Bonner Schumannfest

Dear friends of Schumann,

It was seldom so easy to find a suitable and sustainable motto for the Schumann Festival in Bonn, as this year: “BELOVED CLARA” – which represents the 200th birthday of Clara Schumann and the living memory of a woman, which is an exception not only in the history of music. Clara Schumann can not be denied any roles: she was a wife (by Robert Schumann) and mother (of eight children), she was the most famous pianist of the 19th century, she was a composer and manager of her own career, pedagogue and counselor. The Schumann Festival will try to convey this richness of facets of an unusual personality.

“I like to study new things, that’s what exites me, rejuvenates me,” said Clara Schumann in the 1870s, when she was a celebrated artist throughout Europe. This attitude determines the program of this year’s festival. It is a Schumann festival of discoveries, not only in terms of the compositions (much and much more unknown is heard from Clara Schumann), but also in terms of the artists. Let yourself be surprised and inspired by the young soloists, who in our opinion have a great career ahead of them. And let yourself be “rejuvenated” by the youngest contributors this year, to whom we like to give a lot if space with a musical (Clara-Schumann-Gymnasium), orchestral concert (Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Gymnasium) and our singing contest “Show what you can do”

We wish you a stimulating Schumannfest.

Markus Schuck, Initiator and Head Bonner Schumannfest
Ulrich Bumann, Deputy Head Bonner Schumannfest
Pauliina Tukiainen, Artistic Advisor Song Bonner Schumannfest

Greetings from Peter Limbourg

»Beloved Clara« – this is the motto of this year’s Schumannfest in Bonn. With a diverse program ranging from classical to jazz, the festival will focus on Clara Schumann, whose birthday is celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2019. Thus, the festival honors the wife of Robert Schumann as one of the outstanding artistic personalities of the 19th century – a special sign of appreciation! To carry music and culture into the world in many languages ​​belongs to the mission of Deutsche Welle.

For more than 20 years, the Bonner Schumann Festival understands itself as a young festival and, above all, gives young artists a stage, often only at the beginning of their careers. Many of these young artists who have appeared in Bonn can look back on a great career today and are among the outstanding instrumentalists of the present day. This, too, is a reason for me to support the festival. I am particularly pleased that together with the Bonn Schumann Festival we can present a pianist who is no stranger to us at the Deutsche Welle: in our show EUROMAXX – in which we show Europe in with all its cultural diversity and fascination – Danae Dörken was already represented as one of the most promising young concert pianists in 2017. In June, she will come to Deutsche Welle herself – when she performs for us at the closing concert of this year’s festival and in honor of Clara Schumann. A concert that you should make a note of today.

Yours
Peter Limbourg
Intendant Deutsche Welle