No crisis in classical music
From 29 May to 1 June, 850 trade visitors, 500 companies and organizations from 40 countries met at the Vienna Museum of Applied Arts for Classical:NEXT, the trade forum for all sectors of the classical music industry.
In his opening speech, guest speaker Daniel Hope emphasized that classical music is not in a crisis, but rather that this music has been ignored in recent decades. We need to act now, as young people have fewer and fewer opportunities to discover this music. In a so-called network meeting, the Swiss violinist and music manager Etienne Abelin, together with Marshall Marcus from England, presented the Sistema Europe various European offshoots of the Venezuelan El sistema. Switzerland is also involved in the Sistema Europe with the Superar Suisse Association.
The Fondation Suisa, together with Pro Helvetia and the Swiss Performers' Cooperative, organized a joint Swiss stand in which the following organizations participated: classYcal-new ways in classical music, Disques VDE-GALLO, Guild GmbH, Lucerne Festival, Musiques Suisse of the Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund, Schweizerischer Tonkünstlerverein and Schweizer Musikzeitung.
Classical:NEXT took place in Munich for the first time in 2012. This year, with the second edition in Vienna, it has established itself as an important and growing international event for the classical music industry. 120 exhibitors presented their offerings, while 40 international experts took part in conferences, discussion panels and presentations and 100 artists performed at various concerts. Video showcases and film screenings rounded off the program.
It was initiated Classical:NEXT from CLASS-Association of Classical Independents in Germany e.V. The trade fair is organized by piranha womex AG, which has been staging the annual music trade fair WOMEX - the world music expo - since 1994.
