Swiss ambassador Urs Herren: I'm fascinated with Academy Sighisoara initiative at its 25th anniversary

The ambassador of the Swiss Confederation to Romania, Urs Herren, on Wednesday night said in the opening of the Academy Sighisoara that he is fascinated with this initiative that has reached its 25th celebration, on the very day when the Swiss modern state celebrates 170 years.

"It is a pleasure and an honour to be here tonight, I'm fascinated with this initiative that has reached 25 years of existence. We celebrate today two events, the National Day of Switzerland, in 1848 the Swiss modern state came into being, and 25 years today the first edition of the Academy Sighisoara took place. It is an extraordinary event because it prepares young musicians, it inspires the teachers to work with the young, so it is not a one-way exercise. It brings together musicians from different cultures, from various countries to work together. It also offers 15 days of concerts and not only concerts, but also innovating concerts which put Sighisoara on Romania's cultural map," the Swiss ambassador asserted.

Urs Herren emphasized that 25 years of Academy Sighisoara and 170 years of the Swiss modern state is a long time and because of this he gave a review of why the Academy Sighisoara was a success, what is its connection with Switzerland and with the collaboration between Romania and Switzerland.

"Firstly, education and innovation are genuine Swiss concepts, we are a small country, with poor resources, we have learned for a long time that we cannot be successful without education, which is the very foundation of innovation. Switzerland lays among the first countries worldwide as regards its innovation index and this is owed to a very good education system, from the very first classes. Secondly, participating in events such as the Academy Sighisoara is the very essence of our democracy and of many other things we have managed to do. They say that if three Swiss meet, they set up an organisation and this initiative is typical. It has been started by an association, which is an organisation where people get together because they have found a joint project, common values and wish to build together. They don't do it for the money they do it because they have a common goal and the will to work together. One cannot uphold the enthusiasm and dedication for 25 years without this voluntary association of the people," Urs Herren asserted.

The Swiss diplomat said that as regards the Academy Sighisoara it is also about integration and national cooperation, because "Switzerland is an open country, with several international collaborations, with very many foreigners residing in Switzerland and representing a force - one third of the citizens living there are foreigners."

"As ambassador, I am very happy that not only the Academy Sighisoara exists here, but also dozens of initiatives of the kind, that contribute to the Romanian-Swiss collaboration. We thank those who have made this event possible, the Cultura Viva Sighisoara Association that came with this initiative, the Sighisoara City Hall, the county and the sponsors who helped, including the Swiss companies operating in Transylvania. And a huge thank you to all of the professors and musicians because after all it is about them, about them being educated and about the pleasure they feel when performing," Urs Herren concluded.

Alongside the Swiss ambassador in the festive opening of the 25th edition of Academia Sighisoara participated the vice president of the Mures County Council Alexandru Cimpianu, the deputy prefect of the County of Mures Nagy Zsigmond, the mayor of Sighisoara Ovidiu Malancravean, as well as the event's main organizer violonist Alexandru Gavrilovici, founder of this festival-school.

The opening concert of the event called "Jubilee Claude Debussy, Frank Martin and Gyorgy Kurtag!" was performed by Gerardo Vila (piano), Alexandru Gavrilovici (violin) and Alexandre Foster (cello).

Academy Sighisoara, that is to span until 14 August, is a festival-school which offers the young musicians from Romania and from abroad the possibility to study, to exchange ideas, information and improve themselves by the side of several internationally noted maestros.

As many as 58 young musicians have signed up at this edition of Academy Sighisoara. The musicians will partake in the refresher courses delivered by over 20 internationally reputed professors from Austria, Germany, Greece, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Argentina and Venezuela, within 15 master-classes.AGERPRES(RO - author: Dorina Matis, editor: Karina Olteanu; EN - author: Maria Voican, editor: Simona Iacob)