At the Hagenhaus in Nendeln, the headquarters of the International Music Academy Liechtenstein, the handover of the Academy’s management from Drazen Domjanic to Beat Fehlmann took place this week. The ceremony was accompanied by music from current and former Academy scholarship holders.
Otmar Hasler, President of the Foundation Board, opened the evening with a tribute to the work of Drazen Domjanic, whom he described as a « quick thinker with an inexhaustible wealth of ideas », ideas that he also develops further, concepts that he also implements consistently and successfully, with a great organizational talent and immense creative power. « Burning for music, striving for excellence » are the guiding principles. Looking to the future, Hasler said he was sure that Beat Fehlmann, as Domjanic’s successor, would also be able to achieve this.
In his presentation ‘What really motivates the highly gifted’, Prof. Dr. Jürg Kesselring emphasized that there is an obligation for outsiders to support the highly gifted and that qualified teaching is indispensable, but that the highly gifted young musician must fulfil a number of requirements. According to him, these include self-belief, inner motivation, a thirst for knowledge and curiosity, perseverance, and self-discipline.
Remy Franck, President of the International Classical Music Awards, then introduced Drazen Domjanic as a new member of the jury. The ICMA are convinced that in Drazen Domjanic they have gained a member who, as a representative of the media company Kulmag, will play an important role in the growth of the jury’s activities.
Franck said: « Drazen Domjanic is not only an innovative generator of ideas, a gifted organizer, he also has the ability to inspire, and, on the other hand, to take up ideas and implement them with a rare enthusiasm. And so he jumped at the Discovery Award project proposed by the ICMA, which the jury wanted to organize in close collaboration with the Academy of Music. In 2026, the 10th anniversary of the Discovery Award will be celebrated, and we will look back on 10 highly successful years in which several young musicians who are now on their way to world careers have been honored.
Drazen Domjanic & Beat Fehlmann
(c) Remy Franck
The Academy’s management was then officially handed over to Beat Fehlmann.
Fehlmann was appointed Director of the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz in Ludwigshafen in September 2018. Prior to this, the Swiss-born was Director of the Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie in Constance, following positions at the Kammerphilharmonie Graubünden and the Philharmonie der Nationen.
Beat Fehlmann holds degrees in clarinet, conducting and composition as well as an Executive Master in Arts Administration from the University of Zurich.
For some years now, Beat Fehlmann has concentrated on administrative activities. Since 2020, he has also been teaching orchestra management at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts.
In his speech, he emphasized the social aspect of music. It is important that young musicians learn the feeling of the particle and that this is written into their consciousness so that they know why they should do it.
The ultimate goal is to build such a bridge to the audience that the listeners understand that « what they hear has to do with them. »
