On May 19, 20, and 22, Ms. Brauns’ and Mr. Fischer’s Musik-Basiskurse participated in a workshop centred around the life and work of Ruth Schönthal. The German-Jewish composer Ruth Schönthal was born in Berlin and, thanks to her exceptional talent, was admitted as a student to the Stern Conservatory (now Universität der Künste) at the age of five.
During the Nazi era, she was forced to flee Germany, but later established herself as an internationally recognized musician and composer. Her work was deeply shaped by her experiences and often conveyed themes of freedom, peace, individuality, and resilience.Throughout the workshop, we explored Schönthal’s music in an interactive and creative manner, with a particular focus on non-traditional instrumentation and unconventional musical expression. The workshop was organized and directed by musicians Luisa Sereina Splett and Kathrin von Kieseritzky, who carefully structured the sessions and guided us through both the historical background of Schönthal’s life and the artistic ideas behind her work. Through listening activities, discussions, and practical exercises, we gained a deeper understanding not only of her compositions, but also of the historical and personal experiences that influenced her artistic voice.Following this introduction, we were asked to create our own projects inspired by Schönthal’s life and message. Students were free to choose the form of their presentation, whether that be a poem, song, diary entry, or another creative interpretation. These pieces were then presented to the tenth-grade students during the final presentation on May 22 in the Aula. Although each project was unique, they all reflected central ideas connected to Schönthal’s work, particularly peace, freedom, hope, and self-expression. Overall, the workshop provided a meaningful opportunity to combine music, history, and creativity while encouraging us to engage with important themes in a personal and artistic way.