High level at 1800 m.a.s.l.

Andri Probst - The Arosa Classical Music Festival will take place in Arosa from March 20 to 26, 2022. Arosa Kultur asked the two artistic directors about the festival and their vision.

How did the collaboration with Arosa Kultur come about?

Markus Fleck: A concert in honor of Hans Schaeuble's 100th birthday in 2006 was the start of a fruitful, long-standing collaboration. After this first encounter, the first Arosa Music Festival took place in 2008, and Christian Buxhofer, then President of the "Kulturkreis Arosa", invited the casalQuartett to perform a chamber music concert to mark the anniversary. In addition to this wonderful commission, I also founded and directed the Arosa Music Academy in 2011. Since initiating these two important core elements of Arosa Kultur's work, I have been closely associated with the committed protagonists on site.

Lars Mlekusch: Over 15 years ago, Christian Buxhofer invited me and my duo partner at the time, pianist See Siang Wong, to give a concert in the Protestant church in Arosa. That was my first visit to Arosa and a wonderful and formative experience. I was very happy to accept the subsequent request to lead an annual saxophone course as part of the Arosa Music Academy. I have been teaching the Arosa Music Academy, as the master class has been called for several years, together with my wonderful colleagues Timothy McAllister from the USA and Christian Wirth from France as well as the pianists Iren Seleljo (Vienna) and Florian von Radowitz (Berlin). The close collaboration with the accordion master class has also become a unique feature of the Arosa Music Academy. This is led by accordionist Grzegorz Stopa (Vienna) and has been team-teaching with Stefan Hussong (Würzburg) for several years. We have all been very good friends for years and complement each other perfectly thanks to our different artistic focuses.

What values does the Arosa Music Academy embody for you?

MF: One participant in 2021 put it very nicely: "At the Arosa Music Academy, you meet students from different countries who, unlike other masterclasses, don't become co-current students over the course of the week, but friends. An essential part of the secret is the free offer to take chamber music alongside the intensive solo course. As a result, we quickly grow into a close-knit group whose participants spur each other on to top performances. The breathtaking scenic surroundings of the mountains in Arosa are magnificent, but it is the motivating and supportive charisma of the fantastic team of professors that makes participation in the Academy an unforgettable experience." This impression is spot on.

LM: In recent years, the Arosa Music Academy has positioned itself internationally as a leading summer course for classical saxophone and accordion. Talents from all over the world come to Arosa every year for this unique experience. In a family atmosphere, the students work intensively in individual coaching sessions on the one hand, while on the other hand there is a strong focus on chamber music and ensemble playing. Friendships often develop over many years during the Academy.

Why does the Arosa Classical Music Festival need to promote young talent?

MF: Most music festivals score points with glamorous names and established artists. Arosa deliberately focuses on young talents who, after careful selection, urgently need such stepping stones to prove themselves and distinguish themselves in the music world. Quality is the most important yardstick here. Just because many of them are still at the beginning of their professional careers does not mean they have to compromise on quality. The performers are often already outstanding experts in their field.

LM: The fact that they rehearse and perform chamber music with others at a high level and are accompanied by highly experienced musicians and teachers makes the whole thing even more attractive.

The Arosa Classical Music Festival offers young musicians a wonderful opportunity to gain performance experience outside the universities and to network with like-minded people.

What is your vision for the Arosa Music Academy and the Arosa Classical Music Festival?

MF: It is truly amazing what a high standard (in more ways than one!) can be experienced in Arosa, despite, or perhaps because of, its remoteness. Here you arrive and stay. Hectic and restless hustle and bustle is elsewhere. Just as you can admire the majesty of nature in Arosa, you can experience man-made art as a creative counterpart and complement. This is a mutually reinforcing togetherness. I hope that more people from Arosa and abroad will discover this double "filling station" for body, mind and soul and tell others about it, whether they are teachers from all over the world or visitors who are captivated by Arosa and its culture.

LM: I hope that many young talents will continue to find their way to the tranquil town of Arosa with its wonderful mountain world and that they will be able to gain positive and intensive musical as well as interpersonal experiences.

... is a violinist and violist. His work focuses on giving concerts with the casalQuartett and the chamber music collective CHAARTS. He is also a teacher, including as director of the AROSA MUSIC ACADEMY and, from 2021, as a tutor for projects at the Stuttgart University of Music.

... is a lecturer for saxophone and conductor. After studying in Basel, Chicago, Amsterdam and Paris, he initially enjoyed international success as a saxophonist before he increasingly began to recommend himself as a conductor. He has been a professor at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) since 2015. He gives courses at renowned universities worldwide and acts as a juror at international competitions.