Here you find many interesting news of our activities - and about Crescendo members, friends and partners from all over the world
Some important meetings with the Crescendo International team regarding the future of Crescendo in South Africa took place at the end of November.
Beat and Airi Rink met Anna-Marie and Sjoerd Alkema, in the Western Cape Cru office to discuss possible cooperation for the Crescendo Institute.
In April 2020, we plan to have two short institutes in
Durbanville/Cape Town and Pretoria.
Crescendo Hungary held its Advent Benefit Concert on 8th of December with proceeds going to support the Christmas Shoe Box Action.
On the picture Tamás Tarjányi receiving an honorary diploma
from Dávid Gál, director of the Shoe Box Operation, Baptist Love Ministry.
A concert for human rights featuring the Crescendo Handbell Choir was held on 10th of December. The performers of the beginners' section are refugee children (8-14 year), who have weekly lessons and are enthusiastic about taking part in the concert! The conductor of the New Choir of the Municipality of Kalamaria was Kostis Papazoglou, who is a volunteer with Crescendo Hellas (Greece) and had the idea to integrate our ensemble in the artistic program and thus to experience all together what Christmas means.
On December 2nd, the first Crescendo prayer group meeting took place in St.Petersburg. We have had fantastic gatherings in this beautiful city already, but having a regular group there is very precious. Ashley Latvala (the lady on the left side) is a ballet dancer, who is leading Crescendo St.Petersburg.
In January the first Creative Church Service in Kigali will take place on 5th of January. The organizing committee just had a first meeting (see photo above). The Crescendo team from Europe will be present at the event!
It will take place in the context of a big training period for local music teachers with 7 European musicians. The Music Road Rwanda school is growing rapidly.
Today we have 250 children!
The 16.edition of the "Crescendo Summer Institute" was an amazing experience for 170 students. 50 teachers, 50 staff & volunteers and at least 30 guests from totally 34 countries.
We will soon quote here some feedbacks...
On https://www.facebook.com/crescendosummerinstitute you will find pictures and many other entries
A Crescendo team from Finland and Switzerland gave a two-week „teachers’ training“ in Kigali - in our own new music school. It was a very fruitful time with Letizia Walser (music theory, head of the school) Tiina Sinkkonen (voice teacher), Isa Halme (violin), Dominik Brühwiler (piano) and Beat Rink (spiritual lessons, team leader). Airi Rink had developed study materials about "7 Principles of a Christian Music School", which were discussed with the local faculty.
The Music School grows! Today we have already 45 students.
We are also very happy that our local piano teacher succeeded with a piano exam. He will continue his studies, supported (as other local teachers) through skype training. Picture: Lesson of our local violin teacher
The leaders of Crescendo Vienna, the singers Kurt and Nozomi Kempf, invited for a CRESCENDO FORUM about „Faith and Culture“.
Two actresses told about their experiences in the cultural world and the church: Magdalena Sutter (former actress and today psychologist) and Krisztina Tarjányi (actress and Crescendo staff member). Beat Rink talked in his lecture about interesting theological positions in respect to culture.
On Sunday conference participants contributed to a church service in the Methodist church of Vienna.
Crescendo international received two diplomas from Moldovan authorities: Firstly from the national UNESCO secretary, Prof. Constantin Rusnac, and secondly from the mayor of the city Cahul, Nicolae Dandiș (picture with Beat Rink). Nicolae Dandiș emphasized the importance of Crescendo for his city, which has become a cultural center in the region. This is the result of the work of Ilie Croitoru, who has organized eight CRESCENDO FESTIVALS in Moldova. This year outstanding musicians gave concerts, amongst them Stanislyv Izmaylov, concert master of the Bolschoi orchestra in Moscov.
In her house in Iasi our Crescendo leader Carmen Zaharia-Danicov built a "Crescendo Studio" in memoriam of her beloved husband Gelu Zaharia. The opening of this beautiful facility, which is ideal for house concerts and CRESCENDO FORUM events, took place on May 4 with piano music, played by Eugene Alcalay (USA) and speeches from Beat and Airi Rink.
It was at the same time to beginning of Master Courses and concerts Eugene Alcalay gave in this important cultural city in Romania.
The new image film and the Crescendo Summer Institute has appeared on the Strad website.
ARTS+ is a network of art ministries and artists, co-founded and co-led by Crescendo. It is operating in different countries. ARTS+ Switzerland invited for a symposium about "aesthetics and faith" with lectures from artists and theologians. About 100 participants came from Switzerland, Austria, Germany and France and had the chance to contribute in thinktanks and panels. Crescendo was involved in the artistic evening.
