The D-bü competition for new concert formats from German music academies 2026 came to an end last weekend with a festive awards ceremony in Würzburg. Eight student ensembles were selected from 55 submissions from Germany's 24 universities of music to stage innovative concert formats at unusual venues in the city.

The competition, which takes place every two years at a different university of music and was organised by the University of Music Würzburg in 2026, is considered an important platform for creative young musicians. Students from German music academies curated and presented programmes with cross-genre approaches, early and new music, music theatre and immersive, performative media installations, making it clear how diverse, lively and reflective the next generation of the music scene is.

Three prizes awarded

The eight final concerts were presented in short videos as part of the award ceremony on 2 May in the theatre hall of the Würzburg University of Music. There were also speeches from the President of the Würzburg University of Music, Prof Dr Christoph Wünsch, Dr Markus Braig from the Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, and Würzburg's Lord Mayor Martin Heilig. The artistic advisor of the D-bü Competition 2026, Jonathan Pengl, reported on the accompanying workshop programme, which also included a cooperation with the Würzburg Mozart Festival.

The jury, consisting of students from German music academies under the guidance of Prof. Dr Wiebke Rademacher (mdw Vienna), honoured all entries and awarded the equal prizes of 4,000 euros each to the following ensembles:

Prize for originality:
Ensemble Hunch with the programme Villa Echoes - Klang der Erinnerung
Hochschule für Musik und Theater München (Maria Matinyan, Paul Bießmann, Ophelia Flassig)

Prize for reproducibility:
(da)ensemble with the programme Ara(da)zwischen
Franz Liszt University of Music Weimar (Clara Reinsch, Ipek Atila, Milea Henning)

Prize for audience success:
Püppchenkollektiv with the programme Frauenliebe und Überleben
Rostock University of Music and Theatre (Lea Hartlaub, Maxine Moesta, Lara Göhlert, Olesia Stepanova, Viktor Maria Sommerfeld)

Great audience interest on all concert evenings

The eight final concerts from 28 April to 1 May were a complete success: all events were very well attended or even sold out. The unusual venues, from the Staatlicher Hofkeller to the Dornheim Technoclub, the Museum im Kulturspeicher and the climbing hall, provided new perspectives on concert dramaturgy, music performances and audience participation. "The D-bü competition impressively demonstrates how innovative and socially relevant young musicians think and work today. I am deeply touched by the wonderful stories told by the young artists in the various performances. I am already looking forward to the next D-bü programme in 2028 at the Dresden University of Music." - said Christian Fischer, Chairman of the Rectors' Conference of German Music Universities.

The artistic director of the competition, Jürgen Ruck, emphasised: "The range of entries was impressive. From intimate, personal formats to expansive, multimedia productions. D-bü is a place where the future of music becomes visible and audible."

Platform for exchange and innovation

In addition to the idea of the competition, the exchange of ideas in the competition campus also took centre stage. D-bü deliberately sees itself as a platform for further development and new concert formats that also appeal to people who previously had little access to classical music.
Project manager Antje Hübenbecker, who also hosted the award ceremony, draws a positive conclusion: "During these days, we have experienced how music connects people; across genres, spaces and expectations. The energy, creativity and courage of the ensembles were impressive."

The livestream of the award ceremony in the theatre hall of the Würzburg University of Music and the trailers of the eight final entries will soon be available on the D-bü website.