Musik-Kurswochen
Arosa
June – November 2024
Arosa Kultur
Arosa Kultur is a politically and religiously neutral non-profit association. The main aim of Arosa Kultur is to promote cultural activities in the popular winter and summer resort Arosa. As well as the Music Course Weeks, the association organizes three other festivals (Arosa Sounds and Arosa Classic in winter and the Culture Summer), weekly children’s activities during the summer, numerous concerts and other cultural events from June to October and from December to April. Arosa Kultur has around 600 members, two thirds of whom live in Arosa. Beside membership subscriptions the association is mainly funded by its patrons and donors, in particular the Arosa municipality, Arosa Tourism and the county of Grisons, as well as various foundations and sponsors

The Arosa Music Course Weeks were initiated in 1987 by Arosa Kultur. At that time four courses were offered, with a total of 50 participants. Nowadays, more than 130 courses are offered throughout summer and autumn, with over 1,400 participants. The Arosa Music Course Weeks have become the largest festival of this kind in Europe.

The festival is open to amateur participants, students and professional musicians – there is something for everyone. The number of participants is limited, so that everyone has their fair share of attention and no-one needs to feel at a disadvantage. Courses generally last 6 days, with some courses taking place over 10 days. Each day there are 4 to 6 hours of musical activity. Outside this time participants are free to enjoy the wide variety of leisure activities that Arosa offers, or to make use of the quiet practice rooms. Courses on offer range from beginners’ (alphorn, blues harp, didgeridoo, yodel, etc.) to master courses.

The fee for the Arosa Music Course Weeks that the participants pay goes quite a long way to covering costs. However, we are receiving more and more requests from talented students who cannot afford the course fee. Whenever possible we waive (a part of) the fee for these students. In order to accommodate as many requests as possible, an Arosa Music Course Weeks scholarship fund was set up in 2005.

Since setting up the fund, we have been fortunate to have an ever-longer list of institutions that are interested in supporting us: Fritz-Gerber-Stiftung, Hans-Schaeuble-Stiftung, SJMW, Arosa municipality, county of Grisons. We extend our grateful thanks to these organisations. – For further information on how to support the scholarship fund please please contact us.

The Arosa Music Course Weeks are non-profit orientated. Annual costs amount to around CHF 800 000, of which around CHF 160 000 are covered by the course hotels. The deficit (which is approx. CHF 100 000 each year) is funded by various institutions in Arosa, as well the canton of Grisons (department for the promotion of culture). However, there are not enough resources available to include special projects within the festival. For this reason a patrons’ association was set up in 1995. Each year, the association is able to provide support to the festival with contributions averaging around CHF 7 000. Generally, this amount is split equally and used to provide or renew instruments, and for special events (subsidising concerts). Support is also provided to the Arosa Music Course Weeks scholarship fund.

With the intention of giving all music lovers an opportunity to show their support for the Arosa Music Course Weeks the annual subscription to the patrons’ association has been kept to the modest sum of CHF 25. To become a patron requires a contribution of CHF 100, whilst donations of larger or smaller amounts are always welcome. For corporations an annual subscription costs CHF 200.

In order to keep administration costs to a minimum, information is only provided to members of the patrons' association via the annual festival brochure. Details of how much money has been raised and how it has been distributed appear in this report. Since its foundation, the patrons' association has been presided over by Max Aeberli, music instructor, Rapperswil. The association office is managed by Arosa Kultur, from where its statutes can be obtained (Tel. +41 (0)81 353 87 47). Accounts are reviewed by the auditors of the Arosa Kultur.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the patrons’ association, and/or making a donation, please contact Arosa Kultur, CH-7050 Arosa, to request further information and a payment slip (Mail: info@arosakultur.ch or Tel. +41 (0)81 353 87 47)