The Discovery Weekend 2024 at Akademie für Tonkunst was a great success and attracted numerous music enthusiasts from 28 to 30 June.
Friday evening began with an impressive concert by the orchestra of the University of Cooperative Education under the direction of Elena Postumi. The demanding symphonic-soloistic programme was very well received and provided an impressive prelude.
On Saturday, the performances of the musical comedy "The Little Prince" took centre stage. Under the direction of Georg Blüml and the musical direction of Claudia Nicolai, the young choir members transformed the stage into a fascinating world. The technical support of Peter Arendt and Wolfram Friedrich as well as the musical accompaniment by pianist Konstantin Zvyagin and light magician Masahiro Nishio contributed significantly to the success of the performances at 11 am and 4.30 pm.
The family day on Saturday offered visitors the opportunity to familiarise themselves with various instruments and ensembles in micro-concerts and instrument labs in bright sunshine and tropical temperatures. The socialising between visitors and musicians over coffee, cake, chips, homemade burgers and falafel encouraged a family atmosphere and networking. The entire building was brought to life and the huge outdoor stage sponsored by Entega provided space for choirs, brass bands and jazz combos.
Sunday morning was rounded off with a festive matinée by the orchestra, a repeat of Friday's programme.
All events were free of charge, and the high level of donations from visitors emphasised the appreciation of the Academy's work. We would particularly like to thank Sparkasse Darmstadt, represented by Mr Ralf Bernhard, for presenting us with a generous cheque for the music school's talent promotion programme.
We look forward to next year and thank all colleagues who contributed to the success of the weekend!