Interview with Jens Lohmann

"Digital networks have also shaken everything up for us musicians."

Jens Lohmann hails from Stuttgart. After graduating from high school, he studied violin with Aida Stucki in Winterthur and with Yfah Neam at the Guildhall School in London. In 1989, he won first prize at the Rhan Competition of Swiss Music Academies, and in 1991, he received a medal at the RAI Italian Television Competition for the Mozart Year. That same year, he was awarded a soloist diploma. Since then, he has made numerous recordings for radio, television, and CD. As a soloist, concertmaster, and chamber musician, he has performed in most European countries, as well as in Africa and Asia. Studies in conducting (Lucerne), musicology, and philosophy (Fribourg) have broadened his musical horizons, as has his intensive engagement with contemporary music. Jens Lohmann has been a lecturer at the Zurich University of the Arts and the Zurich Conservatory since 1991. In 2006, as artistic director, he initiated the Herbst in der Helferei festival in Zurich, which offers young musicians the opportunity to perform alongside established artists in concerts over the course of a week.

After studying violin, you also studied musicology and philosophy. How did that come about?
On June 7, 1991, after performing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, I stood in front of the Winterthur Town Hall with my newly awarded soloist diploma and decided in the following days to do "something different." That one's life direction, one's way of life, changes so fundamentally after a course of study that, from the outside, had been perceived as "very successful" overall, probably requires several reasons: I had apparently always carried my high school diploma around with me as a kind of legacy, as a promise to be fulfilled, and with the completion of my music studies, in addition to the freedom to explore new paths, a few personal things came into play, as well as a stroke of luck: My parents met a prominent musicologist who taught in Freiburg im Breisgau during their vacation in Crete, who essentially extended an invitation to the Albert-Ludwig University – which I then accepted.

You founded the "Autumn in the Helferei" festival week in 2006. What characterizes this concert series?
In 2006, I would have said: the intergenerational principle, today meets tomorrow, the consistent implementation of established artists meeting young and talented ones – a festival of encounters, in other words. But that was probably already in the air, and many others are doing it now, too. So today I would answer: The festival has remained personal in almost 20 years. Critics occasionally write "small but perfectly formed." This certainly refers first and foremost to the wonderful location, the Helferei Grossmünster, then to the artists, who are often from my close or wider circle of acquaintances (Zurich, as a city with three fantastic orchestras, really does offer an incredibly international pool), and – last but not least – to the support provided by a group (which we call the OK, organizing committee) that puts in hundreds of hours of fantastic volunteer work, giving the whole thing its special flair and style. The icing on the cake is the aperitif, which we offer after the concerts, and where you can find amazing It's a place to make new acquaintances – a place to see and be seen, perfect for a selfie with celebrities: When Sumina Studer played with us in 2019, Ray Chen came for the best aperitif in town. And finally, thanks to our shared energy and enthusiasm – coupled with a bit of luck – we've repeatedly managed to connect with some of the most famous people: where Mischa Maisky and Patricia Kopatchinskaja were once frequent guests, you can invite anyone – like Avi Avital this year, for example.

You are also the Artistic Director of the interactive orchestra Stringendo. What's so special about it?
It's been a long, intense, and wonderful story since 1999. Stringendo means new beginnings, movement, action. Stringendo is an inspiring idea, a youthful style. Our music is different. Listen to it!
Have you ever heard a concert? Then you'd understand that it's truly the case!
I don't know how many musicians who work professionally in and around Zurich today were once Stringendo members. There's such a strong, enduring "insider" feel to this Stringendo milieu, which keeps previous generations in contact for a long time (perhaps a lifetime), giving them a lasting sense of belonging.
Moreover, Stringendo and the Autumn Festival are closely intertwined because the two respective Stringendo generations (teenagers and students) play as the festival orchestra, creating a win-win situation for everyone involved.

