The three-part competition presented the nine participants with a variety of challenges. In the preliminary round, they spent twenty minutes rehearsing a composition unknown to the WindOrchestra Baden Wettingen. The jury focused primarily on evaluating their rehearsal techniques. Six talented conductors qualified for the semifinals. There, they had five minutes to rehearse a piece they were familiar with alongside the elite Brass Band Emmental, which was then performed immediately afterward. The focus was on conducting technique. Julia Wyser, Luca Belz, and Romain Gili qualified for the finals. The competition requirements are “extremely high,” according to the SBV; for this reason, the jury—consisting of Annick Villanueva (F), Chiara Vidoni (I), and Stefan Roth (CH)—did not award a first prize.

Romain Gili won second prize. Gili studied trumpet, piano, and orchestral conducting and holds a master’s degree in orchestral and choral conducting (Lucerne, 2024). He conducts the Orchestre Bis Repetita Lausanne, the Affoltern a. A. Orchestra Society, the NAK Switzerland Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Mühlau Music Society, the Alpenrösli Unteriberg Brass Band, the Sooregosler-Chörli Oberkirch, and the choir of the Entlebuch Theater Society.

Luca Belz, who also received second prize, conducts the Wasen i. E. Music Society. He is active in the Swiss music scene as a trumpeter and conductor and holds degrees in music education and wind band conducting. In 2023, he founded the project orchestra Blasorchester Region Bern, with the goal of performing symphonic music at the highest level. That same year, he conducted the Swiss Army Wind Orchestra at the aVENTura Festival.

Julia Wyser, who won third prize, plays the trumpet. She conducts the Stadtmusik Dietikon (ZH) and the Musig Sulgen (TG). She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Wind Ensemble Conducting and Trumpet from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and will begin a master’s program in Trumpet Pedagogy with a minor in Orchestral Conducting at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) in September.

Streaming fraud refers to the manipulation of digital music services to generate revenue from fake streams. This often occurs on a large scale, undermines trust in streaming services, and deprives artists, songwriters, record labels, music publishers, and other stakeholders who support the music industry of revenue.

Music distribution services played a crucial role as a gateway to the digital music ecosystem, according to the IFPI, the industry trade association. These services also possess the «unique ability» to prevent infringing content from appearing on streaming platforms. The newly launched «Streaming Integrity Initiative» (SII) therefore aims to establish a common foundation for industry-wide measures through five key commitments.

Participating sales partners agree to the following:

• Verifying rights ownership and customer identities through reliable procedures;
• reviewing content using effective tools and procedures to detect legal violations, fraudulent activities, and AI-related risks;
• identifying, investigating, and curbing suspected cases of fraud, including taking action against repeat offenders;
• Sharing information, to the extent permitted by law, to prevent criminals from moving between different services and platforms;
• Evaluating and continuously strengthening anti-fraud systems to counter new threats.

More info: https://endstreamingfraud.com

Savannah Harris earned a dual degree in journalism and jazz from Howard University and a master’s degree in jazz performance from the Manhattan School of Music. She is also a teaching artist in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jazz for Young People program and leads workshops and master classes. She is currently touring with Christian McBride, Cécile McLorin Salvant, and Kenny Barron, and works as a musical director with the rapper MIKE.

Kendrick Scott studied at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and at Berklee College of Music. He is also a member of the jazz faculty at the Manhattan School of Music, has taught at The New School in New York, and gives workshops and masterclasses internationally. He has toured and collaborated with Herbie Hancock, Charles Lloyd, Pat Metheny, Joe Lovano, Kenny Garrett, Dianne Reeves, Kurt Elling, Gretchen Parlato, and Robert Glasper, as well as with the SFJAZZ Collective and the Blue Note All-Stars. Beyond jazz, he has shared the stage with Philip Bailey and Angélique Kidjo.

After graduating from high school, Patrick Lange studied conducting with Hans-Rainer Förster and Peter Falk at the Würzburg University of Music and with Johannes Schlaefli at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). He began his career as an opera conductor in Zurich and Lucerne. Since then, he has regularly appeared as a guest conductor at leading opera houses worldwide, including the Vienna State Opera, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, and the Opéra National de Paris. Other engagements have taken him to the Royal Opera House in London, the Opéra du Capitole in Toulouse, the Semperoper in Dresden, Opera Australia, the Zurich Opera House, the Canadian Opera Company, and the Korean National Opera in Seoul.

Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. Its home venue is the Grand Theatre there. The company's orchestra performs not only in Leeds but also in Nottingham, Salford, Newcastle upon Tyne, and other cities in northern England.

The final round of the 2026 George Enescu International Competition in the cello category took place on September 7 at the Athenaeum in Bucharest. The 28-year-old Swiss cellist Samuel Niederhauser was awarded first prize, worth 15,000 euros, following his performance of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1. He also won 2,000 euros for the best interpretation of the commissioned work ’Waves of Gravel« by Malika Kishino, as well as the audience prize of 1,000 euros.

As part of his prize package, Niederhauser will have the opportunity to give a concert at the Teatro Fraschini di Pavia in Italy in February 2027; in addition, he will perform in other concerts and solo recitals in Romania and receive professional guidance and counseling. Niederhauser studied with Thomas Demenga at the Basel University of Music and with Thomas Grossenbacher at the Zurich University of the Arts. He is the principal cellist of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra.

Arto Noras served as chair of this year’s jury; other members included Claudio Bohórquez, Marin Cazacu, Enrico Dindo, Elena Dubinets, Frans Helmerson, Dan Prelipcean, Valentin Răduțiu, and Inbal Segev. Held in Bucharest since 1958 in memory of the Romanian violinist George Enescu, the competition features the categories of piano, violin, and cello. This year, 645 young musicians from 55 countries registered to participate.

Eleven graduates were honored with awards: Three received the Strebi Memorial Prize. The Canton of Lucerne awarded six ST.Art Young Talent Awards in the Arts. The Foundation for Music Promotion at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts – Music awarded a prize for excellence in piano pedagogy from the Hella Siegrist Fund. And the Foundation for Swiss Folk Music and Folk Culture awarded the Jörg Moser Prize for Folk Music for the first time.

In the Bachelor of Arts in Music program, 59 graduates received their degrees—43 in the Classical track, 14 in the Jazz track, and 2 in the Folk Music track. The Bachelor of Arts in Music and Movement program had 2 graduates, and the Bachelor of Arts in Music/Church Music program had 2.

A total of 154 degrees were awarded in the Master of Arts in Music program, with the majority—50 degrees—in the Classical Performance major. In the Master of Arts in Music Education program, 60 graduates earned the professional qualification needed to teach at music schools or high schools in the future.

In addition, 97 people completed continuing education programs in music education, the arts, or music management, in the form of a Master of Advanced Studies (MAS), Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS), or Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS). Three people also received the VMS Diploma in Music School Administration.

In collaboration with the Departments of Design, Film, Art, and Music at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the Canton of Lucerne honors outstanding final projects by bachelor’s and master’s students. The ST.Art Young Artists Award for Culture encourages emerging artists at the beginning of their careers to continue and deepen their work and supports them as they embark on their professional artistic careers.

This year’s recipients are: Luis Greipl, Master’s in Jazz Performance with a major in percussion, Zurich; Paulina Pitenko, Master’s in Classical Solo Performance with a major in saxophone, Latvia; Sophie Knöchelmann, Master’s in Classical Solo Performance with a major in violin, Büren (Solothurn); Daria Bocharova, Master of Performance in Classical Music with a major in piano, Israel; Philomène Michel, Master of Performance in Classical Music with a major in violin, Bern; Hleb Sidaruk, Master of Interpretation in Contemporary Music with a major in cello, Belarus.

At the graduation ceremony, three prizes from the Strebi Foundation—each worth 2,000 Swiss francs—were also awarded to outstanding Bachelor’s degree graduates: Johanna Christen (Bachelor of Music & Movement), Horw; Flavia Meyer (Bachelor of Arts in Music, Jazz Vocals, Singing), Meggen; Leonard Spyrou (Bachelor of Arts in Music, Classical Instrumental, Piano), Meggen.

The Music Promotion Foundation at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts – Music awarded prizes for excellence in piano pedagogy from the Hella Siegrist Fund during the graduation ceremony to Roman Lukas Staubli of Oberurnen. The Folk Music Award is being presented for the first time this year; it goes to Daria Occhini (Master of Arts in Music Education, majoring in yodeling) from Ins.

