Successful Donors’ Day
NEW LISZT FOUNDATION celebrates its 20th anniversary with a gala concert and organ tour
For 20 years, the NEW LISZT FOUNDATION has been dedicated to promoting outstanding young musicians. It supports students at the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar and fosters artistic excellence, international perspectives, and innovative projects. To mark its anniversary year, the foundation hosted a Donors’ Day on Saturday, May 30, at the Beethoven House Belvedere and the Grand Hotel Russischer Hof.
At its annual Board of Trustees meeting, the Board of Trustees of the NEW LISZT FOUNDATION, chaired by University President Prof. Anne-Kathrin Lindig, discussed the proper use of funds, new funding projects, and the acquisition of grants. The Board of Trustees oversees the efficient and responsible use of the foundation’s funds. The foundation’s assets are professionally managed by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft.
Following the Board of Trustees meeting, guests at the Founders’ Day enjoyed a gala concert in the Jenny-Fleischer-Alt-Saal at the Beethovenhaus Belvedere. Scholarship recipients of the foundation presented a diverse program featuring works for accordion duo, piano, guitar, and song duo, ranging from John Dowland to Franz Liszt. Afterward, Prof. Martin Sturm gave an exclusive tour of the organ collection at the Music High School Schloss Belvedere, before the Founders’ Day concluded with a culinary celebration at the Grand Hotel Russischer Hof.
In 2006, with the establishment of the NEW LISZT FOUNDATION, the idea of a grant-making foundation based on the ideals of Franz Liszt became a reality. With the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar and the piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons as founding partners, as well as Deutsche Bank AG and a private patron, four strong partners came together to ultimately realize the idea and have been driving it forward ever since. The foundation sees itself as a bridge between social engagement and the promotion of musical excellence.
Thanks to its various funding instruments, the NEW LISZT FOUNDATION has already been able to do a great deal of good over the past 20 years. For instance, 64 Charlotte Krupp Scholarships and 9 Hans-Dietmar Berghausen Scholarships, as well as 7 Theodor Hlouschek Prizes, have been awarded. In the support program for young artists, 390 applications were approved. In addition, the foundation provided substantial funding for its own piano academy at Schillingsfürst Castle. As part of the international competitions organized by the Weimar Music University, the foundation also awarded 26 prizes and special prizes.
The Franz Liszt Honorary Prize, a prestigious non-monetary award, has been presented on several occasions: for the first time in 2011 to Alfred Brendel. Other recipients included Kurt Masur (also in 2011), Leslie Howard (2017), the Kutrowatz brothers (2019), Martin Haselböck (2021), Cyprien Katsaris (2023), and Nike Wagner (2025).
[1 June 2026]