2024 Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival (International) - 阿思丹（ASDAN China）

Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival

Founded in 2007 in the capital of music Vienna, Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival has received nearly 20,000 participants from 46 different countries and regions over the past years, offered an international music exchange platform for outstanding performers and ensembles from all over the world.

Proudly supported by Austrian Commission for UNESCO, having the Federal President of the Republic of Austria Dr. Alexander van der Bellen as Honorary Board, the festival has become one of the most acclaimed and prestigious youth music festivals in Europe.

Since 2021, SCL has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with ASDAN China to host Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival (China), allowing more Chinese young performers to participate in this prestigious international event. In the past two years, three China National Rounds of Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival were successfully held online. Hundreds of students and ensembles from all over China participated in the 3-day online event, created and enjoyed music together.

In June 2023, 26 ensembles from 13 countries and regions gathered in Vienna to experience the unique atmosphere of this wonderful capital of music, leaving their musical footprints in Vienna, where every brick and tile witnessed a piece of history. We would like to invite all musical groups from different schools that have advanced to the national round of the festival to join this upcoming event in Vienna and Prague in the summer of 2024.

Finally, all talented young musicians could now gather together in Vienna and Prague, experience the power of music and the secret of culture at these two charming ancient cities located in the heart of Europe. Hereby, we sincerely invite all the ensembles and schools who have won the gold, silver and bronze prize in the past SCL Festival China National Rounds to join this prestigious international music festival this summer!

We hope to see you all in Vienna and Prague!

Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival (China) Committee

'The Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival once again brings young people from all over the world to Austria to communicate in the language of music and come to understand each other better. (…) I am very pleased that the Festival has already secured its place among the European music festivals, presenting a diverse and inspiring program each year. On that note, I warmly welcome the young artists and wish everyone involved great success and very pleasant memories to take home with them from Austria.'

Dr. Alexander Van der Bellen

Federal President of the Republic of Austria

'Vienna is recognised as the world capital of music. I am particularly pleased that in 2023, our city again lives up to its reputation as a place where musical expression helps people and nations appreciate the common ground they share. In challenging time like these, the universal language of music is all the more vital as it can truly reach people's hearts, awakening joy and hope in them like no other form of expression ever could. All me to with all participants of the Summa Cum Laude Music Festival the best of success for the festival and for their future careers in music. We look forward to seeing and hearing you again in Vienna - on the most prestigious stages of the world capital of music.'

Dr. Michael Ludwig

Mayor and Govenor of Vienna

‘Music is considered one of the most powerful languages of the world and manages again and again to overcome barriers of all kinds and therewith promotes dialogue among cultures and peace. With participants from different nations and continents the Summa Cum Laude Interntional Youth Music Festival makes also at the 15th festival an important contribution to the international musical exchange and promotes art education of teenagers, a key concern of UNESCO. Therefore, the Austrian Commission for UNESCO has taken on the patronage for the festival with pleasure and wishes all participants stimulating and excitng experiences in Austria. ’

Dr. Sabine Haag

President of the Austrian Commission for UNESCO

Saul Zaks

Artistic Director; Head of Jury

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1961 and living in Denmark, Saul Zaks is an international conductor and mediator who connects people from different cultures. He worked as the conductor of The Musicology Students Choir at the University of Aarhus, The University of Southern Denmark Chamber Choir and Symphony Orchestra. He gained a nomination for the Latin Grammy Award 2016 in the category Best Tango Album - "Sax to Tango". In 2018 he was appointed Artistic Director for SCL Music Festival in Vienna.

Christoph Ehrenfellner

Orchestra Jury, Workshop Lecturer

The Salzburg born conductor-composer-violinist has chosen 3 tracks to bring the fruits of a blossoming spirit to full exchange with our musical world. His partners are Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra etc. Elbphilharmonie, Royal Albert Hall, or Vienna Musikverein: in nearly all of the leading European Concert Halls the music of Christoph hrenfellner has won enthusiastic audience.

Hermann Pallhuber

Band Jury, Workshop Lecturer

Hermann Pallhuber completed his musical education at conservatories in Innsbruck and Vienna, after which he went on to further studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and then again in Innsbruck. In October 2016, Hermann Pallhuber was awarded the professorship for conducting and direction of wind orchestras at the State University of Music and the Performing Arts in Mannheim.