According to a press release from the canton, approximately 4,000 young people in Valais will benefit from this measure, which stems from a recommendation by the Youth Parliament. This initiative aims to promote access to culture and raise awareness of existing cultural offerings. At the same time, the beneficiaries are to be encouraged to explore these offerings together. ​​​​​​​

As part of its 2024–2025 recommendations, the Valais Youth Parliament pointed out that the younger generation is still not sufficiently aware of the cultural offerings available. This also applies to the Kultur-GA for people under 26. It was also emphasized that access to culture varies greatly depending on one’s sociocultural background, education, or place of residence. Based on these findings, the Youth Parliament recommended promoting access to culture for all young people by giving them their first Culture GA card when they turn 16 to 18 years old.

The Canton of Valais will implement this recommendation at the start of the 2026–2027 school year. Thanks to a collaboration between the Kultur-GA association, the Office of Culture, and the Kultur Wallis association, all young people born in 2010 and residing in the canton—approximately 4,000 people from both language regions—will receive a Kultur-GA worth 100 francs as a gift. A similar initiative had already been carried out in 2021 as part of economic stimulus measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; it is now set to become a permanent program.

According to Suisseculture, the copying levies are a system managed professionally and pragmatically by the collecting societies. They are said to capture the value generated by protected content. In a recent press release, Suisseculture therefore expressed its satisfaction that the National Council’s Committee on Science, Education, and Culture (WBK) has recommended rejecting a motion by SVP National Council member Thomas Aeschi. Aeschi wants to abolish the «unfair and outdated model of the copying levy» via a parliamentary initiative.

Suisseculture, on the other hand, advocates for simplifying the data collection process and reviewing the compensation amount. Given the actual volume of use of protected content, the association considers the current amount to be «very modest.».

Suisseculture recommends that the National Council reject Aeschi’s motion and thus follow the recommendation of the WBK. However, it recommends adopting a postulate titled «Modernization of the Copying Levy,» which calls for further clarification.  Only then should a decision be made regarding any potential need for legislative action.

In the Percussion Classic category, Victor Sparleanu from Zug took first place ahead of Mauro Wigger (LU) and Aaron Tschopp (BE), while Leo Aschwanden from Zurich won the Percussion Modern category.

In the Wind Instruments category, Célestine Crelier from Alle (JU) was named the 2026 winner on the flute in the woodwind category. She prevailed over Juliette Duay (flute, LU) and Corine Schnyder (clarinet, LU). Nathan Goumaz from Châtonnaye (FR) secured victory in the brass instruments category on the euphonium. Additional podium spots went to Antoine Zeiter (euphonium, VS) and Florin Messmer (bass trombone, SG).

The Swiss Army Symphony Wind Orchestra, conducted by Carlo Balmelli, accompanied the six soloists in the Wind Instruments category. The juries consisted of Iwan Jenny, Yves Kolly, and Laurent Zufferey for the percussionists, and Isabelle Ruf-Weber, Felix Hauswirth, and Oliver Waespi for the wind players.

The Swiss Wind Band Association (SBV) is an umbrella organization that brings together 29 member and partner associations as well as nearly 2,000 wind bands. With a total of approximately 54,000 active musicians, the SBV is the largest amateur cultural association in Switzerland.

Born in Munich in 1973, Jörg Widmann first studied clarinet and then composition with Kay Westermann, Wilfried Hiller, Hans Werner Henze, Heiner Goebbels, and Wolfgang Rihm. His works are premiered and regularly performed by the world’s leading orchestras, such as the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics, the New York Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the Cleveland Orchestra. Conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Kent Nagano, Christian Thielemann, Sir Simon Rattle, and Andris Nelsons bring his music to stages around the world.

Roche Commissions is a collaboration between Roche, the Lucerne Festival, and the Lucerne Festival Academy. Since 2003, Roche has commissioned a new work by an outstanding contemporary composer every two years, based on recommendations from the artistic director of the Lucerne Festival Academy. The commissions aim to facilitate the creation of musical works «that go beyond the conventional and offer a source of intellectual stimulation and challenge.».

The composer collaborates with several leading scientists from Roche, and after two years, the commissioned work premieres at the Lucerne Festival in the summer. The Roche Commissions originated as a partnership between Roche, the Cleveland Orchestra, and Carnegie Hall. The program is now carried on in collaboration with the Lucerne Festival and the Lucerne Festival Academy.

