The Goethe-Institut promotes a wide range of contemporary music in Germany and exchange between performing artists in Germany and abroad. Every year, we provide funding and support for concerts and tours, master classes, workshops and symposiums for a great many projects involving professional as well as amateur and up-and-coming young musicians. Our efforts extend to every genre of current-day German music, ranging from early and classical music to jazz, rock and pop music as well as electronica, sound art and contemporary classical music.
Every year the Goethe-Institut provides support for roughly a thousand projects featuring professional musicians working in every musical style and genre. Many of these projects involve collaboration between Goethe-Instituts abroad and their local partners, such as festivals, concert venues and clubs. Other projects are launched by our Music Division in association with partners in Germany. Our funding for professional music projects targets professional musicians based in Germany or in developing or transition countries.
Furthermore, over eight million young and amateur musicians play or sing in a choir or orchestra, in a rock band, jazz combo or chamber music group in Germany. Every year, the Goethe-Institut provides support for three to four hundred projects involving concert tours, “get-acquainted” concerts or workshops given abroad by these German ensembles together with local musical partners.
We attach equal importance to our efforts to promote artists in other countries. There are countless talented musicians in developing and transition countries that often lack suitable training facilities and qualified instructors. In view of this situation, the Goethe-Institut and our partners in the target countries support and develop a wide range of music education projects and programmes. We also provide funding and support for musicians from abroad to perform in Germany.
The pilot project “Touring Green – Sustainable Music Projects in Europe” supports professional artists in developing concepts for sustainable travel in music and implementing them within the framework of a resource-efficient music journey.
With the International Coproduction Fund, the Goethe-Institut aims to encourage new collaborative working processes and innovative productions in intercultural exchange. This Fund targets professional artists, ensembles and initiatives abroad and in Germany working in the fields of theatre, dance, music and performance art.
From now on, to facilitate the application process for Goethe-Institut funding in 2022, applications for grants may be submitted up to six weeks before the start of the project in question. Funding will also be available for short trips and travel to neighbouring countries. In addition, applications for digital or hybrid music projects can be submitted after prior consultation.
Our efforts to promote music projects abroad also target young and amateur ensembles and choirs that are planning collaborative projects abroad. They may be eligible for a travel grant.
Professional musicians and ensembles based in Germany should feel free to send unsolicited information material about themselves and recent audio recordings (links) to the Goethe-Institut Music Division by e-mail. We will contact you if any opportunity for an engagement arises.