They place particular importance on supporting young musicians. Is there a change in young musicians compared to previous generations?
Social media!! Digital networks have shaken things up for us musicians too. On the one hand, there are the beneficial advantages like YouTube, which allows us to surf through the world's concert halls at any time, free of charge: 24/7 inspiration from living stars as well as legends like Oistrakh, Rubinstein, or Toscanini. On the other hand, we often can't get rid of the forces we've summoned: This starts with the difficulty of achieving and maintaining concentration while practicing; it continues with the time-consuming "obligation" to be present online: It's true that priorities have shifted, and the online reality (all the self-congratulatory odes on homepages) has overtaken the "old" reality out there. And then a noticeable restlessness arose, which was much less prevalent before 2000: Because the parents of gifted young people are constantly presented with all the celebrities (and pseudo-celebrities) online, they live under the pressure that they might be missing out on something for their children. They are constantly on the go, traveling from one event to the next, from one masterclass to the next, from one professor to the next (sometimes requiring many hours of flying between them).

What are the challenges for young musicians today?
Above all: to remain calm (see previous question); to perceive with open eyes (and ears) what is developing that is truly good, and in doing so – as undisturbed and concentrated as possible – to further their own work with perseverance, daily diligence and continuous joy in the wonderful subject matter.

You yourself have been teaching at the Zurich Conservatory MKZ City and the University of Applied Sciences for over 20 years. How has your teaching developed during this time?
I hope it has improved! Three examples: When I started, I brought just a few music books to Florhof, and the students had to play something from them whether they liked it or not; today I have three really extensive libraries at my disposal: one in several cabinets, one on my mobile phone, and then IMSLP. Secondly: When I started, I had far fewer approaches to solutions, fewer visual aids; I had to develop my ideas and exercises, my system, through working together with the students and their problems; today, the entire resource is readily available. This also means that if something doesn't work right away, I think: next week we'll try it again, differently; I have to find the right "key"—so the student always has my renewed confidence that they can succeed. Thirdly: Thanks to the Autumn Festival, the class and I maintain a positive outlook throughout the year. The large-scale project, in which almost everyone usually participates, creates the flow, and the great artists we invite always bring new ideas and perspectives that enrich us again.

You teach aspiring professional musicians. Far more musicians are being trained than the market demands. How do you deal with that?
Counter-questions: if we decided for or against degree programs solely based on market orientation and demand, wouldn't everyone have to study computer science or something similar? Haven't there always been, or even always been, "bread-and-butter" degrees and, on the other hand, degrees chosen more out of passion than for the prospect of a decent income? And isn't work also decreasing in other fields due to AI? Of course, you become a musician because your teachers recognize your talent and you can expect to make a living in this profession; but above all, you become one because you desperately want to, because you feel called to it (even if you fear you won't be the very best).
Even in a musician's career, there are rocky moments, minor or major "defeats," and doubts; In these situations, you're best equipped when you know: I really wanted to do it, it's my "thing."

You also regularly serve on competition juries. What experiences have you had with this format?
I've been on many competition juries and always doubted whether I'd made completely fair decisions – there's always a slight unease when I see it from that perspective. Thankfully, I prepare my students for competitions much more often. That's always a positive experience: We have a goal that we work towards with motivation and focus – in cycling terms, I'd compare it to a stage. And when the stage is over with the competition, what remains are primarily the improvements. (Only very rarely have I been truly dissatisfied with my colleagues' judging performances; then you have to lift the student's spirits...).

What are your personal goals that you still want to achieve?
Professionally, I naturally want to continue improving as a teacher, conductor, and ensemble leader, and so on. As a violinist, I also want to develop (regardless of my age), that goes without saying – it's like for young people in competitions: goals are milestones, nothing more and nothing less. And as Artistic Director of "Autumn in the Helferei," I want to organize many more unforgettable concerts during this truly special week 38.
Privately, I want to be a (reasonably) good father to my children every day (which isn't always easy in our profession); the goal here would be to become a little more independent so that I can spend time with them.

What passions do you have outside of music?
As I said: the children…
Then: reading. On my mother's side, I come from a family with a strong interest in literature, and I grew up in a house with a huge library. In my (always limited) free time, I loved to read a lot.
Finally: sports. In my youth, I played a lot of sports, table tennis, football, and so on. Nowadays, I don't get to do it enough; I've become more of a consumer, but with great interest and undiminished enthusiasm.

Interview by Florian Schär | Classicpoint.net | September 1, 2023

Next concerts

June 28, 2026 - MULTI-PACETED - above the rooftops of Zurich