For co-founder Derya Uzun, that moment at the university’s anniversary celebrations was the culmination of years of hard work. Seeing the university choir on that historic stage triggered a flood of emotions: “It was surreal. Seeing the university choir with those wonderful people standing on stage with a sparkle in their eyes – I’ll never forget that moment.
It was the greatest honour of all.” Yet the splendour of that evening is now six months behind us. As the echoes of the anniversary fade, the founding members are turning their attention to a very different finale: graduation. With the end of the semester, the university choir faces its biggest upheaval yet. The generation that built the ensemble from scratch is now making way for its successors.
Derya Uzun’s time in Bayreuth comes to an end in October; she is moving on to pursue her PhD. Nic Schilling has already left the city, and Lea Niehaus, Sven Edelmann and Jonas Würdinger have also finished their time on campus. Louisa Schmälzle is currently still keeping the finances in order as treasurer, but she too will be leaving the choir in October. At present, Felix Brendel and Magdalena Kilian are firmly holding the baton together. But to ensure that the groundwork laid in recent years does not “go to waste”, as Uzun warns, the search for new members for the Friends’ Association is now a top priority.
For however professional and dedicated the duo’s musical direction may be, without the organisational backbone in the background, the stage remains empty. Just how essential this work is is currently demonstrated by Lena Oertwig, who structures and holds the choir together with great dedication. “We are desperately looking for committed people,” emphasises Uzun. Specifically, the following positions are available:
- A chairperson for the Friends’ Association to coordinate sponsorship and funding.
- A treasurer who keeps a close eye on the finances.
- Organisational talents to act as a link between the choir and the musical director
And no one has to be thrown in at the deep end. The groundwork has been laid: “We now have a structure, a system and everything neatly documented in Google Drive,” Uzun reassures potential successors.
“We’re also on hand to answer any questions at any time.” The ground has been prepared, the sheet music sorted; now all that’s needed are hands to take up the mantle and carry on the legacy. Anyone interested is welcome to contact the University Choir directly.
