The Carl Bechstein Foundation was created in late 2012 by C. Bechstein AG. It was awarded the German Culture Prize for a project entitled “Pianos for Schools”, which is aimed at giving uprights to primary schools. The Foundation has donated more than eighty pianos since 2013 and as many as one hundred instruments are to be delivered to schools by the end of 2015.
As Professor Markus Schächter, former director-general of the ZDF television channel, stated: “The project run by the Carl Bechstein Foundation enables children to enter the world of music, which would not be always possible under the current education system.”
The German Culture Prize has been awarded to recognize innovative and sustainable cultural projects every year since 2006. This year’s jury included Dr Thomas Bellut (director-general of ZDF), Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen (secretary-general of the Cultural Foundation of the German States), Dr Willi Steul (director-general of Deutschlandradio), Kurt Kister (editor-in-chief of Süddeutsche Zeitung), Gabor Steingart (publisher of Handelsblatt) and Veronica Ferres (actress). The jury awarded prizes to three of the ninety projects that had been shortlisted.
As Karl Schulze, president of the Carl Bechstein Foundation, stated in his acceptance speech: “We’re over the moon. This award confirms that all our hard work is paying off. For us, life is dull without music, which is why we offer children an opportunity to play the piano as early as possible and develop a love for music that should last a lifetime.”
More information on the project and the activities of the Carl Bechstein Foundation is available at www.carl-bechstein-stiftung.de/en.html
© photos: Peter Himsel
