On behalf of Germany’s piano manufacturers, the German Piano Association (Bundesverband Klavier – BVK) gives the ‘Piano Player of the Year’ award to personalities for services to piano playing and not to pianists per se. With the award, the BVK provides a platform for personalities who promote piano playing, from which they can further expound the idea of active music making. Previous award-winners include Otto Schily, Götz Alsmann and Helge Schneider. Agnes Krumwiede was chosen on the basis of her double function as a trained pianist and politician and the way she uses these two passions to promote culture and music in society. The ‘Piano Player of the Year’ award includes a cash prize of € 2,500, which Agnes Krumwiede said she will donate to a new charity, ‘Artists in Schools’, Ingolstadt. The aim of this organisation is to create a continuous flow of information between culture, schools and administration. To this end, ‘Artists in Schools’ will organise regular cultural events at schools, to which the public and representatives of the press are invited. At these events, the opportunity will be taken to present projects and offer insights into school activities. Through this opportunity to demonstrate their artistic abilities, young people will be given a sign of appreciation that is frequently lacking during everyday life at school.

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