Six young German orchestra musicians travel to Nigeria and rehearse with six peers. First they give a concert in Lagos, then in Bonn and Berlin. It is an incredible experience for everyone involved. Beethoven meets Afrobeat – this documentary of Deutsche Welle tells a story that builds bridges between continents.
The Campus Project has been a central part of Beethovenfest Bonn since its inception. Each year, it seeks to foster encounters and exchange between young musicians from Germany and a guest country, whether near or far. The aim is to broaden horizons, challenge techniques, listening habits, and approaches, and thus promote the artistic development of young musicians on both sides.
At the heart of each edition lies a major work by Beethoven, which is placed in dialogue with compositions connected to the guest country, illuminated, fractured, or expanded in unexpected ways. The Campus Project is focusing on Nigeria this year. Lagos is currently undergoing rapid development, boasts a vibrant musical life, and is regarded as Africa’s unofficial cultural capital. Nigerian-German musician Adé Bantu is the artistic director of this year’s edition and long known for his ›music with a message.‹ He invites the musicans to perform original songs marked by a clear political stance. The Nigerian-British composer Cassie Kinoshi contributes a homage to Yorùbá culture, while Beethoven’s Egmont Overture flashes up in between – a universal message of freedom and defiance against all forms of tyranny.
