Vorzeigefestival im schweizerischen Bad Ragaz

Presse-Mitteilung VP Bank Classic Festival Bad Ragaz 2019

         Vorzeigefestival im schweizerischen Bad Ragaz
    Das VP Bank Classic Festivals fördert musikalische Spitzentalente auf ehrliche Art

Wenn es um eine Ansammlung von höchster Qualität von jüngsten und jungen Musikern der klassischen Musik
geht, sucht man lange Zeit, um ein Festival zu finden, das alles, was in der Musikwelt wichtig ist, miteinander
verbindet. Seit einigen Jahren muss man schon in das beschauliche Schweizer Städtchen Bad Ragaz reisen, um
all die Qualitäten zu finden, die man sich erhoffen kann: junge Musiker der Spitzenklasse, die sich kurz vor
ihrem Sprung auf die grossen Bühnen befinden, ein abwechslungsreiches Programm, das alle Genres und alle
Bereiche der klassischen Musik abdeckt, sowie ein Ambiente, das es dem Publikum ermöglicht, mit den
Musikern in näheren Kontakt zu treten und die Zeit zwischen den Konzerten kaum angenehmer verbringen zu
können.
Vor neun Jahren hatte der Pianist und Unternehmer Drazen Domjanic eine Vision, die eine Antwort auf
folgende Fragen suchte: Wie kann man jungen, hochbegabten Künstlern eine Bühne bieten? Wie kann man sie
auf eine ehrliche Art und Weise unterstützen und fördern, so dass sie einen Absprung in die grosse Welt der
klassischen Musik schaffen? Mit der ebenfalls von ihm gegründeten Internationalen Musikakademie im
Fürstentum Liechtenstein sah er, wie die Talente ein und ausgingen, sich aber schwertaten, auf sich
aufmerksam zu machen. Genau diesem Pool an hoch talentierten Musikern wollte er neue Chancen geben.
In Bad Ragaz fand er Gleichgesinnte, die für die Musik brennen und die gewillt waren, die Ideale Domjanics zu
teilen. Bald war der Verein „Next Generation“ gegründet, um ein jährliches Festival auszutragen, das den
Musikern Möglichkeiten offeriert. Mit der liechtensteinischen VP Bank fand man einen kongenialen Sponsor
und mit dem Hotel Grand Resort Bad Ragaz einen Host, der alles bereithielt, was man sich wünschen kann:
einen Konzertsaal, Überäume für die Musiker und eine Atmosphäre, die man sich besser nicht vorstellen kann.
Dass der Host den jungen Musikern zudem von Anfang an anbot, in den Zimmern des Luxus-Resorts während
der Festivalzeit zu residieren, war keine Selbstverständlichkeit, förderte aber den Gedanken, dass das Publikum
in ganz nahen Kontakt mit den Musikern kommen kann, da sie sich zu jeder Tageszeit im Grand Resort
bewegten.
In diesem Jahr hatte man nun aufgrund der engen Verquickung des Festivals mit dem Sponsor VO Bank das
Festival erstmals unter dem Namen „VP Bank Classic Festival“ veranstaltet. Doch aufgrund dieser
Namenänderung sollte sich an der Qualität nichts ändern. Allein: Man hatte die Anzahl der Konzerte ein wenig
verkleinert, so dass die Musiker mehr Zeit für ihre Proben hatten und das Publikum die Festivalzeit entspannter
geniessen konnte. Und entsprechend der neunten Austragung des Festivals in Bad Ragaz hatte man neun
Konzerte angesetzt. Mit dem diesjährigen usbekischen Pianisten Nuron Mukumi hatte man wiederum einen
faszinierenden jungen Künstler zum „Artist in Residence“ erwählt, der sich in mehreren Konzerten als Solist
und als Kammermusiker präsentierte. Tragende Säule für das Festival ist seit 2015 das aus Streicherinnen und
Streichern der Internationalen Musikakademie im Fürstentum Liechtenstein gegründeten Ensemble Esperanza,
das sich seit seiner Gründung im Festival bereits in ganz Europa einen Namen als ein Kammerorchester der
Sonderklasse erspielt hat. Mehrere Auszeichnungen hat das Ensemble bereits eingeheimst, nachdem die
französisch-armenische Geigerin Chouchane Siranossian als Konzertmeisterin die jungen Musiker zu einem
geschlossenen und engagierten Klangkörper geformt hat. Mittlerweile sind auch die jüngsten dieser Musiker
vom Beginn zu gestandenen Musikern herangewachsen und man kann von einem professionellen
Kammerorchester im besten Sinne des Wortes sprechen. Welche immensen Potenziale sich in den Reihen des
Ensemble Esperanza im Gesamtklang verbergen, konnte das Publikum auch in diesem Jahr mehrfach
miterleben, denn aus den Reihen treten immer wieder einzelne Mitglieder als Solisten vor ihr Ensemble und
beweisen, welche grossartige Einzelkünstler sie sind.
Neben der Begeisterung eines mittlerweile gewachsenen Stammpublikums – immerhin wurden in diesem Jahr –
trotz weniger Konzerte – wiederum 1500 Tickets verkauft, ist es den jungen Musikern auf der Bühne ein
Anliegen, ihre Lust und Freude an klassische Musik an die ganz jungen Kinder weiterzugeben. Und so lud man
auch in diesem Jahr Grundschüler und Gymnasiasten aus der Region zu zwei Konzerten ein. 480 folgten mit
Begeisterung der Einladung ins Grand Resort und waren fasziniert von dem Spass, der ihnen da von den
zwischen 17 und 28 Jahren alten Musikern von der Bühne entgegenkam. Sie spürten, dass es kein Druck von
aussen ist, der die Musiker da antreibt, sondern die wortwörtliche Freude des gemeinsamen Musizierens, des

