German Music Council

The (DMR, German Music Council; ) is an umbrella organization for music associations and the 16 music councils of the German federal states. It represents over 14 million music-loving citizens who, for professional reasons or as amateurs, are affiliated with the Musikrat and its member organizations. With more than 100 member associations, institutions and numerous personalities, it acts, together with its projects and support measures, as an advisor and competence centre for politics and civil society. The council acts as the National Committee of the Federal Republic of Germany in the International Music Council of UNESCO. The patron of the non-profit association is the President of Germany. It runs competitions such as Jugend musiziert, Jugend jazzt and the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb, and nationwide orchestras such as the Bundesjugendorchester. It is based in Berlin and Bonn. History On 13 June 1953, a German section of the International Music Council was founded in Bonn, on the initiative of the "Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Musikerziehung und Musikpflege" and the German UNESCO Commission. It was called Deutsche Sektion des Internationalen Musikrates. Shortly afterwards, at the General Assembly of the International Music Council, the German section was recognised as a "National Committee". Based on this, the task was conceived from the outset to be of equally international and national importance. This claim was reinforced in 1956 with the official name "Deutscher Musikrat – Deutsche Sektion des Internationalen Musikrates" (German Music Council - German Section of the International Music Council). Since the 1960s, it has continuously expanded its support programme. The "Jugend musiziert" (Youth make music) competition project was founded in 1964 to promote young musicians in Germany. Five years later, the Bundesjugendorchester was founded as a national youth orchestra, easing the way for young musicians into professional life.