The patron is Leipzig's mayor for culture Dr. Skadi Jennicke: "The 200th birthday of Clara Schumann is a very important highlight among the series of anniversaries taking place in Leipzig, the city of music. Born and raised in our city, she conquered the concert stages of Europe, celebrated her 50th anniversary on stage at the Leipzig Gewandhaus and thanks to her exemplary career, she is today an extraordinary icon of emancipation for that era."
In 2018, the city of Leipzig is supporting CLARA19 with a sum of 75,000 euros. 35,000 euros of this will be allocated to the independent scene (project submission until 30th March 2018). In 2019, the city council will request an additional 260,000 euros.
The artistic director is Gregor Nowak (Schumann-Haus Leipzig). The word and design mark and the corporate design were developed by the agency Kocmoc.
On Clara's trail
"The Gewandhaus in Leipzig, MDR Klassik and MDR Kultur, Leipzig Ballet, Schumann-Haus, Mendelssohn-Haus, Leipzig Book Fair, the Young World Theatre, the Leipzig Music Trail and many other institutions and associations will provide a unique and varied year of CLARA19 celebrations throughout Europe. We are thrilled with the response," said Gregor Nowak. One can follow in the footsteps of Clara at original locations (including in the living rooms of the Schumann House) and her compositions will ring out in music venues, which have recently been awarded the European Heritage Label.
Furthermore, the anniversary year will also offer a glimpse of the exciting life of the pianist and composer from a present day perspective. As a star of the 19th century, Clara Schumann - daughter of the teacher Friedrich Wieck - shaped her era perhaps more than any other woman.
The extensive programme is as diverse as Clara herself. It goes far beyond music and ties together the various spheres of art, age groups and interest groups. The focus of the anniversary year is thus not only on her compositions, but also on her artistic community and marriage with Robert Schumann, as well as her unique international concert activity. Her conflict between her career and family life, her acclaimed time as a child prodigy and her story of emancipation will also be examined.
"Clara im Park" and "Clara in der City", organised by the Leipzig Music Trail, will provide great enjoyment of art and a carnival atmosphere.
Opening gala
CLARA19 will open on 26 January 2019 with a gala at the University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy".
The highlight of the year will be the Schumann festivals from 12 to 29 September 2019, which are based around Schumann's birthday (13.09.1819) and wedding day (12.09.1840). The Schumann-House on Inselstraße, where Clara and Robert Schumann spent the first four years of their marriage, will then present its new museum concept. The original living areas will be designed in collaboration with the curator and Clara Schumann expert, Beatrix Borchard.
The pianist Lauma Skride and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra led by Gewandhauskapellmeister Andris Nelsons will on 12/13 September 2019 perform Clara Schumann's piano concerto Op. 7.
Clara Schumann
Clara Schumann spent the first 25 years of her life in Leipzig. At the age of nine, she made her successful concert debut at the Leipzig Gewandhaus. As an acclaimed artist, she performed successful concerts in Paris, Vienna, Copenhagen and St. Petersburg, among others, during the Leipzig period and married Robert Schumann here. In 1878, on the occasion of her 50th anniversary as an artist, she was honoured at the Leipzig Gewandhaus.
Leipzig's musical tradition
Scarcely any other German city can point to a musical tradition as rich and vibrant as that of Leipzig. The Schumann couple, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Johann Sebastian Bach, Richard Wagner, Edvard Grieg, Gustav Mahler and many more left behind a musical treasure, which is still ubiquitous today and expands from year to year. The Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Leipzig Opera enjoy an excellent reputation worldwide and international festivals (Bachfest, Wagner-Festtage, MDR Musiksommer) attract considerable attention. The places where these composers worked bring history to life. Clara and Robert Schumann spent the first four years of their marriage in the house which still stands on Inselstraße today. The circular trail of the "Leipziger Notenspur" provides a musical stroll through the city.