On Friday, 13 June 2025, the Wilhelm-Petersen-Saal not only became a concert venue, but also the setting for a special educational experiment: the orchestra concert of the Berufsakademie under the direction of Rüdiger Lotter combined a challenging concert programme with an innovative learning approach.
What made the evening so special was not only the repertoire - with works by Mozart, Haydn and Frank Martin - but also the way in which the participants took part: string players from the Berufsakademie had the opportunity to experience famous solo concertos from the perspective of the orchestra - a rare and formative experience for musical understanding. At the same time, selected soloists had the opportunity to rehearse and perform with the orchestra. All four had previously qualified for their solo part in an internal academy competition - a recognition of their special commitment and musical development.
The programme began with two violin concertos by W. A. Mozart: K. 218 in D major, performed by Jiaqian Chau, and K. 219 in A major with Yi Chen. Both were convincing with their confident playing, stylistic sensitivity and lively interaction with the orchestra.
The break was followed by the first movement of Haydn's Cello Concerto in C major, played by Chuzhang Huang. He brought the classical work to life with a beautiful tone and confident playing style and played his part with calm and clarity.
Mozart's Concerto in D major KV 218 was played again at the end - this time with Haotian Gao as the soloist. With a clear tone, confident technique and self-assured presence, he brought the evening to a well-rounded close.
Another highlight was Frank Martin's "Études pour orchestre à cordes", which complemented the programme as an ensemble performance.
Many thanks also go to the main subject teachers Alina Armonas-Tambrea (violin) and Romain Garioud (violoncello), who helped prepare the project and supported their students with commitment.
The project showed how artistic training and practical experience can go hand in hand - and how valuable it is when a concert hall also becomes a place of learning.
