To celebrate the festival’s anniversary, we sat down with founder and artistic director Rudens Turku to talk about his personal journey—one that is inseparably linked to the history of the Musiktage Seefeld.
Rudens Turku founded the Musiktage at just 20 years old. What began as a small "Music Day in Starnberg" with six participants and an audience of twenty has since grown into one of Europe’s most significant support programs for young musicians. Today, the International Musiktage in Starnberg near Munich and Seefeld in Tyrol attract talented musicians from all over the world. In this interview, Turku shares insights about the vision behind the festivals, the backstage dynamics, and the philosophy that drives the Musiktage.
Good day, Mr. Turku! Here in Seefeld, during festival preparations, it feels like a large family gathering where everyone is a master of their instrument. Did you also grow up in a musical family?
I grew up in Albania in the 1980s, one of the poorest communist countries in Europe at the time. You could say it was a “silent island”—a land without music. Getting access to sheet music or recordings was extremely difficult. Luckily, my father taught violin and viola at the music high school in Durrës. My earliest memories are of his students occasionally coming to our home to perform, and I was allowed to watch. That was my stroke of luck.
Was that moment the spark that led you to play the violin?
We were poor—poor in experience, knowledge, and resources. Yet despite our modest circumstances, my father handed me a violin at a very young age. Music, for us, was a kind of wealth that didn’t cost anything. It was a possession no one could take away. It opened my mind and awakened my curiosity about the countries and people behind the pieces with those strange, beautiful names.
As the situation in Albania worsened, you began attending the music high school where your father taught when you were just six. What was that like?
Imagine a long hallway with 60 to 80 children practicing simultaneously until the teacher called them in. It was a chaotic symphony of hope—to make their parents proud and perhaps also to escape, at least internally. While other children memorized math equations, our curriculum included ear training. In a country where heads were bowed, voices were hushed, and speaking openly was dangerous, for us, playing, singing, and drumming was both happiness and salvation.
And that salvation became literal: by the 8th grade, your family began preparing to flee Albania. Would that have been possible without music?
One day, my parents sold everything except our instruments. An audition invitation for my father arrived—an opportunity to play in Germany. Such a chance would not come again. A year later, I received my own invitation to audition as a junior student at the conservatory in Munich. At 14, I left Albania—not entirely alone; I had my violin.
Your family brought you to music, music separated you from your family, and then music reunited you…
...and from then on, music brought me more and more people I now consider family. After two years as a junior student at the conservatory, during which I attended a Montessori school in Starnberg, I had the chance to audition for Ana Chumachenco. From that point on, she became my mentor, teacher, friend, and second mother. She profoundly shaped my life, offering both guidance and freedom. She taught me to embrace my own musical voice and to look inward, where the true tone lies—the one that encompasses not only my own essence but the whole world.
Ana Chumachenco is a legendary musician and teacher. By age 24, you completed your master's diploma with her. Did she inspire you to found the Musiktage at age 20?
Who knows where ideas come from? At the time, I was so inspired, so full of joy. Studying with Ana played a significant role in that. I felt an overwhelming urge to give back. I remember sitting on a train with my friend and fellow student Daniel Röhn after a concert invitation from Igor Oistrakh in Belgium. As the world passed by the window, memories of my own journey flashed before me: my childhood at the music high school, Ana taking me under her wing, and the unique camaraderie of our conservatory cohort. I wasn’t even 21 yet, but I knew I wanted to pass on the gifts I’d been given.
That desire led to what is now the Music Academy Circle. How did you choose Starnberg as the starting point?
The only place with children I knew well was my old Montessori school in Starnberg. I met with the director and asked for one or two rooms and the auditorium for concerts. My mother agreed to cook for us. I enlisted a journalist friend to give lectures about Mozart, even though he had no musical background. Six children participated, with maybe 20 people in the audience. That first "Music Day in Starnberg" already had the magic you just described as a “family gathering.”
Since then, the Musiktage has grown into an international phenomenon. Seefeld in Tyrol joined the program along the way. What’s the story behind that?
When I was 18, I spent a few days in Seefeld and found it idyllic. It felt like music was in the air. Years later, after winning the Lions Club Competition in Hamburg, I met Sebastian Sauter, a Lions member from Seefeld. I shared my idea of expanding the festival there. We organized a concert, and in the audience were the mayor, council members, and local dignitaries. They loved the idea, and for 15 years, Seefeld has been part of our festival family.
Your festivals are known for their masterclasses, concerts, and community events. What is the core philosophy of the Musiktage?
To create a space where young musicians can connect, grow, and find their unique voice. Beyond music, we offer workshops on everything from instrument craftsmanship to psychology. The festival is a blend of rigorous training, collaboration, and joy.
With such a full schedule, do you ever think of stepping back from the festivals?
Not at all. This project has grown with me, and I with it. The Musiktage have become a family, with participants, professors, and supporters all contributing to its vibrancy. It’s deeply rewarding to witness young musicians flourish and pass their knowledge on to the next generation.
Finally, what advice would you give to young artists?
Don’t define your limits. You have infinite potential. Stay curious and flexible. Take care of your body and mind. Understand the world around you and your role in it. And above all, give back. Share the gifts you’ve received with others. Music has the power to change lives—use it wisely.
Thank you for this inspiring conversation, Mr. Turku!
Thank you!