection of the music industry, digitalization, and industry practice. In particular, it examines the social, economic, and legal impacts of generative AI on the music industry. The Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology uses its technological expertise in the field of audio AI to analyze the current state and development of generative music AI. It assesses technical potential and risks, thereby providing the basis for realistic future scenarios.

The project’s findings are intended to help policymakers, the music industry, and society at large assess technological developments at an early stage and develop strategies for the legally compliant, ethical, and culturally responsible use of generative AI in the music sector—from production to exploitation.

More info: 
https://www.idmt.fraunhofer.de/de/Press_and_Media/press_releases/2026/projektstart-perspektive-2036-einfluss-generativer-ki-auf-musikwirtschaft.html

Her music for the short film was honored with the Peer Raben Music Award A Better You (Directed by Arina Popa). The international jury praised «the composers» distinctive artistic style, their willingness to experiment with different soundscapes, and the close integration of music and narrative.” Both completed their master’s degrees in composition for film, theater, and media in 25/26.

The Peer Raben Music Award honors the best original music in a short film. The winner receives a cash prize of 1,500 euros. First presented in 2009, the award commemorates the German film composer Peer Raben. This year, seven film scores from festival highlights of the international short film scene were nominated; they were recognized for their innovative and dramaturgically coherent use of music and sound in relation to the narrative.

Both won a prize of 7,000 francs each in the challenging three-part master’s examination, having received identical final grades. Pianist Nikita Kachaev earned his traditional soloist diploma, while guitarist Samuele Provenzi completed the specialization in contemporary music. With the support of the Bürgi-Willert Foundation, Provenzi will also have the opportunity to perform as a chamber music partner or soloist in the Bern Symphony Orchestra’s season program.

Nikita Kachaev completed his studies at the N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory of Music in St. Petersburg under Pavel Egorov, as well as at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where he also completed a postgraduate program in performance in Oleg Vainshtein’s class. In 2026, he earned a Master’s degree in Specialized Performance (Classical) from the HKB in Bern, where he studied piano with Tomasz Herbut.

Samuele Provenzi is an Italian guitarist and artistic researcher. He studied at the Liceo Musicale G. Verdi in Milan and at the conservatories in Milan and Brescia. He earned his Master’s degree in Specialized Music Performance/Contemporary Music under Elena Càsoli at the Bern University of the Arts.

For his work Woven from Light – Reflections for Violin and Cello received David Philip Hefti a Gold Medal with Honorable Mention, as well as the additional Contemporary Music Prize. According to Hefti’s website, the jury unanimously praised «the exceptional artistic quality, the distinctive musicality, and the high technical standard of the composition.» The Artistic Committee of the international competition also specifically highlighted its outstanding quality.

The Contemporary Music Prize includes an invitation to release a digital album on the classical music label Orpheus Classical. Hefti will have the opportunity to curate a program of his own works centered around an overarching artistic or conceptual theme. The album will be released worldwide via digital platforms.

The goal of the Manhattan International Music Competition is to discover artists with outstanding personalities. The competition awards prizes that can serve as a springboard for an international career. These include solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, a CD recording with worldwide distribution, and five additional digital albums to be released via streaming platforms. In addition, there are cash prizes and numerous special awards.

Past prize winners have performed at major venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, La Scala, Wigmore Hall, the Barbican Hall, the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Royal Opera House, and the Salzburg Festival. As soloists, they have performed with international orchestras.

According to German media reports, Julien Chavaz, who was born in Bern, will become artistic director of the Aalto Music Theater and the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra starting with the 2028–2029 season. He was selected from among 40 candidates. Chavaz currently serves as general director of the Magdeburg Theater.

Julien Chavaz studied agricultural sciences in Zurich and dramaturgy in Lausanne, and served as artistic director of the Neue Oper Freiburg (NOF) in Switzerland from 2018 to 2022. He has also worked as an assistant director at the Opéra de Paris, the Opéra de Lyon, and De Nationale Opera Amsterdam.

