Music school orchestra visits twin town Akmenė

The string orchestra of the Bocholt-Isselburg music school visited the Lithuanian twin town of Akmenė in April for a five-day concert and meeting trip. In addition to intensive joint rehearsals and a successful final concert, the focus of the visit was on personal cultural exchange with host families.

This special encounter was made possible by financial support from the guidelines for the promotion of encounters within the framework of city friendships and town twinning programmes of the European city of Bocholt, the parents' and sponsors' association of the music school and the music school itself.

The trip took the group via Düsseldorf and Frankfurt am Main to Riga, from where they were transferred to the twin city of Akmenė. The participants were warmly welcomed on arrival. They were accommodated in pairs in Lithuanian host families, which gave the young musicians a direct insight into everyday life and the special local hospitality. Despite initial language barriers, communication became increasingly clear and personal contacts and new friendships developed over time.

The local programme was varied and, in addition to the musical focus, also included official appointments. The district administration welcomed the Bocholt delegation. During a visit to a local secondary school, the participants were also given an insight into scientific experiments. An excursion to the region also provided knowledge about the history, culture and landscape of Lithuania.

However, the main focus of the trip was on the joint musical work with the Lithuanian orchestra. The rehearsal phases were not only used for artistic preparation, but also for intensive professional dialogue between the young musicians. The highlight of the visit was the joint concert in the Naujoji Akmenė cultural centre. The varied programme was received with great enthusiasm by the audience and underlined the unifying power of music across national borders.

The meeting made an important contribution to consolidating the town twinning and to intercultural education. The participants expressed their special thanks to the head of the music school in Naujoji Akmenė, Irina Mikulevic, and the host families for their warm support. The project was financially supported by the European City of Bocholt's guidelines for the promotion of town twinning, the music school's parents' and sponsors' association and the music school itself. A return visit by the Lithuanian friends to Germany is already being considered.