28th Converence IGEB - Welcome Speech (EN)

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear colleagues, distinguished researchers, educators and friends of wind music,

It is a great honor and a true pleasure for me to bring you today the greetings of the Swiss Wind Music Association, the largest amateur music association in Switzerland, representing nearly 54,000 musicians.

I would like to warmly thank the IGEB and the Bern Academy of the Arts for organizing this remarkable conference.

Welcoming experts, researchers and musicians from so many countries is both an honor for Switzerland and a reflection of the excellence of our educational and research institutions.

The title of this conference is both inspiring and meaningful:

"Wind Music – Cultural Heritage in Transition."

It reminds us that cultural heritage is not something we preserve behind glass.

It is alive.

It evolves through the people who perform it, teach it, study it and pass it on to future generations.

In Switzerland, amateur music is recognized as an essential part of our living intangible cultural heritage.

This recognition comes with responsibility.

Preserving is our responsibility. Developing is our duty.

We must invest in education, encourage creativity, support research and foster international cooperation so that our musical heritage continues to grow through sustainable innovation.

This is precisely why conferences like this matter so much.

The ideas shared here will not remain within universities. They will inspire teachers, conductors, composers, musicians, associations and public authorities. They will help shape the future of wind music.

For the Swiss Wind Music Association, this dialogue is essential.

Our mission is not only to represent thousands of musicians.

Our mission is also to build bridges.

Bridges between wind bands and universities.
Bridges between researchers and practitioners.
Bridges between voluntary associations and public institutions.

Because only by working together can we build the future.

Our wind bands are far more than musical ensembles. They are places where generations meet, where people learn commitment, responsibility, listening and trust. Every day, they strengthen the social fabric of our communities.

Only a few weeks ago, more than 25,000 musicians came together at the Swiss National Wind Music Festival in Biel/Bienne. It was a powerful reminder that our musical heritage does not belong to the past.

It is alive.  
It is brilliant.  
It is vibrant.
And it continues to inspire our society.

Finally, I believe that perhaps the most important word in the title of this conference is transition.

Transition is not about leaving our history behind.
It is about transforming the heritage we have received into the heritage we proudly pass on.

By bringing together research, education, associations and public institutions, you are helping to write the next chapter of this shared heritage.

On behalf of the Swiss Wind Music Association, thank you for your commitment to the future of wind music.

I wish you an inspiring conference and many fruitful exchanges.
Thank you very much.