8 The Berlin Times April 2019 ANNA KLEMM Playing for the future Time to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Berlin’s festival – as well as a number of former participants who’ve made it big

Junge Deutsche Philharmonie. As part of he worked as an assistant to conduc- later she oversaw family concerts with BY PETER UEHLING the ’s participation in the YEC tors Dirk Brossé, Krzystof Urbański and intercultural undertones at the Rund- starting in 2004, Wilmsen held the posi- Thomas Søndergard. His work as an funk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, for which ne of the most successful con- tion of solo oboist. In 2010, she became assistant involved such tasks as checking she also composed several musical dra- cepts in classical is turn- solo oboist in the orchestra of Berlin’s the tonal balance of the instruments and matic works. Fostering dialogue between Oing 20 this year. Back in 2000, Deutsche Oper, and three years later she rehearsing works with individual orches- German and Turkish culture is the idea the youth orchestra festival known as the was named solo oboist at the Deutsches tra groups. behind her chamber music ensemble Oliv- Young Euro Classic (YEC) took place Symphonie-Orchester, one of Germany’s Although a young conductor can learn inn; for example, they perform Schubert’s for the first time ever in Berlin. From best. For many musicians, this would be a lot by engaging in such work, it won’t “Winterreise” using Turkish instruments. that first year onwards, the YEC team enough of a career and plenty to keep make him famous. According to Hasan, Her work also involves a tangible turn under Gabriele Minz was able to fill the them busy; but Wilmsen also performs Young Euro Classic was less important for Viola Wilmsen toward the public, and she is currently Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt to regularly as a soloist in oboe concerts, his career than his work with the EUYO, working as the musical director of the the brim almost every evening – with plays chamber music in several ensembles with whom he also rehearsed indepen- Gorki Theater in Berlin. So, as important performances by well-known German and has even recorded CDs with them. dently starting in 2014. Ultimately, what as it was for her to win the European and international youth , but When asked to what extent Young Euro was most decisive were his achievements DPA/TAGESSPIEGEL Award – previous recipients also by lesser-known regional ensembles. Classic contributed to her success, Wilm- at various competitions: after pursuing include Magnus Lindberg, Niels Klein and The festival takes place each year in the sen describes a more indirect impact: his studies further in Weimar and Zurich, Agata Zubel – Sinem Altan’s schedule of final weeks of Berlin’s official theater hol- “Participating in the YEC has a mostly Hasan was a finalist in 2016 at the Dona- engagements was already full before she idays, which means it profits from having indirect effect on players,” she argues. “I tella Flick Competition in received the composers’ prize. fewer cultural events to compete with as think what’s most important is the sense London and was named associate con- In other words, the benefits of taking well as from the sheer charisma of the of achievement and positive feedback one ductor of the Welsh National Opera. As a part in Young Euro Classic remain rela- youth orchestras themselves. Far from gets from conductors in youth orchestras. winner of the renowned Young Conduc- tively minimal for individual musicians. the service-oriented mentality of some That’s what gave me strength and moti- tors Award at the Salzburger Festspiele, Viola Wilmsen notes that the event fails professional orchestras, these young vated me on my path to becoming a pro- he was also appointed to the position of to support the networking of musicians musicians inevitably play with a special fessional musician.” As she notes further, principal conductor of the Tiroler Sym- from different orchestras and cultures. intensity and give audiences hope that the pressure and excitement of perform- phonieorchester Innsbruck. But Hasan Still, the competitive nature of the festi- this youthful élan will be preserved in ing at the Konzerthaus in Berlin and in a will only take up that position starting in val has prompted the youth orchestras the future. The suggestive slogan of the series with other youth orchestras acted the fall, because for the current season, he to reach breathtaking heights of musical Young Euro Classic is “Hier spielt die as an “incentive to be especially well-pre- is still studying as an assistant under Ber- quality; for example, Stravinsky’s “Sacre Zukunft,” which can be loosely translated pared and to give absolutely everything in nard Haitink in Chicago and Amsterdam. du Printemps,” which required tremen- as “This is where the future plays.” every concert.” The Young Euro Classic most likely dous effort to play 100 years ago, is now But what does that future actually look Youth orchestras indeed gain motivation exerts its strongest promotional impact Sinem Altan easily mastered by regional youth orches- like? In other words, what happens to by performing in famous concert halls, but on behalf of composers, rather than for tras. Indeed, modern young musicians after they’ve performed most of all they benefit from the experi- young orchestra members. Almost all on the varying importance of participa- plays a decisive role in the upswing in at Young Euro Classic? If one is looking ence of working with established con- youth orchestras perform a new work by a tion in the YEC. performance and quality, and the develop- to portray the festival’s success at pro- ductors. Students studying orchestra con- from their home country, which It should be noted that Sinem Altan ments fostered by the Young Euro Classic moting young talent, then oboist Viola ducting can also learn a lot, for example, then competes with others for the Euro- was already well-known before she got also serve to inspire individual musicians Wilmsen is the poster child. After winning by working as assistants. Up-and-coming pean Composers Prize decided by a public involved in the Young Euro Classic. In to reach new heights. competitions for her trumpet playing and conductor Kerem Hasan, who was born in jury. In 2015, the National Youth Sym- her home country of Turkey, her talents also displaying her talent for piano and London in 1992, accompanied the Euro- phony Orchestra of Turkey presented the were noticed and fostered as a young girl vocals, Wilmsen chose to study the oboe pean Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) on work “Hafriyat – Earthwork” by the then- and she came to Berlin at the age of 11 in Lübeck and later in Paris and Berlin. its tours starting in 2012, and also played 30-year-old composer Sinem Altan. Of the to study piano and composition at the Peter Uehling is a music critic for While still in secondary school, she played in Berlin. At the time, he was studying three musicians presented here, she is the Hochschule für Musik. At the age of 23, the daily Berliner Zeitung. This year’s Young Euro Classic will take place in in the German National Youth Orches- piano and conducting in Glasgow and only one who mentions the Young Euro she wrote the first of now four works for Berlin from July 19 to Aug. 6. tra, and later, while at university, in the played piano in the orchestra, but mostly Classic on her CV. This speaks volumes Berlin’s Neuköllner Oper, and one year BERLIN: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. News and facts from the German capital.

Read our digital edition now!

All offers: morgenpost.de/digital