The precarious financial situation of many cultural professionals in Switzerland has been known for some time and has been reminded once again due to the pandemic, writes Suisseculture. Due to the atypical forms of work common in the cultural sector, social security is insufficiently guaranteed.

Suisseculture Sociale, an umbrella organization of professional cultural workers, which provided emergency aid for cultural workers on behalf of the federal government during the Covid pandemic, is taking this as an opportunity to publish a report entitled Artists Take Action to launch an initiative. This includes a guide designed to provide cultural professionals with an introduction to social insurance, forms of business and employment law, as well as a national awareness campaign on social media.

The initiative is backed by the umbrella organizations Suisseculture and Suisseculture Sociale as well as the professional associations A*dS - Authors of Switzerland, ARF/FDS - Swiss Association of Film Directors and Screenwriters, Danse Suisse, GSFA - Groupement Suisse du Film d'Animation, SMV - Swiss Musicians' Association, SONART - Swiss Musicians, SSFV - Swiss Syndicate for Film and Video, t. - Theaterschaffen Schweiz and Visarte - Swiss Visual Arts Association.

Original article:
https://www.suisseculture.ch/?article=suisseculture_sociale_lanciert_initiative_artists_take_action

In Switzerland, cultural professionals earned a median of CHF 69,600 in 2023, compared to CHF 45,700 for part-time workers. There is a big difference between the genders: a female cultural professional working full-time earned 78,000 francs, while her male colleague earned 98,000 francs. These are some of the new results of the Federal Statistical Office's (FSO) statistics on the cultural industries, with detailed data on wages for the first time.

The gender pay gap is pronounced among cultural professionals. In 2023, men earned 85,000 francs in the cultural sector, women 56,700 francs. However, this difference is comparable to the economy as a whole (men: CHF 84,500, women: CHF 58,400). These figures depend heavily on the level of employment: as in the economy as a whole, women in the cultural sector work part-time significantly more often (65% of them) than men (36%).

Original article:
https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/aktuell/neue-veroeffentlichungen.assetdetail.32669775.html

This decision is the result of in-depth consultations in the course of the ongoing restructuring and digitalization, writes The restructuring process has shown that, in addition to the measures already implemented, it is also necessary to fill the position of Managing Director.

Poto Wegener has played a key role in shaping Swissperform over the past 13 years and has set the course for the company, Swissperform continues. The search for a suitable successor has already begun. In the meantime, Michael Egli, Head of Legal Services and member of the Executive Board, will continue to manage the business on an interim basis to ensure a smooth transition.

Swissperform is the collecting society for ancillary copyrights (related rights) in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein and also exploits secondary use rights: The company represents the holders of ancillary copyrights
(rights holders) vis-à-vis the users (e.g. music use by broadcasting companies).

Art and culture are coming under increasing pressure: funding is being called into question, structures in music education are being dismantled and media visibility is being reduced. Cultural policy issues hardly play a role in elections either. In a final declaration, the councils therefore make a strong plea for the value of art and culture to be given greater recognition at all levels of society.

A key element of this is music education in and outside of school. Against the backdrop of migration movements, the challenges of globalization, integration, inclusion, economic and social change and new technologies such as artificial intelligence, strengthening music education is becoming increasingly urgent.

The music councils call for art and culture to be viewed not only from a financial perspective, but also to recognize their value for a democratic, open and diverse society. The promotion of art, culture and cultural education is not a subsidy, but rather an investment in the future of our society.

Original article:
https://www.musikrat.de/media/aktuelles/meldung/der-wert-von-kunst-und-kultur-musik-als-lebensnerv

Iron Curtain is an exhibition series that has been transforming the Iron Curtain of the Opera House into an exhibition space for contemporary art since 1998. The large pictures are fixed to the firewall with magnets. An international jury consisting of Daniel Birnbaum, Bice Curiger and Hans-Ulrich Obrist is responsible for selecting the artists. The work "Bauchhöhle überfliegt Staumauer" by Pipilotti Rist can be seen by the audience before and after the performances and during the intermissions until the end of June 2025.

Pipilotti Rist's work includes spatial video art, multimedia installations, objects, sculptures, computer art and photomontages. Her works have been shown in solo exhibitions around the world, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (MOCA), the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, the Museum of Modern Art in New York (2008), the Center Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Venice Biennale. In 2024, she will receive the Sikkens Prize - the award ceremony will take place in October 2024. A major exhibition at the Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) in Beijing is planned for summer 2025.

Michael Sanderling took up his position as Chief Conductor of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra (LSO) in 2021/22 with a five-year contract. After three seasons, the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra extended his contract early for a further three years, thus securing his artistic planning for the 2026/27 and 2028/29 seasons.