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Arbeitens an dieser Musik. Und da Musik eine Sprache ist, die nicht nur die zahllosen Nationalitäten im
Ensemble Esperanza verbindet, sondern alle Menschen zu bewegen versteht, haben es sich die Musiker zur
Tradition gemacht, die Patienten in den Kliniken Valens zu besuchen, um ihnen mit ihrer Musik Freude,
Abwechslung und Hoffnung zu geben.
Dass auch die allerjüngsten im VP Bank Classic Festival eine Bühne erhielten, versteht sich aus der Grundidee
seit der Gründung von selbst. Denn „die nächste Generation“ soll hier eine entdeckt, soll hier gefördert werden.
Und das Publikum liebt diese Konzerte, in denen sie jüngste Musiker entdecken können, die aus der Erfahrung
einige Jahre später bereits auf den grossen Bühnen dieser Welt zuhause sind. In diesem Jahr waren dies die 13-
jährige geigerin Clara Shen, der 15-jährige Cellist Philipp Schupelius und der ebenfalls 15-jährige Pianist Arsen
Dalibaltyan aus Kroatien.

Das VP Bank Classic Festival, das 2020 vom 7. bis zum 14. Februar zum 10. Mal wieder in Bad Ragaz
ausgetragen wird und sich als Schwerpunkt dem Werk Ludwig van Beethovens widmen wird, hat sich zu einem
Festival der Sonderklasse entwickelt, zu einem Vorzeigefestival. Denn die Grundidee der Förderung junger
Spitzentalente ist immer noch das wichtigste für den Veranstalter „Festival Next Generation“. So gelungen und
so einvernehmlich mit allen Faktoren kann die Förderung von musikalischen Spitzentalenten aussehen. Wenn
woanders solch junge Talente eingeladen werden, um preiswert oder ohne Bezahlung zu musizieren, ist dies
allerdings keine Förderung, sondern ein Geschäftsmodell – und genau dies gibt es in VP Bank Classic Festival
nicht …

                                                                           Abdruck honorarfrei – Belege erbeten!

Weitere Informationen unter:

Festivalverein NEXT GENERATION
c/o Wälti Treuhand und Revision AG
Taminastrasse 4
CH-7310 Bad Ragaz
info@vpbankclassicfestival.com
www.vpbankclassicfestival.com
Tel.: +41 (0) 78 231 11 22

