Inventing Future Music

In 2023, Beethovenfest launched a programme that forges the musical future in Bonn: the Fellowship Programme. 

Over a period of five years, we offer artists, composers and ensembles freedom to experiment and innovate. The output of the various project phases lasting several months is presented at the festival. In addition, various prestigious and extraordinary projects are to be realised. The project partners are the Beethoven Orchester Bonn and the Beethoven-Haus Bonn.

»Art wants us not to stand still.« Ludwig van Beethoven wrote this to the violinist Karl Holz. Beethoven's openness to new ideas remains a source of inspiration for us. Beethovenfest Bonn has always drawn productive sparks from the work of this extraordinary composer. And the festival does not want to »stand still«. But innovation requires freedom, plenty of time and the courage to offer a platform to completely new, as yet untested ideas. For the first time in the festival's history, the Fellowship Programme enables young artists to develop and present new, extensive music projects on site. This results in original artistic productions for Bonn and the region every year.

The Fellowship Programme covers the period from 2023 to 2027, the year of the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's death. A central aim of the Fellowship Programme is to focus on participation in art and music. Fellows are regularly appointed to develop model community projects co-creatively with stakeholders from the city and region. Project partners are the Beethoven Orchester Bonn and the Beethoven-Haus Bonn.

Long-term commitments to artists, strong networking in the local environment and a focus on issues that concern everyone – all of this is characterised by a more sustainable artistic approach. One fellow of each year is thematically orientated towards the goals of sustainable development. Symposia with partners are also part of this work.

Artists and ensembles develop new projects in one of eight fields of musical innovation.