Service Agreement with Konsibern Approved

The Bern City Council (the city’s executive branch) plans to allocate 4.59 million Swiss francs to compensate Konsibern for its services next year. That is 112,500 Swiss francs more than last year. This is due to an increase in the number of students and rising salary costs under cantonal personnel law.

The services funded by the City of Bern include music instruction for students residing in the City of Bern, beginning when they enter kindergarten and continuing until they turn 20, or until they turn 25 if they are still enrolled in an educational program.

The Bern Music School was founded in 1858 by the Bern Music Society (BMG). In 1892, its educational programs were expanded to include professional music training, though initially this was limited to the musical training of prospective teachers. Continuous expansion led to its renaming as the «Bern Conservatory of Music» in 1927. Following the founding of the Bern University of the Arts (HKB) in 2000, the Conservatory’s General Music School department was transformed into an independent institution.