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Celebrating Beethoven and up-and-coming musicians
The Swiss Foundation For Young Musicians in Basel is dedicated to giving students of the various Swiss Universities of Music a fabulous platform to showcase their incredible talent. The free lunchtime concerts are popular among locals, fellow musicians and visitors alike. This May, the foundation plans a very special event: Celebrating Beethoven’s 250th birthday with the help of a whole range of young pianists.
Young musicians and composers come from all over the world to study music in Switzerland. During their time at university, they are encouraged to experiment, practice and perfect their skill. What better way to do that than in front of an appreciative audience? The foundation, For Young Musicians, provides exactly that. With its concert series, it gives these highly skilled students a continuous opportunity to not only perform with a live audience but also to do so in a gorgeous concert venue.
Every Thursday, artistic director and co-founder Isabel Heusser puts together a short, delicately balanced programme in close collaboration with the musicians. From solo to small instrumental or vocal ensembles, the foundation is open to all applications.
“On the one hand, there are so many gifted and creative young musicians, who are keen to showcase their progress,” Heusser explains enthusiastically. “On the other hand, there are many people who appreciate listening. We bring them together, it’s a win-win for everybody. Professional musicians often face a challenging time when they start their careers. Our foundation aims to support them early on. They receive a fee for their performance with us, and we allow them to use audio recordings, video clips and photos for their websites and future promotion.”
Over the years, the weekly lunchtime concerts have become a popular event in Basel and attract music lovers from all backgrounds. Another concert series is called ‘Heure bleue’ (French for ‘twilight’), which are longer evening programmes inspired by the magic hours between day and night.
From 3 May to 10 May, the foundation is celebrating Beethoven’s 250th birthday. ‘Ein Fest für Ludwig ’focuses on performing all of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas in chronological order.