The MPIEA team analyzed data from around 10,500 people from 2012 and a further 9500 people from 2022. All the data came from the Swedish Twin Register. The study focused on listening habits, in particular how much music was listened to and used to regulate mood.

It was found that people with depression, anxiety, feelings of loneliness or a stronger tendency towards neuroticism in particular were more likely to listen to music to regulate their mood. However, the team found no evidence that listening to more music in everyday life improves or worsens mental health.

In order to better understand the causal relationships, the research team used genetically based twin analyses and so-called polygenic indices, which map the genetic susceptibility to mental illness.

More info:
https://www.aesthetics.mpg.de/newsroom/news/news-artikel/article/steht-musikhoeren-in-zusammenhang-mit-psychischer-gesundheit.html

According to the orchestra's announcement, the appointment is the continuation of an artistic collaboration that began in 2024 and was characterized by an interpretation of Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5 in October 2025.

Sokhiev, a student of the pedagogue Ilya Musin at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, founded the International Conducting Academy in Toulouse in 2016 and continues his commitment to young artists today through various projects, including the Angelika Prokopp Summer Academy of the Vienna Philharmonic, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra Academy and the BEPHIL program of the Berliner Philharmoniker at the Salzburg Festival. He is also patron of the Philharmonic Brass Education Program.

Tugan Sokhiev has a special relationship with the Vienna Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic in particular. In April 2026, he conducted several concerts with the latter as part of the Salzburg Easter Festival. His most recent collaborations with the Vienna Philharmonic include the Summer Night Concert at Schönbrunn Palace in June 2025, gala concerts to mark the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss II and several highlights of the 2026-2027 season: the Salzburg Festival, a European tour and the prestigious New Year's Concert at the Musikverein in Vienna.

Founded in 1918 by conductor Ernest Ansermet, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande consists of 112 permanent musicians from 22 different countries. It performs subscription concerts in Geneva and Lausanne, symphony concerts in the city of Geneva, the annual concert to mark United Nations Day and opera performances at the Grand Théâtre de Genève.

Ophélie Gaillard has been professor of cello at the HEM in Geneva since 2014 and is now moving to Sion. Daniel Haefliger will retire at the end of the academic year.

Gaillard began her career in 2003 as «Discovery of the Year» in the instrumental soloist category at the Victoires de la musique classique and has since performed in recitals and as a soloist with renowned orchestras in Europe, Asia and America, while at the same time being strongly committed to contemporary music. In 2005 she founded the Pulcinella Orchestra, an ensemble dedicated to the repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries on period instruments, of which she is the artistic director. Her discography includes numerous recordings dedicated in particular to Bach, Britten, Schumann, Fauré, Brahms and Boccherini.

The HEMU - Valais-Wallis is one of the teaching locations of the HEMU (Haute École de Musique). Its teaching staff offer Bachelor's and Master's degree courses in classical music, including violin, viola, cello and double bass as well as guitar, which are taught exclusively at this HEMU site. In October 2024, the HEMU - Valais-Wallis site moved into the new Pôle Musique Sion.

Nadja Räss is a singer, singing teacher and networker. Born in 1979 and raised in Einsiedeln, the musician is considered by the Federal Office to be one of the most influential voices in Swiss yodeling culture. From 2012 to 2018, she was the director of Klangwelt Toggenburg. Since 2018, she has been Professor of Yodelling and Head of Folk Music at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

According to the jury's statement, her ability to build bridges between regional traditions, current forms of artistic expression and international perspectives makes her an important figure in Swiss music. As the first Grand Prix Music winner from the field of Swiss folk music, her many years of commitment are particularly visible.

The Swiss Music Awards 2026, each endowed with CHF 40,000, go to Domi Chansorn (Huttwil, Zurich), Ensemble ö! (Chur), violinist Esther Hoppe (Zug, Zollikerberg), the experimental laboratory Flèche Love (Troinex , Geneva), Louis Schild (Lausanne), accordionist Patricia Draeger (Zug, Meierskappel ) and Ruedi Häusermann (Lenzburg).

