Friends

One for All, All for One

In his last string quartet Op. 135, Beethoven asked: „Must it be?“ And he answered: „It must!“ The Society of Friends of the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn (Gesellschaft der Freunde des Beethoven Orchesters Bonn) considers this response as Beethoven’s enthusiastic proclamation for the orchestra of his birthplace. For the friends of this orchestra it is a truly classical proclamation. For beyond the audible and visible advantages of this ensemble and its highly dedicated and inspiring General Music Director Dirk Kaftan, there is nothing but heartfelt sympathy to the rescue. Let yourself be infected by this sympathy and help in the effort to support this orchestra, for example, in outstanding individual projects or concert and musical youth education. Become a Friend of the Orchestra and find good friends in a circle of music enthusiasts. You can become a member for an annual subscription of €50.00 and, among other things, have the opportunity to visit our “NachKlänge” (Moderated artist talks) and selected rehearsals of concerts and operas.

New statutes of the Society of Friends adopted

Although the subject matter was essentially rather ‘dry’, some members did attend our extraordinary general meeting on 4 November in the Chamber Music Hall of the Beethoven-Haus (thanks to our board member Malte Boecker for his hospitality!). At the extraordinary general meeting, the new articles of association were approved by the members present and will now be submitted to the registration court for approval. Among other things, this new statute creates the possibility of supporting scholarship holders of the planned Beethoven Orchestra Academy (BOA). The one or other, very complicated, but never applied regulation could also be simplified with the new statutes in the course of the much-cited reduction in bureaucracy. Anyone interested in the new statutes is welcome to request them from Felix von Hagen at Mailadress freunde-bob@web.de.

Professor Dr Ulrich Schlottmann unanimously elected as new honorary member

At the proposal of the board, Professor Dr Ulrich Schlottmann was unanimously elected as a new honorary member of the Gesellschaft der Freunde des Beethoven Orchestras Bonn e. V. at the general meeting. Mr Schlottmann was one of the founding members of the society almost 20 years ago. The current chairman, Dr Manfred Osten, paid particular tribute to the new honorary member’s initiatives, for example in recruiting new members. Schlottmann had always been a critical and co-operative supporter of the association’s work. As Prof. Dr Schlottmann was unable to attend the general meeting, the honour will be presented to him personally.

The preparatory work for the Beethoven Orchestra Academy Bonn (BOA) continues

At the general meeting, board member Malte Boecker reported on the status of preparations for the Beethoven Orchestra Academy Bonn (BOA), the joint project of the Beethoven Orchestra and the Society of Friends of the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn e. V. The academy is intended to be a link between instrumental studies and professional practice as an orchestral musician. It aims to provide talented young musicians with skills relevant to professional practice that go far beyond the knowledge acquired during their instrumental studies. Model contracts for scholarship holders are currently being developed.
By the way: The Beethoven Orchestra Academy Bonn is financed exclusively by donations. We need you and your support in order to realise this ambitious project for the future of the Beethoven Orchestra. Christina Kirschbaum, deputy chairwoman of the organisation, will be happy to discuss the possibilities of support with you individually. You can reach her at christinakirschbaum@me.com. You can also obtain more information from Felix von Hagen at Freunde-BOB@web.de.

NachKlang

The highlight after every concert, a cosy drink together and a chat with soloists and conductors. At last Friday’s concert, our NachKlang took place with exceptional percussionist Vivi Vassileva, who talked about her high physical performance, her early fascination with drumming and her work on Sauli Zinovjev’s ‘A Savage Beat’. Moderated by our chairman Manfred Osten, the NachKlang organised by the Gesellschaft der Freunde is a highlight of every concert (and the best way to avoid the car park backlog). The next NachKlänge will take place on 7 February 2025 (Friday Concert 5 – ‘The Ring’) and 27 June 2025 (Friday Concert 8 – ‘Italian’).

Next ordinary general meeting in June 2025

For all those who already have a calendar for 2025: Our next members‘ meeting will take place on Sunday, 29 June 2025, at 13:00 at the Bonn Opera following the members’ concert. You will receive further information in the next Members‘ Newsletter. It’s best to make a note of this date!

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