Culture

On tour: international choir trips for young talents

Since 2022, the Wilo-Foundation has been helping children’s and youth choirs to broaden their horizon by making financial contributions for their concert tours abroad as part of the Foundation’s culture and talent promotion programme.

Der Kinderchor Daejeon aus Südkorea bei einer Aufführung im Foyer des Pioneer Cubes auf dem Wilopark

Worldwide, Asia

Germany, Korea

Dortmund

Funding period: 2022, 2024

The children’s and youth choirs of the Akademie für Gesang NRW e.V, Dortmund (Academy for Singing North Rhine-Westphalia) tour around the world, for examples to Eureopan and Asian countries. Some of the tours have led to long-term partnerships with local children’s and youth choirs. As part of its activities to promote culture and young talents, the Wilo-Foundation has been supporting such initiatives right from the start. The idea is to enable the members of children’s and youth choirs to discover new horizons and make international experiences from a young age. In particular, it provides financial contributions for concert tours abroad and supports exchange projects, such as the project with Korea.

Narae Davutovic (Gesangslehrerin) und Zeljo Davutovic (Leiter Akademie für Gesang NRW) mit Wilo Geschäftsführer in Busan (2022) erhalten Blumensträuße auf einer Bühne — Narae Davutovic (singing teacher) and Zeljo Davutovic (head of the Academy for Singing NRW) with Wilo Managing Director in Busan (2022). Photo: Akademie für Gesang NRW e.V., Dortmund

Ein Gruppenfoto der Konzertreise des Jugendchors nach Korea — Korea trip 2022: Youth choir makes a stop in Busan on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Wilo. Photo: Akademie für Gesang NRW e.V., Dortmund

The Wilo-Foundation has provided financial support for the following concert trips abroad:

2024 summer trip of the youth concert choir with around 70 participants to South Germany and Austria (with concerts at Herkules Hall in Munich and Salzburg Cathedral)
2022 autumn trip of the youth concert choir and exchange programme with the Jerazin children’s choir with about 30 young people to South Korea (with concerts in Jeju Island,Yongin, Seoul, Jinju, Busan).

Der Jugendchor bei einem Konzert im Kölner Dom — Youth choir during the concert tour in Cologne Cathedral on June 30, 2024. Other stops were the Herkulessaal Munich and the Salzburg Cathedral. Photo: Akademie für Gesang NRW e.V., Dortmund

The international trips not only foster young people’s musical talent but also boost their team skills, enthusiasm and personal initiative. A central aim is thus strengthening a sense of community and enhancing the social skills of the young singers. International concert trips and exchange projects usually take place during the school holidays and combine leisure activities with joint rehearsals and concerts. The holiday projects have become a well-established and effective tool to strengthen the team spirit within the choir, and the choir members have developed friendships with other young singers they met during the projects.

Photo Header: Wilo-Foundation, Credits: Alexander Senftleben

Our funding partner

The Akademie für Gesang NRW e.V. (North Rhine-Westphalia Singing Academy), Dortmund, regards itself as a new centre for promoting young voices in the Ruhr area, providing talented children with an opportunity to discover the fascinating world of music. In its work, the Academy and its musicians can build on many years of artistic and teaching experience in promoting children’s talents and potential. More than 200 children aged 7 to 16 receive intensive and long-term support, and over 600 children participate in projects that are supported by the Academy.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) forms the global framework for action for socially, economically and ecologically sustainable development. Our funding commitment also supports these sustainability goals. With this project, we are making a contribution to achieving the following SDGs:

What are the SDGs`?