SON Foundation courses
In 2023, 25 young musicians benefited from orchestral internships, an important step in their training as future professionals.
Since 1997, the Biel-Solothurn Symphony Orchestra and the SON Foundation have been organizing two types of orchestral training courses for young musicians: the first lasts for the entire concert and opera season, while the other, more intensive, is concentrated over a month in midsummer. In 2023, no fewer than 260 candidates registered online. After an initial selection, 188 were auditioned (between 5 and 15 per register, but 24 for violinists). In the end, 25 were selected, 3 for the season, 6 for the summer and the remaining 16 for both courses.
The summer training course ran successfully from August 3 to September 3, and gave the young instrumentalists the opportunity to immerse themselves in the real-life experience of an orchestra, with a succession of rehearsals and concerts in different venues with sometimes radically different acoustics. Thus, under the direction of Yannis Pouspourikas, the new conductor of the Orchestre Symphonique Bienne Soleure from the 2022-23 season, they were able to take part in a "symphonic jazz" concert (including works by Bernstein, Gershwin and Joplin) as part of Biel's Lakelive festival, as well as two concerts featuring a medley of orchestral excerpts from operettas of various origins, from Sullivan's Savoy opera to Chapí or Giménez's zarzuela, via Offenbach and Johann Strauss fils. In addition to a crossover project performed in Solothurn and Biel/Bienne, and a concert-barbecue, the program for solo wind instruments includes a transcription of excerpts from theAbduction from the Seraglio Mozart's Sinfonietta and the Little Symphony by Gounod. Of particular interest was participation in the Conductors' Academy held as part of the Gstaad Menuhin Festival. On this occasion, the musicians were able to be conducted by several young conductors and appreciate their different approaches to rehearsal work, before performing with them in Courtelary and Gstaad. These were all invaluable experiences from which the trainees benefited. It's also worth noting the importance of mentoring by members of the orchestra, who provide much-appreciated pedagogical support.
