The Zurich music festival Herbst in der Helferei was initiated by Jens Lohmann in 2006 to enable young talented musicians to perform with established masters in a professional setting. Since 2011, the Herbst in der Helferei association has been responsible for the sponsorship and organisation of the event. With well over 1,000 visitors a year, the festival, now in its 16th year, has become a permanent fixture in Zurich's cultural life and is widely recognised among musicians and music lovers. These musical encounters of today and tomorrow, between generations of musicians at a high artistic level, in which the international experience and interpretative maturity of professionals are combined with the dynamism, fire and unconditional, still boundless demands of young artists to create special experiences, have established themselves as a unique and proven promotional instrument. Since this year, Herbst in der Helferei, as a platform for the promotion of young musical talent, has been donating special prizes at the final of the Swiss Youth Music Competition (SJMW). Selected prizewinners are given the opportunity to perform with established musicians during the festival. The concert week is organised under the patronage of the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and the Zurich Conservatory of Music (MKZ).
