870,000 euros for international scholarship program

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The Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) is funding an international scholarship program of six international music institutions under the auspices of the Hamburg University of Music and Drama (HfMT) with 870,000 euros. The HfMT and the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra are cooperating with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra to research innovative formats for the future work of professional orchestras.

The "Future of Orchestral Culture" project initiated by the Hamburg University of Music and Drama (HfMT) enables eight Master's graduates from the participating universities to spend a year researching in Hamburg. The scholarship holders are to develop concepts and formats that will enable orchestras to take up processes of change in society and initiate innovations in the overall appearance of orchestras - from concert formats to changed forms of management and organization. Behind the concept of the project is the realization that the necessary change to a new orchestral culture can only be initiated jointly by orchestras and music academies.

The three-year scholarship program enables three cohorts of eight scholarship holders to spend a fully financed year of research in Hamburg. By combining theory and practice, the HfMT and the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra offer ideal conditions during this time to pursue the development of innovative concepts and formats for the orchestra of tomorrow on a theoretical and practical level. To this end, the scholarship holders will work together with renowned artists, cultural managers and leaders from the international orchestra scene in seminars, workshops and master classes. The aim of each cohort is to present concert formats developed in Hamburg to audiences in San Francisco, Shanghai and Hamburg. To this end, the first cohort will embark on a preparatory trip to San Francisco and Shanghai in January. At the end of the three-year project period, the results of the work will be evaluated and presented to the public in a scientific study.

The new scholarship will be funded by the BKM for the next three years with a total of €870,00. The guest stays and appearances in San Francisco and Shanghai are made possible by the project partners based there. University President Elmar Lampson welcomed the first group of scholarship holders to Hamburg on September 5.

HfMT President Elmar Lampson thanks the BKM for its great support and emphasizes: "Without the support of Hamburg Member of Parliament Rüdiger Kruse and former State Councillor Dr. Roland Salchow, none of this would have been possible! I am looking forward to the fantastic scholarship holders from the USA, China and Europe. Today's orchestras need musicians who think for themselves and are flexible in generating ideas to overcome many new challenges. I am very pleased that we have found such excellent partners in the music academies and orchestras in San Francisco and Shanghai, because new ideas for the further development of orchestral culture can only be developed through international cooperation."

The other project partners:

Mr. Kühnel, Intendant and CEO of the Symphoniker Hamburg: "Re-thinking the role of orchestras in the heartland of orchestral culture is a challenging, yet vital part of the Hamburg Symphony's mission", says Daniel Kühnel, Intendant and CEO of the Hamburg Symphony. "We bundle our forces and efforts to master and forge what can be called a necessary shift in the general understanding of what orchestras should be: active, living, vigorous cultural organizations rather than mere analogue sound boxes. To us, working together and sharing experience with our colleagues from Shanghai, San Francisco, and Berkeley is a tremendous joy. And we ardently look forward to hosting the first group of outstanding young international musicians, exploring, discussing, and assisting them to develop their vision of the future of orchestral culture."

Ms. Ping Zhou,Director of Shanghai Symphony Orchestra: "The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra is pleased to provide young talented artists around the world a platform for artistic practice and management, to make our younger generation have better skills in performing, artistic planning and management. We are honored to work with Shanghai Conservatory of Music, art and educational institutions in the United States and Germany to implement this pioneering program and share the common international perspective as well."

Zaiyong Lin, President: "The Shanghai Conservatory of Music is very pleased to collaborate with University of Music and Drama Hamburg, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, which is our excellent partner and also the best in China, to carry out this program. The significance of this program lies in the fact that it not only provides orchestra talents with opportunities of international academic and artistic practice, but also broadens humanistic horizons for them. Musicians who participate in this program can not only conduct in-depth study and thinking for the development of orchestral culture, but also do some pioneering work for the future of music."

David H. Stull, President of the SFCM: "We are honored to partner with our innovative colleagues in Hamburg, Shanghai, and Berkeley," states SFCM's President David H. Stull. "There is enormous potential in young artists seeking to advance their knowledge with professional musicians from across the world. Global relationships are strengthened and secured through the bonds of creative work-we look forward with enthusiasm to the future of this alliance."

René Mandel, executive director of the Berkeley Symphony: "As the San Francisco Bay Area's orchestra dedicated to promoting innovation, the Berkeley Symphony is honored to partner with SFCM in this consortium," says René Mandel, executive director of the Berkeley Symphony. "The need has never been greater to enrich our thinking about music, how it's presented, and how we can connect with and serve our community, locally and globally alike. I applaud the visionary leadership of the Hamburg, San Francisco, and Shanghai conservatories for creating this cutting-edge exploration."