Over 30 Crescendo leaders from 13 countries came together in Malaga, Spain, for sharing, planning and finding our with the coach Miladin Matic about "motivational gifts". It was a very good and joyful conference, which ended with a wonderful Sunday morning church service.
Crescendo Russia has published a Musician's "New Testament". On the first 60 pages Christian musicians from different countries are portrayed and interviewed - such as Herbert Blomstedt, John Patitucchi, Martin Helmchen, Marie Elisabeth Hecker, Christian Studler, Sofia Gubaidulina, etc.
The book premiere (with concert) took place in Novosibirsk, the home town of the editor Olga Botschenka. - see also the fotos in the download area.
In Cahul, Moldova, a Crescendo Festival took place with Master classes and concerts (orchestra, chamber music, choirs)
Crescendo Greece is since three years active in refugee camps. On September 20, 2018 several musicians brought beautiful music contributions to a camp in Thessaloniki - amongst them jazz musician Andy Vance from Australia (picture).
More than 30 leaders and co-workers of Crescendo (and leaders of of AGAPE Europe) came to Athens, where we talked about our goals and strategies. We enjoyed the fellowship and the encouraging reports from many countries.
The "15th Crescendo Summer Institute" with 300 participants from 33 countries (amongst them 250 students, teachers and participants of the youth program) took place in Tokaj, Hungary.
It was a wonderful and a "life changing" experience as some participants said.
Here some feedbacks:
"I have grown as a musician and enjoyed working with the amazing faculty. The environment is so warm and welcoming, I feel at home with the students and teachers here, there are no strangers." (Madison Babovec, French horn, USA)
"The Crescendo Summer Institute is not only a place for gaining knowledge every day. It is also a place for community. As a bass player I have a chance to experience professionalism and being competent in multiple styles. Playing either Jazz or Beethoven it is my ongoing experience how colorful this program is. I warmly recommend it to everyone!" (Simon János Tóth, double bass, HUNGARY)
"For me Crescendo began to be a summer tradition that I’m waiting the whole year for. It’s my 4th time. I was so excited to be back this year and see all of my friends, play in the symphony orchestra and have fantastic lessons.
I love Crescendo because besides music I can focus on really important things in life and I always have someone to talk about it. At Crescendo, I can continue learning how to combine being a musician and growing in faith." (Dorota Kolinek, viola/ Warsaw)
Crescendo was actively involved in organizing the conference SCHØN in Augsburg, Germany, with over 1000 participants.
Our activities besides helping with the main program: coordinating the stages for music and literature and organizing a special meeting with musicians. With ARTS+ we were co-organizing the stage for "performing artists". It was wonderful to meet many dear friends. - Many contributions were outstanding.
Wonderful 2nd Teacher's Conference with participants from 9 countries and interesting lectures, "Sound portraits" with Epiphany, discussions and fellowship times.
1st meeting with musicians & other artists in Vilnius. Beat Rink talking about "Joys and challenges of Christian artists".
A good start of AGAPE ARTS (leader: Judita Kriukaite) in cooperation with Crescendo
Cape Town, April 1-8: About 45 young musicians were attending the "2. Crescendo Summer Institute South Africa".
It was an excellent project, led by Sjoerd and Anna-Marie Alkema. On the program were master classes, individual lessons, lectures, concerts, small groups, etc.
A young flautist (she had been through traumatic experiences herself) said: “You you would not believe what it means to us to be here together in great unity as musicians with different skin colours and without mutual reservations! This is something unique!” She is right: The fellowship was wonderful !
A joint venture project with "Music Road Rwanda" took place in Kigali in March/April. Around 80 young singers, pianists and violinists were involved into classes and individual lessons of our Finnish/Swiss team.
Our project "Music Road Rwanda" is also indebted to the excellent cooperation with the Reformed Church in Ruanda.
On January 20 there was a Crescendo meeting in St.Petersburg - in the context of a big festival for spiritual music, organized by Rotila Ilie Croitoru, 60 musicians came from all over Russia and other countries. Crescendo Russia is growing! Kath Snelling has started it almost 20 years ago. Picture: Lecture by Beat Rink about "Joys and challenges in the life of a professional musician".
