Anton Gerzenberg (piano)

„It is different. It is creative, idiosyncratic and trend-setting in all aspects. It is much more than a difficult to win music contest – TONALi. It drives top sponsorship and at the same time initiates the impulse for cultural education. It addresses young composers, high potential young musicians and numerous young listeners (more than 10,000 in 12 Hamburg based schools), who often find to classical music because of TONALi. It is a total work of art, which has been cleverly and effectively adjusted to the actual music situation. The city of Hamburg, which has strong musical scene, can be proud of TONALI, which no one today wants to miss anymore and which has found much attention far beyond Hamburg.
It is with much personal solicitousness and respect in my role as honorary president that I see the rapid development of TONALi. This unique and highly demanding music project, initiated in 2009 by two young cellists Amadeus Templeton and Boris Matchin will see its fourth edition in 2014 as a result of tireless dedication, voluntary commitment and the support of many personalities, institutions and sponsors.
The 2014 competition focuses on the violin. 12 violinists (with residence in Germany), all aiming for a solo career, may qualify and compete to win the TONALi-prize worth 10,000 Euro. Those making it to the final, will be invited to perform a violin concert in the big hall at Laeiszhalle Hamburg with the renowned The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. This poses a strong incentive for the young musicians to perform at their very best and makes them happily engage themselves with TONALi fundamental principles:
• A distinctive interest in the future of classical concerts, which in its format looks for new ideas, new rituals and contemporary communication.
• Active discussion about the question the musician can take more responsibility for the development of classical concert future.
• The willingness to widely communicate these new formats, encouraged by TONALi by its unique school activities that prove a contemporary relation between audience and musician.
TONALi sets a trend as a result of its threefold structure: „writing (composition prize), performing (Grand Prix) and listening (TuttiContest)“ and challenges many in various ways. Christoph Eschenbach, Conductor and TONALi Honorary President.
The next stage of collaboration between the Mariinsky Theatre and TONALi came with the new cultural and educational project The Sounds of Change. The task of the project is to interest young audiences in classical music concerts and involve them in organising such concerts on a practical level – right in their schools.

Official website: www.tonali.de