Philipp Pointner

Orchestra and Band Jury, Workshop Lecturer

Viennese-born conductor Philipp Pointner started his career at Cape Town Opera/South Africa. There and at Gauteng Opera Johannesburg he is still a regular guest. He continued his way in Germany, where he was Erster Kapellmeister at the Staatstheater Nürnberg for many years. He is guest at many European opera houses such as Staatsoper Hamburg, Oper Köln, Volksoper Vienna etc.

Carolin Nordmeyer

Orchestra and Choir jury, Workshop Lecturer

Carolin Nordmeyer was born in Freiburg, Germany. From 2009-2017 she was engaged as the second Kapellmeister and assistant of the general music director at the Theater Augsburg, when she conducted the premieres of many operas. Carolin Nordmeyer is a lecturer in Opera Studies at the Leopold Mozart Conservatory Augsburg.Since 2013 she is chief conductor of the Academic Symphony Orchestra Munich.

Andy Icochea Icochea

Choir & String Orchestra Jury, Workshop Lecturer

Andy Icochea Icochea is a multi-faceted musician who regularly appears as an orchestral and opera conductor, choral conductor and accompanist, and whose compositions and arrangements are performed internationally. He has appeared in over 500 concerts in 29 countries and four continents, in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Suntory Hall, Wiener Musikverein, Tonhalle Zürich and Berliner Konzerthaus. He currently serves as Music Director of Superar, a non-profit organization that provides high quality music instruction free of charge to 2000 children in six countries in central and Eastern Europe. Previously, he has served as Kapellmeister of the Vienna Boys Choir and Artistic Director of Voices Boston and Harvard Pro Musica.

	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
Day1	Arrival in Vienna, check in at hotel	St Stephens Cathedral Welcome Ceremony	Conductor's Meeting
Day2	Explore Vienna Inner City, Ring Road and one museum like Nuseum of fine arts or a famous composer house with English tour guide	Choir: Competition or Celebration at Musikverein Orchestra / Band / Summa Ensemble / Dance Ensemble: Concert Performance in Vienna or surroundings
Day3	Choir：Additional Concert Performance in Vienna or surroundings Orchestra / Band / Summa Ensemble / Dance Ensemble: Competition or Celebration at Musikverein	University of Music Vienna： Music Workshop 1
Day4	Explore 'The house of Music', the rst interactive museum of music in Austria with high-tech facilities	University of Music Vienna： Music Workshop 2
Day5	Free at leisure to relax	Vienna Concert Hall： Group Picture Gala Winners' Concert	Vienna Town Hall： Award Ceremony Farewell Reception
Day6	Travel from Vienna toPrague, check in at hotel in Prague
Day7	Explore the inner city of Prague - the UNESCO World Heritage Site including Charles Bridge and the magnicent medieval old town	Smetana Hall or Church of Saint Simon and Jude Concert Performance (Stage time app 10-15 mins for each ensemble)
Day8	Departure from Prague

Musikverein Program

	Choir	Orchestra	Band	Summa Ensembles
Competition	15-20 mins in total: - 1 compulsory piece - 1 piece by a composer of the ensemble's home country - additional piece(s) required in order to reach the minimum playing time, to be freely chosen	20-25 mins in total: - 1 compulsory piece - 1 piece by a composer of the ensemble's home country - 1 piece of music in contemporary style - additional piece(s) required in order to reach the minimum playing time, to be freely chosen	20-25 mins in total: - 1 compulsory piece - 1 piece by a composer of the ensemble's home country - additional piece(s) required in order to reach the minimum playing time, to be freely chosen	20-25 mins in total: - 1 compulsory piece in a format and instrumentation adapted to the respective ensemble - other pieces to be freely chosen, shall be sent to the artistic director to determine
Celebration	Within a time period of max. 20 minutes the participants may present their freely chosen program on stage

Download Musikverein Program

Workshop Program

	Choir	Orchestra	Band	Summa Ensembles
Competition	- 1 compulsory piece for the competition - 1 piece selected by the workshop lecturer (scores provided by festival)	- 1 compulsory piece for the competition - 1 compulsory piece for the workshop or other piece (confirmed by the Artistic Director)	- 1 compulsory piece for the competition - 1 piece from additional concert program, confirmed by Artistic Director	1 compulsory piece for the competition 1 piece from additional concert program, confirmed by Artistic Director
Celebration	2 pieces selected by the workshop lecturer (scores provided by festival)	2 compulsory pieces for the workshop or change 1 compulsory piece to another piece (confrmed by the Artistic Director)	1 piece from Musikverein program 1 piece from additional concert program, both pieces to be confirmed by Artistic Director	1 piece from Musikverein program 1 piece from additional concert program, both pieces to be confirmed by Artistic Director

