Apart from the joy of bringing people together with each other and our musicians for a profound communion through music, we hope that the beauty of classical chamber music will touch them deeply, ignite a passion for culture and stimulate their creativity.
Viviane Hagner
Violinist Viviane Hagner (BBT Award 2004) is co-founder and artistic director of Krzyżowa-Music in Poland, an annual festival established in 2015 that provides aspiring young musicians the opportunity to rehearse and perform with internationally acclaimed artists. Situated in a historic village surrounded by the beautiful countryside of Lower Silesia, it has a strong local following while also attracting audiences from further afield.
Viviane’s BBT Artist Encore project, Krzyżowa-Music for All, was launched in summer 2025 and brought individually curated music performances to local childcare facilities, kindergartens, schools, hospitals, retirement homes and nursing homes where people rarely have the opportunity to experience live music. The project also inspired the Festival’s young professional musicians to develop their sense of social responsibility through playing for, and interacting with, non-traditional audiences – during which they discovered their own sense of joy and fulfilment.
Krzyżowa-Music for All provided the musicians with mentorship beyond the Festival itself, encouraging local partnerships and similar opportunities in their own home communities, as well as opening up a new collaborative pathway in Berlin. Throughout September outreach projects took place in various rural communities in Poland, and the same in Berlin in November.
There is something visceral about bringing chamber music masterpieces into an environment where they are not often, or even ever, heard. The sudden attention to the sounds coming from our instruments makes the compositions sound new, revelatory, like a world premiere, even to us musicians, in a way that stops time in its tracks. It’s a gift as much to us to have this moment to play, as it is for the listeners to hear. In a moment full of unexpected happenings and sometimes challenging situations we must adapt to from moment to moment, we try to transcend equipment or acoustic limitations and simply be fully present, imagining the sound of the music through the highly sensitive ears of those who are grateful for a break in the routines of their lives, some of which are full of much pain and anxiety. It’s a moment of communion with people, a shared moment of rapture, and a humbling reminder for us musicians of what a variety of experiences life brings and what magic music can bring to any state of body or mind.
Adam Golka, pianist and Artistic Advisor of Krzyżowa-Music
Pure joy, vivid interest and deep concentration of children with special needs, and visible enjoyment and the feeling of relaxation radiating from the residents of the retirement home were very rewarding feedback and a strong indicatorof the impact music can have on people.
Gustaw Bafeltowski, cellist participant