Under the imposing silhouette of the Hohensalzburg, the monumental castle from which the Austrian city of Salzburg was ruled for hundreds of years, the Euroradio Music Group met for the first time in 2014. In this hometown of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the highlight of the visit, kindly hosted by ORF, was a guided tour in the cellar of the Mozart House, where the Mozart Foundation preserves some very valuable handwritten documents by the composer. Among other things, the Euroradio music experts noticed that in his letters, Mozart preferred using his Christian name Amadeo (beloved of God) and that his command of French was quite good.

The Euroradio Music Group discussed current challenges, such as the lack of  promotion of classical music among the younger generation. Another topic was the endangered music activities at several radio organizations, such as in Iceland or Greece. One focus was on the challenge of rights for most activities, but especially those related to websites, such as streaming, and the presence of classical music on video platforms like YouTube. A relatively new subject was the debate on possible collaboration with TV.

The Euroradio Music Group decided on the themes of the 2016-2017 Euroradio Season, and finalized such current operations as artists’ anniversaries and competitions.

Participants also attended a wonderful concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and a performance of Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice”, both part of this year’s Mozart Week in Salzburg. “Orfeo” will soon be offered to the EBU thanks to a financial contribution from the Euroradio Supplementary Hire Fee Fund.