The SJMW has arrived

A broad base, good acceptance, a contemporary media presence with a new website and Facebook profile, sufficient finances, the successful launch of the rock/pop jazz competition, a high standard - the Swiss Youth Music Competition has arrived where it always wanted to be. It has become an indispensable beacon of top-level musical promotion and is firmly anchored in the consciousness of all stakeholders. The pop/rock and jazz competition, which was held for the first time in 2012, has been extremely well received. The second final will once again be held at Moods in Zurich at the end of August. Interestingly, more than half of the finalists in the jazz category have already taken part in the classical music competition.

Solid financing
Of course, work has to be done every year to finance the event. Private sponsors, including main sponsors, conclude their contracts for one to three years. The "public sector" cannot guarantee permanent funding either, as we all know. However, the likelihood of a sufficient cushion being created in each case has increased significantly in recent years. In addition to the cantons, the federal government has recently joined the ranks of supporters. According to the federal government's cultural message for the years 2012 - 2015, the SJMW is one of the institutions eligible for subsidies. A substantial amount has already been allocated for 2012; this is very likely to be the case again until 2015 for the time being. The total budget of the SJMW is relatively modest at CHF 680,000. It is admirable that such great events can be organized year after year with these funds.