Culture

Cultural exchange thanks to the Cuban-European Youth Academy

As part of its artistic talent development programme, the Wilo-Foundation supported the transatlantic orchestra projects of the Cuban-European Youth Academy (CuE), which took place at the Orchesterzentrum NRW in Dortmund and in Havana.

Europe, South America

Cuba, Germany

Havanna, Dortmund

Funding period: 2018-2020

The aim of the Cuban-European Youth Academy (CuE) is to connect music students and promote musical as well as cultural exchange. Within the framework of transatlantic orchestra projects and workshops, the young musicians deepen their skills under the guidance of specialist lecturers.

As part of its artistic talent development activities, the Wilo-Foundation supported the transatlantic orchestra projects of the Cuban-European Youth Academy (CuE). These unique projects took place both at the Orchesterzentrum NRW in Dortmund and in Havana and offered music students a platform for intensive exploration with the music of specific eras.

In the 2018/19 season, the Wilo-Foundation supported the project “barocco!”, followed by “clasicismo!” in the 2019/20 season. Over the course of these multi-month projects, students from various European countries and Cuba took part in intensive courses focusing on the performance practice of the Baroque or Classical periods. These courses were held in cooperation with lecturers from the Balthasar Neumann Choir and Ensemble e.V., Freiburg, and offered the students the opportunity to further develop their abilities.

In ensemble playing in various formations, the students learned about phrasing and articulation of the Baroque and early Classical periods and received an introduction to practical instrumental performance on historical instruments. Photo: Balthasar-Neumann-Chor und Ensemble e.V., Freiburg

Following intensive training, the students jointly developed programmes featuring works from both Europe and Cuba, which were presented in final concerts. The musical courses were organised in cooperation with the Lyceum Mozartiano de la Habana in Cuba and the Orchesterzentrum NRW in Dortmund. The final concerts took place in Dortmund as well as at other venues in Germany and Cuba

In addition to European works, classical Cuban compositions were also included in the changing repertoire developed during each project. The rehearsal phases and final concerts took place both in Cuba and at the Orchesterzentrum NRW in Dortmund. Photo: Balthasar-Neumann-Chor und Ensemble e.V., Freiburg

In 2019, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the city of Havana, a Brahms concert featuring “A German Requiem” was performed in Havana by the Havana Lyceum Orchestra and the CuE. The concert was supported not only by the Wilo-Foundation, but also by the Brost-Stiftung, the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), and the Arbeitskreis Ausland für kulturelle Aufgaben e.V..

Photo Header: Balthasar-Neumann-Chor und Ensemble e.V., Freiburg

Our funding partner

As a non-profit association, Balthasar-Neumann-Chor und Ensemble e.V., Freiburg, promotes the arts and culture in general and orchestral and choral music in particular. The Balthasar Neumann Choir, founded in 1991 by Thomas Hengelbrock, and the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble, founded four years later, have since made an important contribution to concerts of a high artistic standard. This is achieved not least through the joint creation of choral and orchestral works and through transatlantic orchestra projects that are accessible to everyone.

The Cuban-European Youth Academy (CuE), founded in 2014 by Thomas Hengelbrock and the Balthasar Neumann Ensembles and supported by the Federal Foreign Office since 2015, brings together young musicians from Cuba and Europe in masterclasses, workshops and transatlantic orchestra projects, promotes international dialogue, and encompasses training, exchange projects and the professionalization of the Havana Lyceum Orchestra.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) forms the global framework for action for socially, economically and ecologically sustainable development. Our funding commitment also supports these sustainability goals. With this project, we are making a contribution to achieving the following SDGs:

What are the SDGs?