Project description

Ljubimo glasbo! /
Wir lieben Musik /
We love music!

This project brings together two Austrian and four Slovenian schools. Among them are three different types of schools: two conservatories, three music schools and a primary school. By including a primary school, an additional insight into musical education in Slovenia is possible.
Over the time of 24 months, around 400 Slovenian and Austrian pupils, as well as more than 30 teachers and directors, travel to the other country to improve their musical and linguistic skills at seminars, masterclasses, rehearsals and concerts.

Historical musical relationships

A special motivation for this project is in the interest in the historical musical relationships between Styria and Slovenia, in getting to know contemporary Slovenian and Styrian music, in getting to know the music education systems of the other country and in the importance of international exchange, which, in addition to practicing, learning and performing, is an important aspect for the development of young musicians.

Slovenian & Austrian composers

Even though Styria and Slovenia were already well connected in the field of music 200 years ago, these interrelationships, which are to be made visible through this project, are nearly unknown to a larger audience and also to the musical youth. Jakob Gallus, Lucijan M. Skerjanc, Janez Maticic and Benjamin Ipavec on the one hand – Johann Joseph Fux, Hugo Wolf, Nikolaus Reznicek and Anselm Hüttenbrenner on the other: Numerous interrelationships can be found in the biographies of great composers from the respective cultural circles.

New horizons

Also contemporary music of both countries and the original compositions of teachers and students from all institutions will be integrated into the project.
In today’s Europe, which is growing ever closer, we want to show these cross-connections to the musical youth. Researching and discovering new horizons abroad is further an important and trend-setting experience for music students. With Erasmus+ we want to give them the opportunity to work with recognized pedagogues from abroad, to establish new contacts and to find further perspectives and dimensions of music.

Project focus

The focus of the project is the exchange between the classes (teachers and students) from Graz, Ljubljana and Koper, the children’s choirs from Graz and Tržišče, and the youth wind orchestras from Bad Radkersburg and Murska Sobota. In the framework of the stays of the pupils in Graz, Ljubljana, Koper, Tržišče, Bad Radkersburg and Murska Sobota, masterclasses (soloists and chamber musicians in different styles), seminars (choir, orchestra), concerts and ensemble projects are organized.

Cooperations

The cross-border exchange provides a good basis for long-term cooperations between Austria and Slovenia and thus creates new perspectives for the joint development of talented students in European music culture. It is certainly an advantage that the conservatories from Graz and Ljubljana, as well as the music schools from Koper and Murska Sobota already have extensive experience in the practical implementation of international exchanges.

Going international

Talented young musicians are made fit for international competitions. They experience an important and long-term broadening of their horizons through working with foreign lecturers. At the same time, interculturality is promoted. The Erasmus + applications from the Conservatory represent an important step in a broad internationalization strategy.

Picture Credits (large picture): Christine Kipper für den Steiermarkhof