The Café Bar Mokka (Thun), Intakt Records (Zurich) and La Via Lattea (Vacallo) each received special music prizes worth 25,000 francs.

The Federal Office of Culture (FOC) commissions ten independent experts each year. They nominate up to 100 individuals, collectives or institutions from the Swiss music scene. The seven-member Federal Music Jury then recommends the winners of the Grand Prix Music, the seven Swiss Music Prizes and the three Special Music Prizes. The Federal Office of Culture FOC presents the final awards on behalf of the Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHA.

The majority of companies, including most SMEs, now pay an affordable flat rate of less than CHF 250 per year for background music. In return, they can use music in their business premises without restriction: to promote sales, offer customers and guests a pleasant experience or motivate employees. According to Suissculture, this costs less than one franc per day.

Composers, lyricists, performers, producers and publishers of music invest a lot of time, work and money in every musical work. They are only compensated when the music is heard and used. To ensure that SMEs also pay fairly for this use, there are collecting societies such as Suisa and Swissperform. They charge companies for the use of music and distribute the revenue. Especially at a time when creative artists are coming under increasing financial pressure, these royalties are an essential part of their income. A reduction is not acceptable to Suisseculture.

The whole statement:
https://www.suisseculture.ch/?article=die_rechte_der_musikschaffenden_nicht_aushoehlen_motion_24_3944_ablehnen

Christian Höppner is President of the German Cultural Council and the German Association of Musicians. He has taught cello at the Berlin University of the Arts since 1986. Concerts and recordings as conductor and cellist in Germany, Austria, Italy and Brazil.

He is involved in music and cultural policy as Chairman of the Program Committee and Budget Rapporteur of the Broadcasting Council of Deutsche Welle, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Carl Bechstein Foundation and the Federal Academy for Musical Youth Education in Trossingen, Festival Ambassador of the Oberlausitz Chamber Music Festival, member of the RTL Media Council and the Culture Committee of the German UNESCO Commission.

The Hindemith Foundation based in Blonay (canton of Vaud) is dedicated to preserving and disseminating the cultural legacy of Paul Hindemith. It is committed to the preservation and dissemination of his works and aims to raise awareness of his art. It ensures the material preservation of all documents that can preserve the composer's memory and makes them accessible to the public in a suitable and appropriate form.

Since taking up his post in 2023, Titus Engel has had a significant artistic influence on the Basel Sinfonietta, writes the orchestra, and has led it to great success. This includes guest appearances at venues such as the Philharmonie Essen and at new music festivals such as the Wittener Tage für Neue Kammermusik and the NOW! The most recent Naxos recording of works by Sofia Gubaidulina, which was released by the New York Times was named one of the best classical albums of 2025. (to the SMZ-Review by Torsten Möller)

Founded in 1980, the Basel Sinfonietta is a symphonic orchestra specializing in contemporary music. It has commissioned numerous works and has presented more than 240 world premieres and national premieres since its foundation.

Born in Freiburg in 1997, grew up Mullener grew up in a family of musicians and began playing the piano at the age of four. At the age of 17, she turned to jazz and Afro-Cuban musical traditions, which she studied in Havana. She then studied at the Bern University of the Arts and won the international SOFIA prize in 2022.

After their debut album Reflejos (2019), she founded the Manon Mullener 5tet, with which she combines modern jazz with Afro-Cuban influences. The album Insomnia (2023) took the ensemble on an international tour, while the most recent work Stories (2025) attracted a great deal of attention for its energy and originality.

Established in 2007, the prize is awarded each year during the festival (June 25 - July 4, 2026). Recent winners include Bruno Spoerri, Franco Ambrosetti, Othella Dallas, Nolan Quinn, Christoph Grab, the Swiss Jazz Orchestra and Elina Duni.

The study by the Mileva Institute is a first step towards continuous monitoring of SRG's cultural services in these two areas, writes Suisseculture. The objectives in cultural production and distribution for the cultural areas explicitly mentioned in the concession are bindingly regulated by industry agreements, including the Music Charter, and documented with annual reports - with the exception of literature, where corresponding efforts are underway.