Download Workshop Program

Qualification

• Music ensembles that have participated in the SCL Festival China National Round in February 2022, July 2022, February 2023 and won Gold, Silver and Bronze Prize
•Schools with students who participated in the SCL Festival China National Round in February 2022, July 2022, February 2023 and won Gold, Silver and Bronze Prize, could send music ensembles to participate
•Other music ensembles that are interested please contact the organizing committee

Participation

Ensembles may choose to take part in the SCL Competition or in the SCL Celebration
• Competition：have to prepare compulsory pieces, and compete with other ensembles to win the prizes
• Celebration：do not compete with other ensembles, only perform at celebration part
*Music + Dance will be celebratory, as varying ways of dancing from different times and cultures can' t be
compared in a competition.

Eine furiose Idee waren auch die Konzerte im Wiener Umland- oder noch weiter! So konnten wir auch Menschen erreichen, die nicht die Möglichkeit hatten nach Wien zu kommen. [...] Die Workshops an der Wiener Musikhochschule waren ein ganz besonderes Highlight für uns [...] Dass wir als Preisträger im Konzerthaus spielen durften, wird für uns alle immer ein hoch emotionales, unvergessliches Erlebnis bleiben! Die rauschende Party danach im Wiener Rathaus konnten wir so richtig genießen, und da war auch Gelegenheit mit den Ensembles Kontakt aufzunehmen, die nicht bei uns im Hotel gewohnt haben. Viele Fotos wurden gemacht, Visitenkarten und Adressen getauscht, man fühlte sich wie in einer großen Familie, die sich zu besonderen Anlässen trifft. [...] Das ist immer auch der Zeitpunkt Kritik anzubringen, aber ich suche und suche... und finde nichts!

Frau Ulli Büsel

Jugendkammerorchester Violinissimo (Germany)

It was an incredible night, and it was amazing to be amongst choirs and orchestras all performing at the Golden Hall because they love to play and sing. Once the prizes were announced, we enjoyed the night for what it was – young people from around the world brought together playing world-class music in a world-class hall. We congratulated each other, made friends from around the globe and proved to ourselves that anything is possible.

Jonny Robinson

Choir Member, Wesley Institute Choir, Australia

Being in Austria has been so much fun so far. I had lifetime experience musically playing in the Golden Hall and learning from world famous musicians, but the overall atmosphere has been the best part! The plazas, the massive market for classical music, and the obsessive people watching is a lot of fun. The small villages and the big city are equally interesting, and I can’t wait to see what’s coming up next!

Max

My favorite day was the 4th of July when we played in the most acoustically wonderful hall in the world, the Musikverein. It will remain in my memory forever.

Rob

Many people claim our American culture has taken over the world, placing McDonalds at every street corner in every country imaginable. While there are McDonalds in Vienna, it is uplifting to see a city, and an entire country with so much culture, history, and unique importance in the world. Vienna holds some of the last remnants of nobility, aristocracy, and most importantly, a culture based on classical performances every day of the week. Stepping outside in a city and hearing the music surrounding us is uplifting and inspiring. It is a joy to know that globalization has refused to take away the music in the world.

Danielle

What kind of ensemble format in the workshop?

Category：
- Choirs：Mixed Choirs / Female Choirs / Male Choirs / Children's Choirs (under 12 years old)
- Orchestras：Symphony Orchestras / Chamber Orchestras with Winds / String Orchestras
- Bands: Symphony Bands / Concert Bands / Big Bands etc.
- Summa Ensembles：f.e. Traditional Ensembles

What type of repertoire will the workshop rehearse?

The rehearsals for the choirs and orchestras will be arranged with reference to the compulsory repertoire, which have been announced.

Who will be the judges for the competition and the lecturers for the workshops?

The judges for the competition and the lecturers for the workshops have been announced, please check the official website for the information posted.

Can I apply for a refund after I have enrolled?

1. Withdrawal 60 days before the start of the project, subject to a deduction of 40% of the project fee.

2. Launching less than 60 days to more than 30 days before the start of the project is subject to an 80% deduction of the project fee.

3. Launching less than 30 days prior to the start of the program, then all program fees are non-refundable.

4. If the visa service fee has been added and the visa is refused for reasons other than personal reasons (e.g. falsification of documents, deliberate concealment, etc.), the full program fee will be refunded, excluding the visa service fee (RMB 2000). Please understand.