8. März 2020
Beethoven Anniversary Concert

Begrüßung durch den Präsidenten des Goethe-Instituts Prof. Dr. h.c. Klaus-Dieter Lehmann beim Beethoven Anniversary Concert in Bangkok

Anrede,

It is no coincidence that for the 60th birthday of the Goethe-Institut Thailand and the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven, the Beethoven anniversary concert is a special programme item expressing the long-standing cooperation with the Princess Galyani Institute. The big bridge is demonstrated impressively this evening in the collaboration of the youth orchestra of the Princess Galyani Institute and the Musikfabrik Bonn. They are playing Beethoven’s Seventh symphony. It has been the official anthem of the European Community since 1985 and it shows Beethoven as a progressive visionary who believed in the achievements of the French Revolution, themes that crop up again and again in his work.

With around 1,000 music projects each year, the Goethe-Institut initiates an exchange between artists worldwide, both in the professional as well as in the amateur and junior sectors, and increasingly also in co-productions that open up new sound spaces. The musical influence in the high quality and independent classical field is of great importance in Thailand.

The Goethe-Institut was the initiator of the first classical music orchestra in Thailand, the Pro Musica Orchestra, at the beginning of 1958. The Goethe-Institut again supported its successor, the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra (BSO) from 1982. It has been an indispensable part of Thailand’s classical music scene for decades. The Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra was then founded in 2000. Thailand has a vibrant and successful classical music scene.

The Beethoven competition at the Goethe-Institut Thailand from 2007 to 2017 was a particularly successful initiative, which enabled many young Thai concert pianists and string players to spend time in Germany and was the decisive career step for many young talents. The great support from King Bhumibol Adulyadej and his sister Princess Galyani is worth mentioning.

The young musicians from Thailand whom I was able to experience myself in Germany impressed me very much with their talent. What takes place here is both enrichment and healthy competition. They take away a lot from the German culture and mentality, from the language and contacts. They become partners and ambassadors and actively contribute to cultural dialogue.

We live in a time when economisation permeates all areas of life, including culture. Art becomes an event, a spectacle and a decorative element. So it’s good to see the commitment with which the young artists see music as an essential part of society and thus strengthen a vital public interest. And it’s good to experience the close ties with which Thailand and Germany meet in music, not so much in the sense of a mixture as rather a continued coexistence.

I thank everyone who made this concert possible and wish us all a stimulating afternoon.

The spoken word shall prevail