two days ago, on May 16th, 2020, President Van der Bellen delivered a speech that also took into account the current situation of artists and cultural professionals:
“Therefore, it is important to me to emphasize art and culture as values in themselves – and also as values for us, for the audience.[…]” excerpt of the President’s speech
Twenty years ago, I received, among other honors, the Appreciation Award from the then Federal Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture for my piano concert performance studies, which I completed with distinction (January 2000).
At that time, I was asked by MDW’s legendary head of piano department Heinz Medjimorec whether I would deliver the acceptance speech on behalf of all that year’s prizewinners from Austria’s art universities during the ceremony. I felt very honored to speak for the MDW and all the other prizewinners, though I did pause a bit, given the political situation, before eventually agreeing. It was a large event at the time, attended by many; two of my fellow piano students – now esteemed colleagues at the MDW – were also honored with the prize: Christoph Eggner und Albert Sassmann.
Back then, there was also reason to be concerned about the future of art and culture. They were different worries and different circumstances.
Here is the text of the speech (enclosed the original script), including the ad hoc additions to the preceding speech by the Federal Minister (Federal Minister Gehrer, in her commendation of the prizewinners, largely focused on the fact that art and culture are very valuable for Austria because they enhance Austria as an economic location and its various economic regions, and therefore have great significance).
“Honorable Federal Minister, honorable rectors and vice-rectors of the art universities, dear colleagues,
I was entrusted with the important task of thanking, on behalf of all of us, for receiving the the Appreciation Award. Each one of us was recognized by an expert panel for the particular achievement we delivered as part of our final examinations or theses. I see it as a gracious gesture on the part of this Federal Ministry to further acknowledge our accomplishments with a commendation prize. This gesture shows that attention is being paid to us art university graduates and that we are being supported.
Each of us, years ago, chose a specific artistic direction or heeded an inner calling – in my case, it was music and the piano. Subsequently, we devoted ourselves to our respective arts to such an extent that we have now become true experts in our fields. That we were honored then and are being recognized today shows that our work is receiving attention. I believe that we owe thanks also to those who supported us during our studies, perhaps even guided us, and above all believed in us, that we could achieve great things.
We have all taken on the responsibility to tap into a creative potential that for others can be enlightening, amusing, educational, entertaining, and perhaps even trivial, but with which we will sometimes have to live; we have taken on the responsibility to simply say, to play, or to create what we want to say, play, or create because it matters to us, and we must do so at the highest quality we are capable of.
I would also like to address something that has not yet been mentioned: I am grateful for the excellent education I received here in Vienna and for the opportunity to study abroad, which I was able to do as part of the Erasmus program. I hope care will be taken to ensure that in the future the conditions and opportunities of this education in our fields, as part of various reforms, do not develop to the detriment of the students. For I wish the next generation at least the same possibilities and prospects, if not more.
In order for the musical landscape – and culture in general – in Austria to maintain a high quality, we need not only outstanding musicians and artists in general (and there is certainly no shortage of talent) but also an open and unbiased audience that is genuinely interested in music, in the visual arts, and in the performing arts, that follows cultural events attentively, and that is not afraid of engaging with them critically. I wish such audience interest for all the artists present here and for Austria.
We have just completed our studies, so so much lies ahead of us. We have successfully finished one stage of our journey, but we will also have to continue to demonstrate our abilities.
[Here, handwritten notes are inserted; they contain an ad hoc response to the preceding speech by the Federal Minister, as follows, in italics]
Regarding your speech, Madam Federal Minister, I would like to add: art has an inherent value, entirely independent of whether it makes an economic location more representative or not. Art stands on its own as something beautiful, something necessary, and much more. Art is therefore enormously important for the country. It is up to us to represent and convey this value.
On behalf of everyone, I thank you for this commendation prize, for I hope that it is a sign that our work will continue to be followed with attention and empathy, that trust will be placed in us, and that belief will be shown not only in us but above all in us and our art.
Thank you very much.”
