50 years of young music: Switzerland as a sound home 

At the beginning of 2025, the Swiss Youth Music Competition is preparing to celebrate a significant anniversary: fifty years of history. Fifty years in which the competition has played a central role in promoting young musical talent and made a decisive contribution to the training of future players on the music scene.

A breath of fresh air for the next chapter

The anniversary is not only an occasion for celebration, but also for a symbolic handover: Andreas Wegelin takes over as Chairman of the Foundation Board, ushering in an era of renewal and continuity. At the same time, Stefan Escher takes over the management of the office from the long-serving Managing Director Valérie Probst.

With great and tireless dedication, Valérie Probst has shaped the competition over many years and inspired generations of young musicians. Before her departure, she carefully carried out the preparations for the anniversary edition of the competition with the same dedication that has always characterized her work. Her vision and enthusiasm are anchored not only in the history of the competition, but also in every step that has made this milestone possible. This final engagement, organized with the current team, is a worthy legacy of her many years of service. We thank her wholeheartedly for her outstanding work.

From the entrada to the finale

From March 14 to 16, 2025, the Entrada will take place in six Swiss cities, with around a thousand musicians from all over Switzerland competing. The anniversary edition will also include four disciplines: Classica, Jazz&Pop, Composition and FreeSpace. Each category offers space for different forms of musical expression, but all have a common goal: to offer young musical talent a platform on which they can compete and develop.

Classica embodies the oldest tradition of the competition. Participants have the opportunity to work on a repertoire ranging from baroque music to the great literature of the 19th century. Early music and contemporary music allow them to explore historical and new worlds of sound.

Jazz&Pop, FreeSpace and Composition, on the other hand, are the most modern disciplines. Jazz&Pop encompasses improvisation and modern music. FreeSpace gives young artists maximum creative freedom. Composition offers young composers the opportunity to develop their artistic voice and experiment with timbres.

The final will take place from May 1 to 4, 2025 in Zurich - the place where the competition was founded 50 years ago. The traditional highlight is the prizewinners' concert, at which the winners will perform.

A competition as a mirror of the Swiss music landscape

What makes the SJMW unique is its spirit of community and exchange. In each edition, music becomes a common idiom that bridges cultural, geographical and stylistic differences. Switzerland, with its diversity of languages, traditions and cultural influences, thus becomes the ambassador of a music that transcends borders. And yet the competition remains deeply rooted in its Swiss context, supported by a musical culture that draws on the country's soundscapes and traditions.

In its 50th year, the competition celebrates not only the continuity of a project, but also the steady growth of a national musical identity. Each edition is a step into the future, and builds on a solid foundation: a country that has always been a laboratory for new musical ideas with its open spirit. Switzerland is home to many - and home to a musical tradition that is constantly evolving, remaining true to itself and yet constantly reinventing itself. The Swiss Youth Music Competition is a living testimony to this.