Special recognition for the "Interactive concerts against isolation"

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Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier thanked particularly committed projects and citizens who have shown outstanding commitment during the pandemic. The HfMT Career Center team was also present at the thank-you party at Bellevue Palace!

For nearly a year and a half, the Career Center at the Hamburg University of Music and Drama has been organizing the innovative concert series “Interactive Concerts Against Isolation” in cooperation with the Hospital zum Heilen Geist to enable people to participate in music, culture, and meaningful exchanges even during these times. For students and seniors alike, the video calls that take place after the streamed concerts often lead to deeply moving exchanges.

So far, the Career Center has reached well over 30,000 people through livestreams of more than 40 concerts. About 60 musicians have performed at the interactive concerts so far. Every other Sunday, the concerts are available as streaming premieres on the HfMT’s YouTube channel, continuing well into the winter.

With the garden party, the Federal President and his wife, Elke Büdenbender, expressed their gratitude on behalf of millions of other dedicated individuals in Germany. The invited guests came from a variety of professional and social backgrounds. Among those invited were nurses, doctors, early childhood educators, researchers, teachers, apprentices, students, hairdressers, midwives, sanitation workers, funeral directors, and retail workers. It is they who, through their dedication, creativity, and drive, are holding our society together during these challenging times and making our daily lives possible.

Following the Federal President’s welcoming remarks, guests were treated to a meal prepared by the head chef of Bellevue Palace, as well as a program of music and entertainment featuring, among others, the Neue Philharmonie, Joy Denalane, and the Bundeswehr Big Band. During the meal, the Federal President and Elke Büdenbender chatted with their guests.

The appreciation event took place in accordance with current health regulations and a strict hygiene protocol. All guests had also been vaccinated, had recovered from COVID-19, or tested negative.

_The “Interactive Concerts” to combat social isolation were developed by the Career Center at the HfMT Hamburg and are held in cooperation with the Hospital zum Heiligen Geist. A project as part of Concert LAB / Stage_2.0: Alsterphilharmonie. The stage as a place for the transfer of artistic knowledge and social participation—supported by the “Innovative University” program, a joint initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Joint Science Conference._