I. GUARANTEEING THE HIGHEST QUALITY
Musical and artistic quality is non-negotiable for us. The name of our patron Christian Gerhaher, one of the most important lieder singers in the world, also stands for this claim. For us, his trust in our work is both a great honor and a great mission. That is why we engage the leading young musicians in Europe, who otherwise perform at houses such as the Bavarian State Opera, the Vienna State Opera or the English National Opera in London.
II. CREATING INTERDISCIPLINARY WORKS
We not only want to perform the existing canon, but also enable new works that build on traditional forms. We combine classical music with visual and digital art, with video and sound design, with theater, dance and literature as well as many other disciplines. We invite guests and commission cooperation partners. In the HIDALGO Kollektiv, we create our own installations and productions. We use classical music to explore current social issues.
III. RISK ADVENTURES
For art, we dare to be adventurous and create space for creativity. In doing so, we consciously risk failing, offending or not meeting everyone’s taste. The name and spirit of the HIDALGO are based on the historical and literary Hidalgo, a lesser nobleman from ancient Spain. He is a daredevil, a freedom-loving spirit who is not afraid to take risks—and sometimes even battles windmills. In the song “Der Hidalgo” by Robert Schumann, he sings to a text by Emanuel Geibel: “Und Blumen oder Wunden trag’ morgen ich nach Haus” (“And tomorrow I’ll carry home flowers or wounds”).
IV. PLAYING IN URBAN PLACES
Good classical music is not bound to a concert hall, neat rows of seats and evening attire. We perform where the young, urban scene is at home—in electro clubs, barbershops, bouldering halls or boxing clubs. Everyday functional places like hotel lobbies, parking garages, S-Bahn stations or street intersections, too, can serve as our stage. Classical music, in the way that we understand it, strives for perfection in the moment and creates emotional borderline experiences, regardless of conventions.
V. BREAKING DOWN DISTANCES
The HIDALGO experience begins before the first beat: with the first step into the location, with opening the program guide, with scrolling through a post. We create an organic cosmos around the concert—breaking down distances, creating proximity and tapping into new target groups. This includes an informal language, an innovative concert design, artistically integrated talk formats and the ensuing beer with artists and participants. We communicate with our audience at eye level.
VI. LIVING DIVERSITY
Our artists come from many countries, our audience is a colorful mix. Exclusion has no place at HIDALGO. We pay attention to a balanced gender ratio in our team and its management as well as in the selection of artists. We are open to all age groups, with students sitting next to pensioners. We try to ensure accessibility in all formats. Because social dialog between all people is a central concern for us, we offer heavily discounted tickets and free tickets for groups in need.
VII. ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our generation—and we want to be part of the solution. We are already paying attention to reusable materials, short travel distances and environmentally friendly logistics. In cooperation with the Munich-based WHAT IF project office for sustainable culture, we are examining our ecological footprint. In doing so, we are developing a concept for internal sustainability management. We want to position HIDALGO as an ecologically sustainable institution and organize one of the first ecologically sustainable classical music festivals in Europe.
VIII. NETWORKING
In the long term, we want to establish ourselves as the epitome of young classical music—with new song formats, modern orchestral concerts and interdisciplinary installations and productions. To achieve this, we are networking with institutions such as the Munich Kunstareal, the Heidelberger Frühling and the Gothenburg Opera, international music academies and local, state and federal politicians. We are planning collaborations with partner institutions beyond the German-speaking world. Going forward, we will be advised by a board of trustees with members from the worlds of culture, business and politics.
IX. STRENGTHEN VOLUNTEERING
HIDALGO and its festival for young classical music could only come to be and grow thanks to the great voluntary commitment of many people. People of different ages, origins and professional backgrounds work together in our volunteer crew. Our Friends of HIDALGO e.V. brings together all those who have been supporting and promoting HIDALGO for a long time or only recently. Our team members want to provide interdisciplinary training, create shared experiences and celebrate successes together.
X. PROFESSIONALIZE
Our central goal remains to employ not only artists, but also managers and specialists on a full-time basis and to remunerate them appropriately. We want to achieve sustainable growth in our business areas and cover our costs. An essential prerequisite for this is the expansion of year-round performance operations, the remarketing of our own productions and our Kollektiv to other theatres and festivals as well as institutional funding. We are constantly evaluating our processes and are supported by external consultants.
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