Great joy for the International Choir of PASO-gGmbH: The initiative receives a 2,000 euro grant as part of the Darmstadt Music Prize 2025! The Akademie für Tonkunst is involved as a supporter.
The International Choir was founded in September 2024 by PaSo (a non-profit organisation for participatory social work) as part of the pilot project WIR sind DA! Darmstadt for new citizens. Since then, around 20 people from different countries have been meeting regularly for rehearsals and concerts. They include singers from Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Guinea, Turkey, Syria and Germany.
But the choir is more than just a musical project - it is a place of encounter. It is about intercultural exchange, new friendships and experiencing music together. For people with migration or refugee experience in particular, it offers a valuable opportunity to actively participate in cultural life.
Singing together in different languages creates a space for mutual learning and inspiration. The choir helps to deepen knowledge and understanding and to break down prejudices. Music becomes a bridge between cultures, creating connections and strengthening togetherness.
As an academy, we are proud to be able to accompany the choir! Our experienced choirmaster Claudia Nicolai leads the ensemble with great commitment and her many years of expertise. Many members already have musical experience, others are discovering singing for the first time - and benefit from the open, appreciative atmosphere. For some, the choir is now more than just a musical project - it has become a social anchor that makes everyday life in a new home a little easier.
The award of the Darmstadt Music Prize scholarship, donated by the Förderkreis Kultur e.V. and Sparkasse Darmstadt, is a wonderful acknowledgement of this special project. We look forward to many more rehearsals, concerts and musical moments together!
The main prize of the Darmstadt Music Prize 2025 went to the pop duo Woog Riots - endowed with 5,000 euros. Our heartfelt congratulations!
