On the Cooperation between the mdw and Fondation Hasdrubal in Tunisia

In times of palpable insecurity as well as increasing socio-political polarisation and division across our world, instances of international cooperation and collaboration are taking on new importance and topicality in terms of both symbolism and substance. Diplomatic relations between Austria and Tunisia have already existed for 300 years, and the signing of the cooperation agreement between the mdw and Fondation Hasdrubal in 2023 made a strong contribution to these relations’ reinforcement and to the continuation of an important (inter)cultural dialogue: “The cooperation between the mdw and the Hasdrubal Foundation for Culture and the Arts embodies a living model of intercultural dialogue. Based on artistic, educational, and human exchange, our collaborative work strives to forge lasting ties between Europe and the Arab world through music and the performing arts”, emphasises the foundation’s musical director Laurent Jost.

The mdw and Fondation Hasdrubal have realised three successful cooperative projects so far, as part of which mdw students and teaching faculty have visited Tunesia. Support for these activities has come in part from “South-North” project funding provided by the Austrian Embassy in Tunis. February 2024 saw the mdw professor of orchestral education Fedor Rudin pay his first visit to Hammamet together with the Motus Quartet in order to provide Tunisian musicians with instruction on the violin and in chamber music. For the quartet, this was also an opportunity to gather impulses from Arabic music and traditions courtesy of the Tunisian musicians.

Laurent Jost points out how hugely valuable these cooperative projects are for the young musicians from both countries who participate. “Cross-residencies, masterclasses, and joint concerts allow young musicians from both sides of the Mediterranean to discover new aesthetics and practices. For numerous Tunisian students, this experience is a revelation. Many of these young artists regularly tell us things like, ‘I’ve learned to listen differently, to share, and to push myself beyond my limits.’ The learning effects are profound: artistic openness, increased rigor but also self-confidence, and a sense of belonging to a broader musical community. And the teaching team emphasises the participants’ commitment and curiosity as well as the richness of the intercultural exchange that takes place.”

The autumn of 2024 saw Anaïs Tamisier—who teaches at the mdw’s Joseph Haydn Department of Chamber Music and Contemporary Music—team up with three students (Minkyung Shin, violin; Djonathan Inácio da Silva, viola; and Felix Vermeirsch, cello) for a visit to Fondation Hasdrubal in Hammamet. In this case, the mdw students likewise collaborated closely with young Tunisian musicians as part of workshops and master classes with the opportunity to then present their musical programme in two concerts.

A highlight among these cooperative activities so far was the April 2025 orchestral project that took place in Tunisia. This project saw 40 musicians of the mdw’s Webern Sinfonietta travelled there for further work together with Tunisian musicians under the musical direction of Fedor Rudin. And to mark 300 years of diplomatic relations between Austria and Tunisia as well as Johann Strauss II’s 200th birthday, the combined ensemble played works by Strauss and by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for a large audience in a concert at the Théâtre de l’Opéra in Tunis that was also broadcast on Tunisian national television. About this special project, Fedor Rudin says: “This was my second visit as part of our cooperation, so I already knew most of the Tunisian string players—who played in the orchestra together with our mdw students this time around. I’d therefore already expected that the Tunisian musicians would be prepared with a very great sense of responsibility also be very enthusiastic—and as it turned out, my expectations were even exceeded in certain respects. Moreover, the necessary stylistic adaptation contributed quite convincingly to a homogeneous overall sound despite how brief our rehearsal phase had been. In contexts like this one, learning is never a one-way street. And it was especially impressive and fulfilling to observe the constant exchange between everybody involved, both during our rehearsals and outside of them. I’m fond of emphasising again and again how my orchestral coaching activities at the mdw are really never primarily about training orchestral musicians. Far more important—for everybody and regardless of their professional decisions later on—is nurturing human abilities and social exchange in the interest of work as a group in a healthy atmosphere where people are willing to learn. After all, it’s precisely these qualities that people will ultimately need in any occupation, whether in the arts or elsewhere. It’s also important, at any age, to be able to recognise just what privileges and resources we in Austria have at our disposal both for the arts as such and for passing them on—in order that we might continue valuing them and also protect them in the future. And what remains most important of all is deriving joy from making music together, which is something hopefully all of us will be able to take away from this week.”

The cooperation between the mdw and Fondation Hasdrubal can be viewed as a successful effort to solidify the cultural, musical, and human bridge between Austria and Tunisia, thereby making a persuasive argument for a strong spirit of togetherness and lively dialogue between cultures and people despite all current societal and (global) political challenges. Laurent Jost concurs: “While challenges do exist, they’re overcome thanks to a shared vision and a deep common desire to build this bridge between continents. The cooperation between the mdw and Fondation Hasdrubal is of particular value, here. It goes beyond the strict framework of musical training to encourage the emergence of a citizenship that is open to the world. And in the current international context, it highlights the essential role of culture as a space of freedom, respect, and hope.”