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Mein ganz besonderer Dank gehört auch in from 1989 on, the Bochum Piano Summer, a
diesem Jahr all jenen, die unsere Arbeit für local activity, was transformed into the Ruhr
das Klavier-Festival Ruhr ermöglichen. Allen Piano Festival. As the cultural flagship of the
voran dem Initiativkreis Ruhr, unserem dies Ruhr Circle of Initiatives, the Festival continu-
jährigen Hauptsponsor, der Deutschen Bahn AG, ally gained in momentum: by the mid-1990s,
unseren 65 Sponsoren und Förderern, sowie it had become the largest and most significant
unseren Partner-Stiftungen und privaten piano event of its kind in the world – particu-
Donatoren, unter ihnen unsere Mäzene 2018 larly with the addition in 2006 of our Educa-
Dr. Angelika und Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dieter H. Vogel. tion Projects, which enabled us to put social
Ganz besonders möchte ich mich bei den responsibility into action. In 2010, when the
Mitgliedern unseres neuen Jubilee Circle Ruhr Region was named European Capital of
bedanken, die unser großes Benefizkonzert Culture, the Circle of Ruhr Initiatives adopted
zum 30-jährigen Bestehen zum Anlass für the Capital of Culture concept of ongoing
großherzige Zuwendungen an unsere Stiftung cultural promotion to take a logical decision:
nehmen. Und natürlich gehört mein herzlicher to transform the Ruhr Piano Festival into an
Dank unseren Künstlern, insbesondere auch autonomous, responsible body in the form of a
jenen, die aus freundschaftlicher Verbundenheit Foundation, thereby providing it with a stable
am 09. März 2018 unentgeltlich in der Histori- structure designed to last, and capable of ex-
schen Stadthalle Wuppertal auftreten werden. tending its great success story into the future.
Meine Mitarbeiter und ich, wir alle freuen uns 2018, the “Debussy Year”, offers us a number
auf eine glanzvolle Spielzeit und wünschen of splendid opportunities to celebrate these
Ihnen, unserem verehrten Publikum, dabei so anniversaries: for instance, we are thrilled that
viel Freude, wie wir sie bei der Vorbereitung we have been able to invite the most out-
bereits empfunden haben! standing French pianists of our time, including
Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Hélène Grimaud, and
“Vive la France!” That is the emblem we could Jean-Yves Thibaudet, to perform at the Festival.
choose for our 2018 jubilee season. 100 years We will hear a series of marvelous Gallic
after the end of the First World War, and on works: not only a great number of composi-
the 100th anniversary of the death of Claude tions by Debussy and Ravel, but also three
Debussy, we will be celebrating Franco-German of Camille Saint-Saëns’s rather infrequently
friendship with fabulous music and the best performed piano concertos, along with further
pianists of our time. We are also celebrating solo piano pieces of his pen. We will also dis-
the 30th anniversary of the decision that gave cover other French rarities: for instance, works
rise to the Ruhr Piano Festival. It was taken on by Jean-Philippe Rameau, Charles Widor, Louis
16 July 1988, when Alfred Herrhausen, Adolf Théodore Gouvy, and Ernest Chausson. Our
Schmidt and 11 other figures of public life were program focus on France also allows us to
invited by the “Ruhr Bishop”, Cardinal Franz feature exciting piano duo recitals: with Yaara
Hengsbach, to meet at the Episcopal House in Tal & Andreas Groethuysen, with the
Essen and to convene about the future of the GrauSchumacher duo, Anthony & Joseph
Ruhr Region, whose coal and steel industries Paratore, and Arthur & Lucas Jussen. Further-
were facing a momentous crisis. Together they more, the Maki Namekawa & Dennis Russell
decided to found the Ruhr Circle of Initiatives. Davies piano duo will be paying homage to
And that was also the moment when Alfred the great Leonard Bernstein on the 100th
Herrhausen proposed the idea of organizing a anniversary of his birth. Of course, apart from
classical music festival that would feature con- our focus on France, we are looking forward to
certs and recitals across the entire region. Thus, many other encounters: with Daniel Barenboim
in three Beethoven piano trios, or with Igor
Levit in the two Schubert piano trios. Other
artists returning in chamber music formations
this year will be Kit Armstrong and Khatia
Buniatishvili, as well as the violinists Anne-
Sophie Mutter and Frank Peter Zimmermann
16 Klavier-Festival Ruhr 2018