The Lucerne Symphony Orchestra is the resident orchestra at the KKL Lucerne. According to the LSO's press release, Sanderling deepened the focus on the late Romantic repertoire. In recent years, the orchestra has recorded a Brahms cycle for Warner Classics and has toured South America and Asia as well as making guest appearances at the Konzerthaus and Musikverein in Vienna, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and at festivals throughout Europe.

The Valaisia Brass Band prevailed against nine competitors and secured first place, followed by the Bürgermusik Luzern brass band and the Brass Band Fribourg. The winning band received a voucher worth 5000 francs for instruments from the manufacturer Buffet Crampon, Paris. In addition, the special prize of 1000 francs from Obrasso-Verlag was awarded for the best self-chosen piece and the special prize of 500 francs, donated by Musik Beat Zurkinden, for the best solo euphonium played in the test piece.

The 34th Besson Swiss Open Contest marked the start of the World Band Festival Lucerne. Other orchestras, ensembles and soloists will be performing in Lucerne until September 29, including the Black Dyke Band, one of the oldest and best-known English brass bands, Mnozil Brass, LaBrassBanda and the Christoph Walter Orchestra.

The piece "Serenate ex C" from the Carl Ferdinand Becker collection has turned out to be a youthful work by Mozart. The copy was discovered while working on the new edition of the Köchel-Verzeichnis, which is being compiled by the International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg.

The manuscript is a copy that was made around 1780. It is therefore not by Mozart himself. The parts are bound separately and the manuscript is unsigned. It is thought to date from the mid to late 1760s - Mozart must have just become a teenager. The work is listed in the new Köchel catalog as "Ganz kleine Nachtmusik" under the number KV 648. It consists of seven miniature movements for string trio, which together only last around twelve minutes.

The piece of music will be presented and performed for the first time in Germany on Saturday, September 21, 5 p.m., at the Leipzig Opera. The musicians are: Vincent Geer (violin), David Geer (violin) and Elisabeth Zimmermann (violoncello) from the Leipzig "Johann Sebastian Bach" Music School.

This fall, 711 students are starting their studies at the ZHdK in the Toni-Areal and Gessnerallee, 352 of whom are Bachelor's students and 359 Master's students in the major-minor study model introduced in stages last fall. Of these, 265 have enrolled on a degree course in music, 148 in design, 86 in fine arts, 112 in cultural analysis and mediation and 100 in performing arts and film. A total of 2158 people are studying at the ZHdK. The number of students has remained constant compared to recent years. A numerus clausus applies at the ZHdK; prospective students undergo a strict admission procedure in advance.

In 2007, the Hochschule Musik und Theater Zürich HMT and the cantonal Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst HGKZ merged to form the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste ZHdK with its five departments. Since 1999, the former conservatories of Winterthur and Zurich, which had been founded as music schools in 1873 and 1875 respectively, had been united in the Hochschule Musik und Theater Zürich HMT. The HMT also included the Zurich Jazz School (founded in 1977), the Swiss Computer Music Studio (founded in 1985), the Stage Studio (founded in 1937) and the later Zurich Drama Academy, as well as the Swiss Professional Ballet School (founded in 1986).

More info:
https://www.zhdk.ch/meldung/semesterstart-markiert-zehn-jahre-toni-areal-7766

According to "Le Temps", the shortfall is around two million francs, with a budget that fluctuates between 1.8 and 2 million francs depending on the year. The reason for this is the withdrawal of the only patron, the philanthropist Aline Foriel-Destezet. Artistic Director Renaud Capuçons has left the Academy and Charles Méla, President of the Board of Trustees, has also resigned. Three other members of the Board of Trustees and the Administrative Director have also left the foundation. The Academy's website is no longer accessible.

The International Menuhin Music Academy (IMMA) was founded in 1977 by Yehudi Menuhin and Alberto Lysy. The first director of studies was Oleg Kaskiv. Since 2015, the IMMA has been based at the Institut Le Rosey in Rolle, with Renaud Capuçon taking over as artistic director in 2019.

Original article:
https://www.letemps.ch/articles/exclusif-a-rolle-l-academie-menuhin-en-plein-naufrage-voit-son-directeur-artistique-renaud-capucon-quitter-le-navire/gifts/Npzuiwe9Ln2HA1qarU3UqM9r4crMnmCq71e9rySB

The report by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) takes a look at the challenges and opportunities to "maintain and improve the EU's position in today's global music ecosystem". He notes that the EU is now a globally important place for music, but there is room for further growth. The investments made by record companies have a positive impact on the entire European music industry and contribute to the EU's GDP.

Domestic players are relatively more successful in Europe, according to the report, but the EU "risks falling behind in the most competitive global market ever". In addition, the report shows how the EU institutions could support a thriving music sector and the development of responsible and ethical AI.

