Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts awards Strebi Prizes
Three prizes were awarded by the Strebi Foundation for particularly outstanding Bachelor's degrees at the Lucerne School of Music's graduation ceremony. The awards, each worth 2,000 francs, went to two classical and one jazz thesis.
According to the university's press release, harpist Noemi von Felten majored in improvisation in the classical music profile and graduated with the highest grade A in both main subjects. Her exploration of new playing techniques and the electronic amplification of the harp culminated in a bachelor's project at La Bohème in Zurich, where she performed together with her folk-pop band "Eyebrows of Deaths".
Pianist Paola Mitrovic graduated with the highest grades in the core area. In her exceptional Bachelor's project, she also realized a concert with Beethoven's Piano Concerto in C major op.15 and Mahler's songs from "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" for chamber orchestra with piano. In this concerto, the piano was used as a solo instrument with orchestra and as a substitute for the orchestra.
Chiara Schönfeld distinguished herself with an above-average, confident Bachelor's degree examination. She not only has a very beautiful voice and a convincing, personal expression, but also good phrasing and rhythmic strength, especially in the ternary jazz range, which was strongly expressed in the pieces she performed. Her spontaneous interpretation of the lead sheet was very convincing, the transcription of the Hank Mobley solo was very precise and she performed the cleverly arranged etude excellently.
In the Bachelor of Arts in Music program in Lucerne, 63 graduates received their diplomas this fall, 44 of them in the classical music profile and 19 in the jazz profile. A total of 51 diplomas were awarded in the Master of Arts in Music program, most of them in the classical performance profile (27). In the Master of Arts in Music Education, 45 graduates acquired their professional qualification for teaching at music schools or secondary schools. In addition, 43 professionals completed their further training with a Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS) or a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS).