#GemEinsameSpitze: As a member of the Big Band of Clara Schumann Music School Christof Augenstein wins the 10th German Orchestra Competition 2021

The jury also awarded the Big Band a special prize for the outstanding interpretation of contemporary Beethoven interpretations. Due to the pandemic, the 10th German Orchestra Competition (DOW) took place this year under the slogan “#VirtuellVirtuos”, for the most part digitally throughout Germany.

During a period of five months, a total of 55 orchestras in 15 categories and with an impressive size of around 3000 musicians took part in the competition supported by the German Music Council. All formations from the 15 categories – including chamber, symphony, accordion and wind orchestras, youth orchestras, wind and guitar ensembles, plucked string orchestras and big bands – had to qualify for the start at the state level beforehand.

What usually takes place by live performance for the jury work, this year had to be elaborately accompanied by mobile filming teams. From June to the end of October, video recordings were made on site at the orchestras. Finally, in december, a jury made the assessments for all categories. The results were announced on december 15, 2021 via Livestram on Youtube.

In addition, special prizes were awarded for the outstanding interpretation of a contemporary Beethoven composition. For the compulsory work, composition commissions with a reference to Beethoven’s music were awarded in each category.

We are very pleased that our partner Christof Augenstein, as a member of the Big Band of the Clara-Schumann Music School Düsseldorf and under the direction of Romano Schubert, not only won Bundesorchesterwettbewerb für Big Bands selbst gewonnen, sondern auch den Sonderpreis für die hervorragende Interpretation der zeitgenössischen Beethoven-Auftragskomposition „A Birthday Song for Ludwig van“ von Mike Herting, erhalten hat.

Dear Christof, congratulations on this special award!

The complete announcement of the results by Prof. Dieter Kreidler, chairman of the orchestra’s advisory board and member of the jury, is available in the video here (“time code, 20:30”).

A video of the musical interpretation and performance of the winning orchestra in category E, Big Band is available here.

The German Orchestra Competition:
The German Orchestra Competition is the central promotional measure of the German Music Council for orchestral music in Germany and is aimed at amateur orchestras of various instrumentations and ages. The comparison of performances and the encounter of the orchestras give the musicians the opportunity to present their musical skills and their artistic expressiveness. The German Orchestra Competition is organised every four years by the German Music Council. It is financially supported by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.

Making music together is one of the most popular forms of cultural leisure activity and civic engagement. More than four million people make music and sing in their free time in Germany’s orchestras and choirs.