SRG's role in the Swiss cultural landscape is indispensable in these areas and was one of the key arguments for the Swiss electorate to vote clearly against the SRG halving initiative on March 8, 2026.

Using a sample («artificial week») from the year 2025, this study shows what the SRG's TV and radio programs as well as its online and social media offerings are doing for culture and the arts in Switzerland, but also makes it clear where there is an urgent need to catch up.

The whole statement:
https://www.suisseculture.ch/?article=die_studie_zu_den_srg_kulturleistungen_ist_ein_erster_schritt

Talented musicians complete an apprenticeship as a commercial clerk EFZ in four years instead of three. Thanks to the extension of the apprenticeship period, apprentices have an average of a quarter of their working time available for musical training. The program is aimed at talents in genres such as pop, rock, punk, RnB, rap, soul and metal. After completing their apprenticeship, they receive an EFZ in business administration and a diploma in music. The training is organized as part of a training company network.

Wemusic has an experienced partner at its side in the form of BWD Bern (Bildungszentrum für Wirtschaft und Dienstleistung), which supports the «Apprenticeship & Music» project both ideally and financially. The BWD Bern has been successfully offering the «Teaching & Sport» model since 2005. Whether sport or music, the aim is to support young people who strive for excellence in their respective disciplines.

Wemusic, founded by the Academy for Contemporary Music Switzerland, Helvetiarockt and Petzi, is a non-profit association in accordance with Article 60 ff. of the Swiss Civil Code with headquarters in Bern and an office in Fribourg-Fribourg. It concentrates on the areas of contemporary music with a focus on the musical promotion of children, young people and amateur musicians.

More info:
https://wemusic.ch/lehre-efz-musik/

For the twelfth time, the Fritz Gerber Foundation and Lucerne Festival will present the «Fritz Gerber Award» to three young talents in the field of contemporary music in summer 2026. This year, the Italian double bassist Pietro Elia Barcellona, the Swiss-American violinist Benjamin Frueh and the Portuguese percussionist Bárbara Ribeiro will receive the highly endowed award. They each receive prize money of 10,000 francs. In addition, the foundation will enable them to take part in the Lucerne Festival Academy 2026, also worth a total of CHF 10,000 each.

The «Fritz Gerber Award» is aimed at young artists who are either Swiss nationals or have lived in Switzerland for at least three years. They are selected by a jury consisting of Sebastian Nordmann, Artistic Director of the Lucerne Festival, Mark Sattler, Co-Head of Contemporary and Dramaturg of the Lucerne Festival, and Jack Adler-McKean, Coaching Program Coordinator of the Lucerne Festival Academy.

Rehearsal rooms for musicians, studios or public performances: According to the city's announcement, life is returning to Dreilindenpark as part of a temporary use. The city of Lucerne and the Lucerne Jazz School Association have concluded a usage loan agreement, which regulates the temporary use of Villa Vicovaro and the Ökonomie building. From August 2026 to December 2028, the association will make the premises available to various artists and event organizers by renting them out. The temporary use makes a contribution to the Cultural Agenda 2030, with which the city of Lucerne provides infrastructure for cultural professionals and event organizers as well as low-threshold access to cultural spaces.

The city of Lucerne provides the buildings to the association free of charge and makes an operating contribution, while the Lucerne Jazz School Association acquires additional third-party funding. The Lucerne Jazz School Association has drawn up a usage and operating concept for the operational use and day-to-day running of the building.

More info:
https://www.stadtluzern.ch/aktuelles/newslist/2874781

David Lichtsteiner is a school musician and composer with extensive pedagogical experience, according to the university's press release. He studied composition with Erik Oña in Basel and School Music II. His artistic focus is on composition and arrangement for concert and theater formats, particularly in the field of choral music. He has taught at various grammar schools and teacher training colleges.

He was also involved in setting up the composition workshop of the New Orchestra Basel and the Northwestern Switzerland School Music Day. He is currently working on the research project «Gymnasialer Musikunterricht als Spiegel einer praxisbasierten Didaktik» at the FHNW University of Teacher Education. Together with Yana Bibb, he directs the CampusChor Muttenz with around 80 students.