The means to achieve this: An anticipation of any national initiatives that could jeopardize the functioning of the digital single market and the ability of the music industry to grow and develop dynamically; stopping the unauthorized takeover of copyrighted content by AI companies and the full enforcement of EU intellectual property rules across Europe.

Original article:
https://www.musikindustrie.de/presse/presseinformationen/ifpi-veroeffentlicht-den-ersten-music-in-the-eu-report

The Culture Taskforce, an association of various Swiss cultural associations and organizations, expects the Council of States to show common sense and help the Federal Council's proposal to gain a breakthrough. Now that the Federal Council has recognized that it is necessary to "tackle precarity in the cultural sector and also achieve social security for cultural workers", there have also been many pleasing commitments to culture in the debate, writes Suisseculture.

In a "completely incomprehensible dodge", the National Council has cut Pro Helvetia's payment framework by CHF 6.5 million for the years 2025-2028, Suisseculture continued, thereby going against the preparatory committee, the Council of States and the Federal Council. The decision is all the more incomprehensible as it particularly affects creative artists.

Original article:
https://www.suisseculture.ch/?article=kulturbotschaft_2025_2028_unverstaendnis_fuer_entscheid_des_nationalrates

Malcolm Braff has recorded around 30 records in various formations, including two on the Blue Note label. In Crémines, where he lives, he and others founded the Maison-Matrice - a house dedicated to art and creativity by all for all, which operates on the principle of a donation economy. The Canton of Bern honors Malcolm Braff for "his strong musical personality, his enormous talent and his extraordinary openness".

As a solo violinist and chamber musician, Gabrielle Brunner devotes herself in particular to contemporary music. She is in great demand as a commissioned composer and has been commissioned by numerous institutions, including the Lucerne Festival and the Bern Music Festival.

Annalena Fröhlich has built up an international network and established an artistic practice based on sound, sound design, performance and video art. She works on a transmedia Gesamtkunstwerk and audiovisual political statement that exists in both physical and virtual space.

Beat Man Zeller has become an integral part of the Bernese music scene. He tried his hand as a singer and musician at the age of 13 before founding his band The Monsters in 1986 and launching his own record label Voodoo Rhythm Records in 1992. With The Monsters, Zeller created a completely new genre that fused psychobilly with garage punk and presented it at more than a thousand concerts in South America, Japan, Australia, the USA and the rest of the world.

The band Mouche-Miel, signed to Humus Records, are Silas Auderset on drums and Sébastien Minguely on guitar. They stand for instrumental rock with metal/math rock influences. The two eccentric musicians from St-Imier manage to light a fire on stage and ignite the audience.

The prize money amounts to CHF 15,000 each, and CHF 3,000 for the "Coup de cœur" prize for young talent.

Six students received a ST.ART - Young Talent Award for Culture. Launched in 2023, the award from the Canton of Lucerne is intended to support graduates as they enter the world of professional art. The prizes, each worth CHF 5,000, went to

• Marco Antonio Alarcón Ramírez (*1993, from Chile), Master of Arts in Music/Major Conducting with a major in Orchestral Conducting;
• Vincent Rigling (*1996, from Lucerne), Master of Arts in Music/Major Performance Jazz with a major in guitar;
• Ana Pimentel Rodrigues (*1998, from Portugal), Master of Arts in Music/Major Interpretation in Contemporary Music, majoring in violoncello;
• Mikalai Semiankou (*1989, from Belarus), Master of Arts in Music/Major Solo Performance with a major in violin;
• Trio Sheliak: Sergio Costa, majoring in piano (*1995, from Italy) and Emanuele Brilli, majoring in violin (*1996, from Italy), Master of Arts in Music/Major Chamber Music;
• Maurice Storrer (*1998, from Lohn SH), Master of Arts in Music/Major Performance Jazz with a major in saxophone

At the graduation ceremony, three prizes of CHF 2,000 each were also awarded by the Strebi Foundation for outstanding Bachelor graduates. They went to:

• Pavel Stöckmann (*2002, from Biel BE), Bachelor of Arts in Music, classical instrumental profile with piano as his main subject;
• Gian Luzi Niederhauser (*2003, from Biel BE), Bachelor of Arts in Music, jazz instrumental profile, majoring in electric bass (jazz) and double bass (classical);
• Fiona Busse-Grawitz (*2002, from Sarnen OW), Bachelor of Arts in Music, vocal jazz profile

Nina Rindlisbacher will, writes the BAK, "play a key role in this area with her excellent knowledge of the challenges and cultural players in Switzerland". She will use her expertise to develop partnerships that also involve civil society and the private sector, while also developing new formats for exchange and cooperation.