Press Release VP Bank Classic Festival Bad Ragaz 2019

            Model Festival in Bad Ragaz/Switzerland
  The VP Bank Classic Festival promotes musical top-talents with genuine commitment
Where a top-notch gathering of young and very young musicians of classical music is concerned, a festival that
offers everything that is of importance in the world of music is hard to come by. For many years now you have
to travel to the peaceful town of Bad Ragaz in Switzerland in order to find everything you can hope for: young
top-musicians on the verge of conquering the famous stages, a varied programme that covers all genres and
fields of classical music as well as an atmosphere that gives the audience the opportunity to get into close
contact with the musicians and to spend the time between the concerts in quite a pleasurable way.
Nine years ago the pianist and entrepreneur Drazen Domjanic had a grandiose idea that was supposed to find
answers to the following questions: How can you offer young, highly talented artists a platform? How can you
support and promote them in a way that they will be able to take the giant leap forwards into the whole wide
world of classical music? At the Internationale Musikakademie in the principality of Liechtenstein he had
founded, he saw a lot of talents come and go but also realised that they were not able to attract any attention.
And it was exactly this pool of exceptionally talented artists he wanted to provide with excellent opportunities.
In Bad Ragaz Domjanic met like-minded people that were enthusiastic about music and shared his ideals. Soon
the society “Next Generation” was founded for the purpose of organising an annual festival that offers young
musicians new chances and perspectives With the VP Bank/Liechtenstein a congenial sponsor was found and
with the hotel Grand Resort Bad Ragaz a host offering anything you could wish for: a concert hall, rehearsal
rooms for the musicians and a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The fact that right from the start the hotel
offered the young musicians to stay in the rooms of this luxury resort during the festival was very generous and
by no means a matter-of-course and helped promote the idea of a close contact between the audience and the
musicians who were present at the Grand Resort the whole day long.
This year the festival was re-named “VP Bank Classic Festival” to emphasise the close bond between the
festival and its sponsor – the VP Bank. However, this did not change the quality one iota. Just the number of
concerts was reduced so that the musicians were able to spend more time rehearsing and to make the time of the
festival more relaxing for the audience. In accordance with the festival being organised for the ninth time, nine
concerts were scheduled. With the Uzbek pianist Nuron Mukumi another fascinating young musician had been
appointed as “artist in residence”. He presented himself as a soloist and chamber musician in several concerts.
Since 2015 the backbone of this festival has been the Ensemble Esperanza, set up by string players of the
Internationale Musikakademie in the principality of Liechtenstein. Since its formation at this festival this
ensemble has made a name for itself as a chamber orchestra of extraordinary quality throughout Europe and has
already won several awards after the Armeno-French violinist Chouchane Siranossian turned these young
musicians into a homogeneous group and totally committed body of sound. Meanwhile even the initially
youngest members of the ensemble have become seasoned musicians so that you can really call this ensemble a
professional chamber orchestra in the best sense of this word. Also this year the audience could experience its
huge potential of soloists as some members – as is usual – played solo parts and proved to be incredibly great
solo musicians.
Apart from fascinating the growing number of regular guests – this year again 1500 tickets were sold despite
fewer concerts – the young musicians also want to pass on their enthusiasm for and their delight in classical
music to young children. That is why, like every year, pupils from elementary and grammar schools of the
region were invited to two concerts. 480 of them gladly accepted the invitation to the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz
and were enthralled with experiencing the joy and fun of the performing musicians, who were between 17 and
28 years of age. They could feel that they are not driven by some kind of external pressure but by the sheer
delight in making music together and in working with this music. And as music is a universal language that
does not only link the different nationalities the Ensemble Esperanza is made-up of but moves each and every
one, the musicians have established the tradition to pay a visit to the patients in the Valens clinic – so that their
music fills them with hope and joy and gives them a brief but welcome respite from the hospital surroundings.

