The Era Foundation received thanks for supporting the third Polish-German festival for young musicians in Bremen, which took place on September 6-11, 2019, organized by the Association of Young Musicians from Germany and Poland. About 100 young art adepts from both countries took part in it, practicing their skills under the guidance of world-renowned teachers. The event was also reported in the Bremen media. “Weser Kurier” published extensive information about the festival and its ideas, there was also a broadcast on Radio Bremen. There was also a mention in the regional television program “buten un binnen”.

The originators of this form of education are Jolanta and Maciej Ziemski, graduates of the Academy of Music in Łódź and the Academy of Music in Bremen (Jolanta Ziemska – piano, Maciej Ziemski – guitar). It is thanks to their involvement that the Association of Young Musicians from Germany and Poland was established, which supports musically talented children and young people of both countries. Despite its rather short history (the association was founded in January 2017), it can pride itself on significant achievements in the cultural field, linking neighboring countries. The most important events include, first of all, two international music festivals organized in 2017 and 2018, which were aimed at children, youth and students from Poland and Germany. Each of them hosted concerts of young art adepts, as well as music workshops, lectures, lectures, and exhibitions of sheet music and instruments. During their week-long stay, young musicians spent their time mainly making music, broadening their knowledge under the guidance of world-renowned teachers, and exchanging experiences and various pedagogical methods. The first edition of the festival hosted 40 adepts of art, the second was already attended by over 80 participants, this year’s edition was attended by about a hundred children and young people from Germany and Poland, including cities: Białystok, Augustów, Suwałki, Przemyśl, Gdańsk, Łódź.

This year, as in the previous two years, young musicians received professional music lessons from excellent teachers: prof. Elżbieta Rosińska, prof. Jens Wagner, prof. Łukasz Błaszczyk, prof. Alana Juarez Balderas, prof. Katrina Scholz, prof. Cezary Sanecki, dr. Maciej Staszewski, dr. Kordian Góra, prof. Maciej Sobczak, dr. Monika Dżuła-Radkiewicz. The music workshops were also supported by their knowledge by: Magdalena Betleja, Artur Pacewicz, Gabriel Guillen, Artem Yasynskyy, Arvid Gräber, Anna Szulc-Kapala. Guitarists, pianists and, for the first time this year, violinists improved their skills at the Bremen Academy of Music, made first contacts and shared their experiences with other participants. Additionally, the festival program includes lectures and exhibitions, city tours, a visit to the prestigious contemporary art gallery of the Hollweg Foundation, and a visit to the Bremer Daimler AG factory. On the other hand, educators could discuss various teaching methods in a joint forum.

Such a great cultural and educational event was also associated with a huge logistical effort. It was necessary to take care not only of the base for the organization of music workshops, but also of accommodation for everyone, meals and transport. All preparations for this year’s edition of the festival began a few months earlier. The undertaking also required considerable financial outlays. It is worth emphasizing that the association is one of the few organizations in the world that takes over all the costs of participation: travel, accommodation, meals, master classes.

As Jolanta and Maciej Ziemscy emphasize, such activity gives rise to the need for good deeds, and the result is the support that the Association of Young Musicians from Germany and Poland receives from the most renowned foundations in Germany, i.e. Hollweg Stiftung, Hockemeyer Stiftung, Waldemar Koch Stiftung, Kinder Geld Stiftung etc. Willingness to help is also reported by other institutions, such as the Ministry of Culture and Art in Warsaw, the President of Gdańsk, the Aro Foundation in Białystok, the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation in Warsaw, the Polish-German Youth Foundation, General and Honorary Consulates of Poland and Germany.

During this year’s edition of the festival, following the example of the last two years, young artists presented themselves on two evenings in the concert hall of the academy with chamber music in the foreground. This wonderful musical event was concluded with a gala concert in the historic Town Hall in Bremen with the participation of distinguished guests from the world of politics and culture.

Maciej Ziemski, chairman of the Association of Young Musicians from Germany and Poland. – In line with our motto “Music awakens the desire for good deeds”, we support and still want to support children and young people from poor families. We try to give everyone a chance for education, development and the opportunity to learn about the world. The activities of the association also include many other activities, such as: regular, financial support for learning music for children mainly from poor families, children with disabilities, organizing occasional concerts in schools, kindergartens and hospitals, concerts for the elderly. We try to reach the most needy with music, to those who cannot afford either to learn to play an instrument or to pay concert tickets. Although our activity is only building its history, we already have tangible and very positive effects. There are students who, after participating in our festival, have become laureates of national and international competitions. Their participation in our project also means that they are admitted to music academies in various cities. In addition, contacts of the music staff are also very important, which after the Bremen festival result in various, very interesting, joint projects. We are planning further editions of this Polish-German musical undertaking. Every year we want to include another new instrument in the workshop. This year, next to the piano and guitar, there is a violin. In the next few years we plan to introduce: cello, flute, maybe drums. We also want to extend the workshop formula to include psychological support. There are children and young people who have problems with stage stage fright. Individual psychological consultations, apart from music workshops, give very good results. It worked perfectly at other festivals.