Communication

The Big Bang of Musikvermittlung (Music Mediation). On the Emergence of a New Social World and Its Future Innovative Potential

The years around the turn of the last millennium launched the remarkable career of Musikvermittlung (music mediation) in the German-speaking countries. Ever since then, concert halls, orchestras and ensembles have been creating new positions and even departments. Their range of music mediation formats – e.g. moderated or staged concerts for different target groups, collaborations between cultural and public institutions or community projects – has been constantly increasing.

In my paper I will first trace the historical roots of Musikvermittlung in British Community Music and German Music Education. Subsequently I will elaborate on its emergence and development in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. In particular I will show that around the year 2000 a distinct “social world” (Strauss 1978, 1993; Clarke 1991, 2008) of Musikvermittlung constituted itself and will analyze the conditions that proved conducive to this. I will conclude my paper with some final thoughts on the future innovative potential of music mediation practices especially with regard to classical concert life.

Biography

Axel Petri-Preis (PhD) studied music education, German philology and musicology in Vienna. He has been active in the field of music mediation internationally for more than ten years, and his projects have received several awards. Currently he is a senior scientist and deputy head at the Department of Music Education Research, Music Didactics and Elementary Music Education (IMP) at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. His research focuses on the education and further training of (classical) musicians in relation to music mediation and on community engagement in classical music life.