Cyrille Nanchen lives, breathes and loves art. As a student in the Master of Arts ZHdK in Music Performance with a Specialization in Church Music (Choral Conducting), the 27-year-old spent the autumn semester 2022/23 at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.
ZHdK International Dossier: How did you choose the university for your exchange semester?
Cyrille Nanchen: Stockholm, due to the quality of the lecturers in choral conducting at the Royal College of Music, the rich choral tradition and the exciting cultural life of the city.
What has been the biggest surprise in the new city?
The great standard of living – the direct access to nature and culture.
What has been the biggest challenge of your semester abroad?
The self-organisation – between practising and free time, with more lesson-free time than in Zurich.
What is your favorite learning so far?
Absolutely everything ...
What is your motivation for continuing your education?
Continuing to fill my “backpack” with new inputs and opportunities.
What influence does further education have on your artistic practice?
Moving around with new people and in a new culture is something very stimulating to me.
Do we need art? And if so, why?
Yes, to live, breathe and love. My vision is to create beauty with people. Thereby I try to integrate art to a large extent and make it public. Beauty lies in life and in love.