The challenge was to create a composition in which a theme from a work by Paul Huber is reworked in the spirit of a metamorphosis. The jury agreed that Rossier’s work «Ab Uno» met the criteria most convincingly. The competition was organized in honor of the renowned Swiss composer Paul Huber, whose 25th anniversary of his death falls this year. The winning composition will receive its world premiere on Sunday, September 13, 2026, at the Kurtheater in Baden, performed by the Swiss Army Symphonic Wind Orchestra in the presence of Théo Rossier.

According to the SBV’s press release, eleven participants from across Europe—including one woman—took on the challenge. A panel of experts consisting of Emilie Chabrol, Stéphane Delley, and Felix Hauswirth independently reviewed and evaluated the anonymized works based on the specified requirements.

Théo Rossier earned a bachelor’s degree in classical music with a focus on composition from the Bern University of the Arts. He is currently continuing his training as a wind orchestra conductor at the Freiburg Conservatory. He is the winner of the 2022 European Brass Band Composition Competition with his piece «Stendhal’s Syndrome.».

With its 29 member associations, 1,972 clubs, and a total of 54,000 members, the Swiss Wind Music Association (SBV) is the largest amateur cultural association in Switzerland.

Miriam Schmidt-Wetzel has been serving as interim head of the Department of Cultural Analysis and Outreach at ZHdK since December 2025 and is a member of the university’s executive board. She is an art educator and professor of subject-specific pedagogy, art, and design. She will assume her new position on August 1, 2027. Until she takes office, Hansuli Matter, director of the Department of Design at ZHdK, will serve as vice rector. The Office of the Vice Rector for Education is ZHdK’s strategic management unit for all matters related to academic programs, teaching, and learning.

Beate Böckem Gottfried is an art historian and a higher education and research administrator. She has many years of experience in the development and implementation of strategic, organizational development, and transformation processes. As Head of the Research Office at ZHdK, she has been responsible since 2018 for establishing and further developing central research structures, research and knowledge communication, and ZHdK’s national and international networking. Beate Böckem Gottfried will assume her new position on September 1, 2026.

According to its press release, the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) has consolidated its most important responsibilities into two new vice-rectorates. With approximately 2,100 bachelor’s and master’s students, the ZHdK is one of Europe’s largest art universities. Its academic and research program encompasses the fields of art education, cultural critique, design, film, fine arts, music, dance, theater, and transdisciplinarity.

One of the most significant changes concerns education in the fields of music and the performing arts (theater, dance, and circus arts). Starting with the 2026–2027 school year, the cantonal contribution toward the tuition costs of accredited schools will be increased from 40 to 50 percent. From now on, municipalities must contribute at least 10 percent, while the Valais delegation’s share of the Loterie Romande remains at 7 percent.

In the future, the portion of the cost to be covered by parents will be capped at 33 percent throughout the canton, regardless of the families’ municipality of residence. For approximately 4,500 students, the annual cost of their music education will be capped at just over 1,000 francs. The canton states that this new model promotes more equitable access to arts education.

The new law is also intended to strengthen the framework conditions for cultural professions. For projects supported by cultural funding, cultural professionals will henceforth be compensated based on the wage recommendations of umbrella organizations recognized by the canton. Economic, social, and environmental sustainability will also be taken into account within the legal framework from now on.

Original article:
https://www.vs.ch/de/web/communication/e/com-et-media/10108/49977144

Born in 1983, Lena-Lisa Wüstendörfer studied violin and conducting at the Basel University of Music, as well as musicology and economics at the University of Basel. She furthered her conducting studies with Sylvia Caduff and Sir Roger Norrington and as an assistant conductor to Claudio Abbado. Andermatt Music is the concert organizer for the Andermatt Concert Hall, which brings music to Switzerland’s highest-altitude concert hall—designed specifically for symphony concerts—through a year-round concert season.

The establishment of the nonprofit Andermatt Music Foundation this summer creates «the conditions to strengthen Andermatt Music’s financial foundation and facilitate new partnerships,» according to the press release. The foundation is intended to pool private and institutional support and help ensure that Andermatt Music can continue to offer a high-caliber, broadly supported program in the future. In addition to the founder, the foundation’s board of directors includes Uri Council of States member Heidi Zgraggen and Uri Council of States member Josef Dittli as president, as well as former Uri cantonal council member Beat Jörg and Lucerne entrepreneur Markus Schmid, who are all committed to this cause.