Where on earth can you find something like that?
A music scholarship that you can’t apply for, that offers neither a one-time nor a regular financial award to the recipients, and that only works at all if the recipients actively and continuously contribute? Yes, such a thing exists, right here in Germany: the Concerto21 Foundation, a trust foundation affiliated with the Alfred Toepfer Foundation (F.V.S.), one of Germany’s most prominent philanthropic institutions.Over a period of at least one year, Concerto21 provides funding for specific projects undertaken by its hand-selected scholarship recipients. It also offers them the concentrated expertise of its network as a resource for all aspects of a musician’s life—a wealth of experience that money cannot buy.
The Concerto21 Foundation takes its name from the Concerto21 Academy, founded in 2008 by Martin Tröndle—a program of the Alfred Toepfer Foundation F.V.S., which has been supporting individual musicians and ensembles for eighteen years now. While the initial focus was on developing new concert formats, today the emphasis is primarily on helping musicians develop their own artistic identities—from which innovative concert formats then emerge in a second step. We aim to provide this support to individual scholarship recipients of the foundation over an extended period of time.
Kuratorium
Annekatrin Hentschel
Host and Editor at Bayerischer Rundfunk / BR Klassik
As a host of concerts, festivals, and awards such as the ARD Music Competition and “Opera for All,” Annekatrin Hentschel presents classical music in an emotional, approachable, and humorous way. For the past 10 years, she has headed the BR Klassik magazine SWEET SPOT and developed digital formats such as podcasts and music videos featuring film, video game, and chamber music.
Julia Hülsmann
Jazzpianist
Jazz pianist Julia Hülsmann combines lyrical depth with a keen sense of melody. Influenced by pop music and jazz greats such as Miles Davis and Chick Corea, she developed her own style at an early age. With award-winning albums, international collaborations, and accolades such as the WDR and SWR Jazz Prizes, she is considered one of the defining voices of German jazz.
Sonia Simmenauer
founder Impresariat Simmenauer, president BDKV, manager, mentor
Sonia Simmenauer, born in the United States and raised in France, founded the Simmenauer Agency in Hamburg in 1989. She is one of the leading figures in the chamber music scene. She also established cultural venues such as Café Leonar and Jewish salons, and published the book *Muss es sein* about life in a string quartet.
Uta Gielke
Program Director for Culture, Alfred Toepfer Toepfer Foundation F.V.S.
Uta Gielke has headed the Culture Division of the Alfred Toepfer Foundation since 2005 and has served as deputy director of the Program Department since 2020. Since 2008, she has been responsible for the conceptual and organizational management of the Concerto21 Academy and provides long-term support to young musicians. She is also committed to continuing education programs in the visual arts.
Gründungsrat
Andreas Brandis
Managing Partner of ACT Music and Founder of The ACT Agency
Andreas Brandis is a music producer, artist manager, and entrepreneur. He is the CEO and shareholder of ACT Music + Vision, as well as the founder and CEO of The ACT Agency. As a former musician and cultural manager, he has worked for Universal Music, Deutsche Grammophon, and ECM, among others. He is the director of the Concerto21 Academy at the Alfred Toepfer Foundation F.V.S.
Ansgar Wimmer
Chairman of the Board of the Alfred Toepfer Foundation F.V.S.
Ansgar Wimmer has been a member of the board of the Alfred Toepfer Foundation F.V.S. since 2004 and has served as its chairman since 2005. Prior to that, he headed the cultural affairs department of the city of Gütersloh and worked at the Bertelsmann Foundation, UNCTAD, and McKinsey. A fully qualified lawyer and Harvard graduate, he is also active on numerous foundation and cultural committees.
Krischan von Moeller
founding partner Paragon Partners
Krischan is a founding partner of Paragon. Previously, he led the restructuring of medium-sized companies at BZV Partners and was responsible for strategy and M&A at the Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. Before that, he worked internationally at the Boston Consulting Group. He holds a Ph.D. in industrial engineering (TU Darmstadt, Harvard).
Leitung
Sophie Wackerbauer
Head of Concerto21 Foundation
Sophie Wackerbauer holds a degree in cultural and media management and is a Hamburg-based event producer specializing in jazz and crossover music. She has headed the Concerto21 Foundation since 2023. After working in pop, classical music, theater, and film, she specialized in jazz. She produces international concerts, works for the Elbphilharmonie, among others, and is committed to cross-genre projects and networking.