Prof. Christoph Adt, member of the international Crescendo advisory board, is the new director of the Music Academy in Nürnberg, Germany. The inauguration ceremony took place on November 17. (picture: Crescendo)
Franz Mohr could celebrate on September his 90th birthday
Crescendo owes so much to Franz Mohr, the former chief concert technician of Steinway & Sons, NY - and the tuner of Horowitz, Rubinstein, Glenn Gould and numerous other great pianists of the last decades.
Picture: 80th birthday party for Franz Mohr with cake in Steinway piano shape at the Crescendo annual conference in Malmö, 2007
The Finish Crescendo ministry under the leadership of Lehari Kaustel organized a big "oratorio" concert with old folk music elements on the steps of the Helsinki cathedral. Context: Jubilee "100 years Finland". The Finish First Lady came and held a wonderful speech - and quoted Psalm 91.
The 14th edition of the "Crescendo Summer Institute" was a wonderful experience. We had 300 participants from 36 countries. On the artistic program were Master courses/classes for instrumentalists of all sections and singers, chamber music, orchestra, opera, jazz for classic musicians, baroque course, choral conducting, youth program with an youth orchestra, etc. On the so-called "sostenuto" program were daily TUNE IN plenaries, lectures, teacher's interview, small groups, "Creative church", late night candle lit worship etc.
The fellowship was absolutely enjoyable!
Guntars Pranis (Crescendo leader Latvia since 15 years) was elected on June 21st Director of the Latvian Music Academy.
with 250 artists and 25 events in 10 locations in and around the Basel cathedral. Crescendo has imported the concept from our Finish "Logos Ministries" and Crescendo Finland branch.
With 30 leading staff members representing 14 countries!
Topic: Crescendo on the move
Wonderful meetings and planning times with about 40 musicians in the two Russian cities
The "Crescendo Summer Institute" from July 25-August 8, 2016 in Tokaj / Hungary was a wonderful experience with 300 participants from 43 countries.
You will find many entries (videos, photos, comments) on FB (click on the LINK below).
Ning Kam (viola teacher, London), wrote:
"The "Crescendo Summer Institute" was a real revelation and a refreshing experience for me. It isn't everyday that one can say that one went to a music festival and came away refreshed in the Spirit! I enjoyed the small group meetings the most and I know that I'm certainly not alone in saying this, having spoken to a few of my new friends there. I was telling everyone that Crescendo is so refreshingly different from the usual music festival in that the usual "secular" music festival involves shameless name-dropping and posturing for the advancement of one's career while at Crescendo, you can have meaningful conversations with others right from Day 1, conversations in which you are enough just as a human being (in Christ or not, as the case may be!). That is rare. And so precious."
Enescu's Rumanian Rhapsody no.1. transcribed for two clarinets and piano, played by Noemi Sallai, Fekete Fanni and Bethany Brooks
Purcell's 'The Fairy Queen', starring Kalafszky Adriána, Drahos Evelin, Aleksandra Bilanović and others, directed by Krisztina Tarjányi.
From March 27-April 4 the "1. Crescendo Summer Institute South Africa" took place in Cape Town. It was a wonderful project with students from different parts of the countries. The classes with teachers from South Africa, Europe, the United States and even Australia were very good.
The "Crescendo Summer Institute South Africa" gave also concerts in churches, in a (church) jazz club, in homeless shelters, in a children's project, in a township, etc.
On our Website and on the Facebook (inks below) you will find more information
VIDEO: Outreach to children in South Africa
From February 18-21 Crescendo invited to a first international Music teacher's conference. The topic was: "Teaching Music - a Gift and a Calling". Helena Maffli, president of the EMU (European Music School Union) wrote in a greeting note: "The Crescendo conference is a wonderful initiative. It goes beyond conventional teachers' meetings as it invites everyone to "drink from the source". There were participants from 10 countries. Lectures and reports were given from music teachers - amongst them Carmen Zaharia-Danicov (Romania), Tim Baptiste (Birmingham), Letizia Walser (Director of a Music School in Switzerland), Christian Studler (Professor Music Academy Bern), Verena Dietrich (Paris-Levallois), Eszter Dudas (Budapest), Trang Trinh (Vietnam) and Airi und Beat Rink (psychologist and theologian).
From January 21-24, 2016 leading Crescendo co-workers were gathered in Riga for the annual staff conference. They came from 15 countries. The topic was "Inspiring leadership" - and it was indeed very inspiring to listen to lectures (f.i. to guest speaker Edgars Mazis, Riga) and to reports from all the countries represented (and of others which have sent in their information). Other program points were: planning sessions, meetings with Latvian musicians, Play & pray workshop, sightseeing tour and enjoying the fellowship.
