History of the support association
On 16th February 1992 the Freundeskreis Spezialschule der Hochschule für Musik “Carl Maria von Weber“ was founded as a non-profit association. The foundation ceremony took place in the Crown Hall of Albrechtsberg Castle in Dresden.
The name of the support association was continuously adapted to the changing name of the school. This way it has borne the name Freundeskreis Sächsisches Landesgymnasium für Musik Dresden e.V. since 2005.
Back at the time when the foundation meeting took place, the prospects of the school were completely uncertain since one could not be sure whether it would have a long-lasting position within the new educational system.
Just as many other cultural institutions of the former GDR, the Spezialschule für Musik was thoroughly reviewed, too.
Rumours of winding up went around somewhere and caused considerable fears of the future. During these complicated times, school administration and parents’ representatives together took the initiative in founding a support association which was supposed to support the school, but mainly to secure its durable existence as a grammar school.
The great response those plans met with was reflected, amongst other things, in a full load of visitors in the hall and in the support by prominent guests from politics, science and the fine arts. The then president of the Saxon federal state parliament Erich Iltgen sent a message of greetings, for example, Prof Dr Hans John from the Dresdner Hochschule für Musik gave a noteworthy ceremonial talk, and numerous leading artists such as Prof Ludwig Güttler and the then vice-chancellor in charge of the Hochschule für Musik Prof Monika Raithel were counted among the first members of the Freundeskreis. At that event, there was a highly committed discussion on how to set up and pass legally correct statutes as a non-profit association that would even be approved by the local court and the financial administration.
Back then, the Freundeskreis started with 68 members. At the moment, 158 persons belong to it. Among these there are parents of the current students´ generation, teachers, musicians, former students and their family members, but also persons who simply love music and have a love of young people´s education at this special school.
During the entire time from then until now, the basic matter of the Freundeskreis has not changed at all. Referring to this it says in the statutes: “Task and purpose of the association are the support and the promotion of the next generation of musicians at the Landesgymnasium für Musik. This includes the spiritual, material and personal support of the students.”
On the basis of this, it supports e.g. the carrying out of courses, choir and orchestra workshops, the International Dotzauer Competition for young cellists and the Musikpodium Dresden-Venice. It purchases instruments and offers them for borrowing, participates in the funding of traditional school and boarding house celebrations, it helps in cases of social hardship, e.g. in terms of scholarships for one school year, and supports numerous school and extracurricular projects such as the international student exchange with grammar schools in France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Israel.
All the large number of projects, which are often underinvested by the state, but truly make school life interesting, varied and likeable, are particularly important to the association.
Since 2011 the Freundeskreis has been organizing a concert series entitled “Musical Bridges from Past to Present – Former and Current Students in Concert”. Thereby school graduates return to their former educational institution and together with current students arrange an evening concert.
Our heartfelt thanks go to all who have been or are members of the Freundeskreis as well as to all our sponsors. They contribute to the availability of the financial resources that are necessary to fulfil our tasks and to support our numerous projects. Besides, thanks to all members who have worked voluntarily in the executive committee of the Freundeskreis over the many years.
Perhaps you might also want to join the supporters of the Sächsisches Landesgymnasium für Musik.
We would be delighted to welcome you as a new member of our association.
Steffen Rothe
Chairman of the Freundeskreis
