Berlin, Germany – young musicians celebrated further success this week, receiving a total of 25,500 euros in awards at the “Weekend of Special Prizes” (Wespe), presented to winners of this year’s “Jugend musiziert” competition.
The Wespe awards recognize outstanding interpretations across a diverse range of musical challenges: performance of an original composition, a contemporary piece, a work of classical modernism, a piece by a composer, music composed for the “Jugend musiziert” competition itself, ostracized music, and an open-category performance dubbed Jumu open. Ulrich Rademacher, chairman of the federal jury and the “Jugend musiziert” project council, lauded the musicians’ dedication, noting they developed their performances “during the summer holidays, sometimes without the usual intensive support from their teachers.”
“Jugend musiziert,” organized annually by the German Music Council since 1964, is one of europe’s largest competitions for young musicians. More than 750,000 children and young people have participated at regional, state, and federal levels throughout its history. The “Weekend of Special Prizes” was established in 2008 to further acknowledge the achievements of the competition’s annual winners.