The Aalto Music Theater, the Essen Philharmonic, the Aalto Ballet Essen, the Schauspiel Essen, and the Philharmonie Essen are all part of the Aalto Music Theater and Philharmonie Essen, making it one of Germany’s largest theater and concert organizations.  Merle Fahrholz is currently the artistic director of the Aalto Music Theater and the Essen Philharmonic, while Andrea Sanguineti serves as the general music director of the Essen Philharmonic. Marie Babette Nierenz serves as the artistic director of the Philharmonie.

This year marks the fourth edition of Zurich Music Week, which brings together artists, industry professionals, and music enthusiasts in Zurich. On August 7, a master class will be held in the ZHdK’s large recording studio. It will be led by ZHdK lecturer Domenico Ferrari, an expert in the production of house and electronic music.

Starting in the fall of 2026, ZHdK will also launch «Vo do us – Song Sessions ZHdK» in collaboration with the Kellerbühne St. Gallen, a series of events for songwriters who perform in Swiss German. Three to four concert evenings are planned each year, during which selected students will have the opportunity to present their programs in full-length concerts. These collaborations are intended to increase the visibility of the Jazz & Pop program at ZHdK.

The findings from the project will be published in August 2026 and are intended to help further develop operational processes at the Opera House and Musical Comedy venues.

Students at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management conduct interviews with staff members from the Technical Directorate of the Opera House and the Musical Comedy, analyze on-site processes, and draw on selected practical examples from comparable institutions. In addition, they examine communication channels, information flows, data storage systems, and production and staffing schedules to identify opportunities for improvement.

Based on this, recommendations will be developed to streamline work processes, speed up coordination between departments, and make information more readily available. The project will also examine how digital tools can better support day-to-day work in the future. The HHL Alumni Association e.V., the HHL alumni support association, is funding the project.

More info:
https://www.mynewsdesk.com/de/hhl-gemeinnutzige-gmbh/pressreleases/hhl-und-oper-leipzig-analysieren-prozesse-hinter-der-buehne-3458037

Bruch was born in Cologne and, along with Jacques Offenbach, is probably the city’s most famous composer. He was active during the second half of the 19th century. Although Bruch did not achieve the same level of fame as his contemporary Johannes Brahms, his First Violin Concerto became a global hit and is a staple of the violin concert repertoire.

The letters comprise the correspondence between Max Bruch and his Berlin colleague Ernst Rudorff. In addition to offering insights into Bruch’s creative process, they contain a wealth of information about German musical life in the second half of the 19th century and, in particular, its interconnection with the cultural, historical, and political events of the time. For example, topics such as anti-Semitism and militarism are discussed, making the collection of letters an extremely valuable historical resource.

More info: https://idw-online.de/de/news873992

At the legislative level, the municipal music school system is mentioned in one provision each of the Elementary School Act and the Secondary School Act. However, there is currently no standalone, comprehensive law governing music schools. The Cantonal Council has therefore tasked the government, through a motion, with creating a separate legal framework for music schools. According to the canton’s press release, the new Music School Act regulates the responsibilities, organization, and funding of music schools and provides legal certainty for a well-established program.

The government of the Canton of St. Gallen is now submitting a draft of a new music school law for public comment. The basic structure of the music school system will remain unchanged. The law governs the responsibilities, organization, and funding of music schools. At the same time, it adheres to the tried-and-true principle whereby the municipalities or school districts, as the operating bodies of the music schools, continue to enjoy a high degree of autonomy in matters of content and organization. The canton continues to limit its role to establishing the legal framework.

More info:
https://www.sg.ch/news/sgch_allgemein/2026/07/regierung-gibt-musikschulgesetz-in-vernehmlassung.html

Anastasia Dziadevych, a native of Ukraine, studied at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv and in Zurich with Rudolf Koelman, Alexander Sitkovetsky, and Ilya Gringolts. She is a recipient of the Rahn Music Prize and the first violinist of the Gertler Quartet. She is also currently gaining orchestral experience with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich. Since 2021, she has been supported by the Lyra Foundation.

The Kiwanis Competition recognizes the hard work of these young musicians and aims to provide them with a valuable reference for their future careers. Following the awards ceremony, the winners will perform in the traditional Kiwanis Winners’ Concert.