Our friend and active Crescendo member Polina Kulikova was winning together with Ekaterina Zhemaitis the 1st prize of the VI International Piano Duo Competition. CONGRATULATIONS, POLINA!
Josef Hussek, former opera director of the Hamburg State Opera and former artistic director of the Salzburg Festspiele, Vocal Coach
Your Crescendo Institute is truly something special. In the atmosphere of a magical landscape, a picturesque small town,there has developed in the course of the years a music festival unparalleled in its interaction of music, teaching, reflection and joy of living. Young people meet each other for several weeks, form contacts, work on their musical talents, have exchanges with experienced artists. Coming from all over the world, young artists work with experienced teachers, share the experience of high-quality musical events, but also search for and find in the power of faith the inner balance needed for their profession. There are many masterclasses, summer courses, competitions, festivals. The Crescendo Institute has something of all of these. Yet the whole is more than the sum of the parts. For it includes an inner reflection on artistic work in a concept for learning and teaching in which the participants take with them not only new experiences, but also an enriching knowledge of the holistic nature of their profession as artists. I wish the "Crescendo Summer Institute" many more good and successful years.
Concerts with students and teachers
The CSI 2015 with 350 participants from 38 nations was just wonderful! Enjoy some concert sequences by following the LINK below.
This year we will have in the "Crescendo Summer Institute" (July 20-August 3) over 300 participants from more than 35 countries: Argentina / Australia / Austria / Belarus / Belgium / Bosnia and Herzegovina / Canada / China / Colombia / Czech Republic / Denmark / Finland / France / Germany / Hungary / Indonesia / Italy / Japan / Kenya / Malta / Mexico / Moldova / Netherlands / Poland / Portugal / Puerto Rico / Romania / Russian Federation / Serbia and Montenegro / Slovakia / Switzerland / Ukraine / United Kingdom / United States / Vietnam
IT WILL BE FANTASTIC!
YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT US AS A GUEST !
This month, our friend Martin Helmchen is featured on the KLM Inflight program. Martin gives personal programme notes on his recent recordings of Mozart, Schubert, Dvorak, Mendelssohn and D'Indy for PentaTone Classics. Book your flight and TUNE IN!
Dániel Bögös and Bálint Bress are participants of the "Crescendo Summer Institute" /CSI 2015. They are studying at the Liszt Academy in Budapest. Dániel Bögös won the first place and Bálint Bress the second place in the guitar category at the Ivan Ballu International Music Festival organized for the 20th time in Dolny Kubin, Slovakia. The festival took place between May 19 and 22, 2015.
ARTS+ Switzerland gives the PRIX PLUS 2015 to our dear friend Miriam Feuersinger. It's the third award after the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis" and the ECHO Award. Photo: Miriam Feuersinger receives the award out of the hand of Beat Rink, president of ARTS+ read more
Congratulations to our Crescendo Latvia director for his excellent dissertation on Medieval music. From today on he is Dr. Guntars Pranis!
Amazing Pentecost event in the Basel "Münster" and chapels, organized by "Crescendo Jazz Basel" (Simon Wunderlin) and sponsored by the Reformed Church of Basel.
Joyful and intense weekend with 9 "Crescendo Young Leaders" from Latvia, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, etc. in Basel
Crescendo member Olivier Robe is guest conducting the Bangkok Symphony for the first time.
Meetings of the international Crescendo leaders Beat and Airi Rink with Christian music leaders in London - from All Souls Church (Noel Tredinnick, David Hatch), HTB Church (Jenny Axwell und Mark Underwood) and others.
Dr. Marcel Zwitser, member of the Dutch Crescendo leadership team, publishes an interesting interview in the Nederlands Dagbladwith Herbert Blomstedt, with whom Crescendo has made several interviews in recent years and who was one of our guest speakers at a conference in Dresden, back in 2005
Some important meetings with the Crescendo International team regarding the future of Crescendo in South Africa took place at the end of November.
Beat and Airi Rink met Anna-Marie and Sjoerd Alkema, in the Western Cape Cru office to discuss possible cooperation for the Crescendo Institute.
In April 2020, we plan to have two short institutes in
Durbanville/Cape Town and Pretoria.
The Theological University in Kampen, Netherlands, honored on 28 January 2015 the Japanese church musician and conductor Prof. Masaaki Suzuki with a Honorary Doctorate. Crescendo was invited by Masaaki Suzuki to the ceremony - and was represented by Marcel S. Zwitser, member of Crescendo Netherlands leadership team.
