Pre-College Days 2024: 80 young people gather in Neuchâtel
Young people wishing to study music have the opportunity to prepare for this by taking a pre-professional course ("pre-college") during their apprenticeship or gymnasium. In mid-January, some 80 pre-college students from all over Switzerland took part in a joint weekend of workshops and a final concert.
Photos: Anicia Kohler
Guitar cases next to cello cases, the harpsichord next to the Nord Stage piano: you could tell from the outset that different musical traditions were in evidence at the first Pre-College Days, held on January 13 and 14 at the Conservatoire de Neuchâtel. Neither the different orientations (classical, jazz or musical comedy) nor language differences posed a problem for the young participants, aged 16 to 19. On the first day, they attended various workshops, and on the following day, they presented the results of their work at a concert crowned by three joint final pieces.
"The students immediately started talking to each other, and it was great to see," says Mallika Hermand, singing teacher at the Conservatoire de Neuchâtel, who was leading an electro-pop workshop. This observation was confirmed by Stewy von Wattenwil (Swiss Jazz School Bern), whose workshop on exam anxiety and stage fright was open to students from both classical and jazz backgrounds, who were able to talk openly about their experiences. "Everyone knows about these fears, yet we don't talk about them much," he explains. "Whoever takes a pre-professional course will have to pass exams - all students have that in common."
The idea for Pre-College Days was born just six months earlier, at a meeting of the Pre-College CH Conference, which brought together representatives of the nine Swiss pre-professional streams. "It's important for students to be able to exchange ideas and make contacts not only at cantonal level, but also at national level", noted Nicolas Farine, Director of the Conservatoire de Neuchâtel, who was on hand as host. He believes that the fact that 80 young people have already signed up for the first edition is a success, as is the concert on Sunday. After just one rehearsal, everyone took to the stage to play and sing two classical pieces with equal brio, as well as a specially arranged version of the bossa nova tune "Manha de Carnaval". "I was very touched by all this," said Nicolas Farine. "We dared to undertake something, both organizationally and musically, and I think it was worth it."
Lisa, 16, harp
It was really great. We met a lot of people. It's really nice to meet people who also make music.
In the evening, we all jammed together. It was a great atmosphere.
Edgar, 17, trombone
We didn't have any language problems. Music is something that binds us together. It helps conversations to have a common topic. As far as I'm concerned, the whole weekend went really well.
Information on the Pre-College program
The pre-professional ("pre-college") stream prepares talented young musicians, generally during their upper secondary school years, for their musical studies. These courses are offered in close collaboration with music schools and colleges. The Swiss Association of Music Schools (ASEM) and the Conference of Swiss Music Schools (CHEMS) jointly award the Pre-College Music CH quality label to providers of nationally recognized pre-professional courses. Nine institutions are currently certified by this quality label:
- Conservatoire de Lausanne VD (2021)
- Conservatoire de Musique neuchâtelois, Neuchâtel NE (2021)
- Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana, Lugano TI (2021)
- Bern University of the Arts BE (2022)
- Hochschule Luzern - Musik LU (2021)
- Konservatorium Winterthur ZH (2021)
- Musikschule Konservatorium Zürich ZH (2021)
- Swiss Jazz School BE (2023)
- Zürcher Hochschule der Künste ZH (2021)
