Chamber Music and Lied

Chamber music is generally understood as a classical discipline in the traditional formations of piano trio, string quartet and wind quintet. Chamber music occupies a central place in the ZHdK's education. It is the umbrella term for all ensemble formations; thus an improvisation group, a vocal quartet, a jazz band or a percussion trio are also considered chamber music. Likewise, sonatas for instrument and piano as well as song duets belong to the field of chamber music and are cultivated in special courses as well as in main subject lessons. In addition, chamber music diplomas for ensembles, lied duet and piano chamber music for pianists can be obtained in postgraduate studies. Most of the main subject lecturers at the ZHdK have a wealth of chamber music experience, and many are also active in chamber music in concert. In addition to the curricular chamber music classes - there are always about 80 chamber music formations enrolled - a chamber music academy is held from time to time.
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Formations

  • The Kiwanis Club Zürich organises an annual music competition at the ZHdK focusing on one formation or instrument group. The winners present themselves every autumn in the Kiwanis Preisträgerkonzert.

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  • For voice students in the classical field, "Lied" is a category comparable to opera and oratorio. For both piano and voice students, it means a special form of chamber music. Lied has many facets: the German Lied, the Mélodie française, the Russian Romance and many more. On the one hand, dealing with it is a natural part of the students' studies, and on the other hand, there are duos (voice/piano) that - similar to a string quartet - want to prepare themselves as a permanent formation for professional practice. For singers as well as for pianists, the different languages are a very special challenge: because it is always necessary to do justice to the very different flow of language, the different rubato in each language and the very different images and sensations.

    In the Department of Music at the ZHdK, all interested parties are catered for. In the spirit of specialisation at a high level, Christoph Berner runs a Lied composition class in which Lied duos and students of piano chamber music with a focus on Lied can obtain a diploma, mostly in a postgraduate course. Ulrich Koella offers lessons to aspiring pianists who wish to specialise in Lied accompaniment. All voice and piano students who wish to study Lied in duo formation for one or more semesters during their studies are admitted to the Lied class of Hans Adolfsen and Christoph Berner. The same applies to Michael Biehl's Lied class with its focus on historical performance practice. Themes usually change each semester.

    Once per semester there is the opportunity to experience the Lied class of Christoph Berner and Hans Adolfsen in the Podium.

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  • The Department of Music at the ZHdK organises annual masterclasses with outstanding personalities for various instruments and chamber music. Students who participate actively or as listeners are offered the opportunity to experience formative impulses for their own musical work through encounters with great musicians.

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  • The Tonhalle-Gesellschaft offers a supporting programme for various concerts in its building. In pre-concerts related to the main programme, the interested public has the opportunity to experience rarely performed gems or to listen to conversations with composers. The pre-concert series "Surprise" and "Prélude", in which ZHdK students perform, are a collaboration between the ZHdK and the Tonhalle-Gesellschaft. Pre-concert talks - usually in the presence of the composers, who talk about their works in the main programme (at 7.30 pm) and report on their work.

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  • The Spektrum series of events is an offer to our audience and at the same time a benefit event for our students. Since the artists perform for no fee, the proceeds from the collection go entirely to the scholarship fund, which can be used to finance tuition fees for students in need. The programmes are created by lecturers, guests and occasionally also students of the university and have enriched the concert life on Mondays for years.

    The concerts always take place at 7.30 pm in one of the gems of the exciting building, the large Concert Hall 3 (7.K12).

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  • The Tonhalle-Gesellschaft offers a supporting programme for various concerts in its building. In pre-concerts related to the main programme, the interested public has the opportunity to experience rarely performed gems or to listen to conversations with composers. The pre-concert series "Surprise" and "Prélude", in which ZHdK students perform, are a collaboration between the ZHdK and the Tonhalle Society.

    Students of the ZHdK are given the opportunity to perform a pre-concert with unknown treasures from the chamber music literature in a prominent setting, programmatically coordinated with the main concert.

    - all concerts 6 p.m., Kleiner Saal, Tonhalle, Claridenstrasse 7, Zurich
    - A cooperation with the Tonhalle-Gesellschaft Zürich, programme conception Lehel Donáth
    - Archive Surprise Concerts

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  • "The Museuskonzerte are the most open and stimulating concert series in the city. They combine visual art, music and literature from the Renaissance to today." - says the Landbote in 2013, and the Carl Heinrich Ernst-Kunststiftung awards its art prize to Burkhard Kinzler in 2021.

    With over twenty years of tradition and a tried and tested concept, the Winterthurer Museumskonzert offer opportunities for ever new arrangements. In the rooms of Winterthur's unique museum landscape, encounters between art, music and literature take place that can broaden perceptions and open horizons. The programmes are coordinated with the exhibitions and collections and offer interesting, often rarely heard music.
    Burkhard Kinzler is the artistic director, and most of the concerts are given by students of the ZHdK.

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