                                                                                                              …/2

Press Release VP Bank Classic Festival Bad Ragaz 2019

            Model Festival in Bad Ragaz/Switzerland
  The VP Bank Classic Festival promotes musical top-talents with genuine commitment
Where a top-notch gathering of young and very young musicians of classical music is concerned, a festival that
offers everything that is of importance in the world of music is hard to come by. For many years now you have
to travel to the peaceful town of Bad Ragaz in Switzerland in order to find everything you can hope for: young
top-musicians on the verge of conquering the famous stages, a varied programme that covers all genres and
fields of classical music as well as an atmosphere that gives the audience the opportunity to get into close
contact with the musicians and to spend the time between the concerts in quite a pleasurable way.
Nine years ago the pianist and entrepreneur Drazen Domjanic had a grandiose idea that was supposed to find
answers to the following questions: How can you offer young, highly talented artists a platform? How can you
support and promote them in a way that they will be able to take the giant leap forwards into the whole wide
world of classical music? At the Internationale Musikakademie in the principality of Liechtenstein he had
founded, he saw a lot of talents come and go but also realised that they were not able to attract any attention.
And it was exactly this pool of exceptionally talented artists he wanted to provide with excellent opportunities.
In Bad Ragaz Domjanic met like-minded people that were enthusiastic about music and shared his ideals. Soon
the society “Next Generation” was founded for the purpose of organising an annual festival that offers young
musicians new chances and perspectives With the VP Bank/Liechtenstein a congenial sponsor was found and
with the hotel Grand Resort Bad Ragaz a host offering anything you could wish for: a concert hall, rehearsal
rooms for the musicians and a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The fact that right from the start the hotel
offered the young musicians to stay in the rooms of this luxury resort during the festival was very generous and
by no means a matter-of-course and helped promote the idea of a close contact between the audience and the
musicians who were present at the Grand Resort the whole day long.
This year the festival was re-named “VP Bank Classic Festival” to emphasise the close bond between the
festival and its sponsor – the VP Bank. However, this did not change the quality one iota. Just the number of
concerts was reduced so that the musicians were able to spend more time rehearsing and to make the time of the
festival more relaxing for the audience. In accordance with the festival being organised for the ninth time, nine
concerts were scheduled. With the Uzbek pianist Nuron Mukumi another fascinating young musician had been
appointed as “artist in residence”. He presented himself as a soloist and chamber musician in several concerts.
Since 2015 the backbone of this festival has been the Ensemble Esperanza, set up by string players of the
Internationale Musikakademie in the principality of Liechtenstein. Since its formation at this festival this
ensemble has made a name for itself as a chamber orchestra of extraordinary quality throughout Europe and has
already won several awards after the Armeno-French violinist Chouchane Siranossian turned these young
musicians into a homogeneous group and totally committed body of sound. Meanwhile even the initially
youngest members of the ensemble have become seasoned musicians so that you can really call this ensemble a
professional chamber orchestra in the best sense of this word. Also this year the audience could experience its
huge potential of soloists as some members – as is usual – played solo parts and proved to be incredibly great
solo musicians.
Apart from fascinating the growing number of regular guests – this year again 1500 tickets were sold despite
fewer concerts – the young musicians also want to pass on their enthusiasm for and their delight in classical
music to young children. That is why, like every year, pupils from elementary and grammar schools of the
region were invited to two concerts. 480 of them gladly accepted the invitation to the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz
and were enthralled with experiencing the joy and fun of the performing musicians, who were between 17 and
28 years of age. They could feel that they are not driven by some kind of external pressure but by the sheer
delight in making music together and in working with this music. And as music is a universal language that
does not only link the different nationalities the Ensemble Esperanza is made-up of but moves each and every
one, the musicians have established the tradition to pay a visit to the patients in the Valens clinic – so that their
music fills them with hope and joy and gives them a brief but welcome respite from the hospital surroundings.

                                                                                                              …/2

-2-

The fact that even the youngest musicians were also given a platform at the VP Bank Classic Festival is an
integral part of the initial idea as the intention is to discover and promote the “next generation”. And the
audience really loves the concerts in which they can spot very young talents, who – and experience shows that –
will be performing on renowned stages in a few years’ time. This year the most impressive talents were the 13-
year-old violinist Clara Shen, the 15-year-old cellist Philipp Schupelius and the also 15-year-old pianist Arsen
Dalibaltyan from Croatia.

In 2020 the VP Bank Classic Festival will take place for the tenth time from 7th to 14th February, and will be
focussing on Ludwig van Beethoven’s oeuvre. This festival has turned into a first-rate event – a model festival.
For the organisers “Festival Next Generation” the idea of promoting young top-talents is still the most
important aspect and the festival therefore a prime example of how musical talents can be successfully and
efficiently supported and in a way that takes everything that is essential into account. Elsewhere young artists
are invited to perform for a pittance or without being paid at all, which has nothing to do with promotion but is
just a business model – and this is definitely not the case where the VP Bank Classic Festival is concerned.

                                                   Publication free of charge – Specimen copies requested!

For further information please contact:

Festivalverein NEXT GENERATION
c / o Wälti Treuhand und Revision AG
Taminastrasse 4
CH- 7310 Bad Ragaz
info@vpbankclassicfestival.com
www.vpbankclassicfestival.com
Tel.: +41 (0) 78 231 11 22