The mdw’s first-ever Pop-Up Advent Calendar this past December saw musical performances play out at various spots all over Vienna—getting the public in the Christmas spirit in a special way and making for unforgettable concert moments.

In the following interview with mdw Magazine, Ursula Hemetek—former head of the Department of Folk Music Research and Ethnomusicology and founder of the Music and Minorities Research Centre (MMRC)—joins us together with the department’s current head Marko Kölbl to look back upon its eventful history, share insights on current developments, and discuss present-day political challenges.

It’s typically reasons like the desire to step outside of one’s comfort zone, to learn new things, to broaden one’s professional horizon, and to engage in exchange with others at the international level that motivate participation in mobility activities.

Bridging the gaps between multiple fields—specifically, the social sciences and film—as well as between groups within society was the central thrust of the project BUILDING BRIDGES in Polarized Societies: Film – Wien – ArbeiterInnenmilieu – Rechtspopulismus […: Film – Vienna – The Working-Class Milieu – Right-Wing Populism], which ran from 2021 to 2025.

Tanja Elisa Glinsner is not only a successful composer but also a conductor and mezzo-soprano. She frequently performs or conducts her own works on renowned stages in Austria and abroad. Among her compositions, many—though not all—are based on themes relating to the natural world.

What is KlangBildKlang? This large-scale mdw project, whose name translates as “SoundImageSound”, may indeed evoke the odd question. Is the focus on sound, here, or actually more on visual depiction? The answer is neither-nor. It’s much rather about interaction—between not just sounds and images, but also people, mdw departments, performing venues, and organisations.

Exile can take on many forms. In rare cases it might be chosen and voluntary. However, most exiled individuals have been driven away, banished, politically persecuted, or stripped of their citizenship—with no choice but to leave the places they called home.

And just recently, on three days in June, a new cooperative project made it possible for three mdw-connected ensembles to perform on this year’s MQ Summer Stage under the heading of “MQ meets mdw”.

2023 saw young musicians from all over the world converge on Vienna once more to prove their talent at the International Joseph Haydn Chamber Music Competition, which took place for the eighth time.