Projects

ISFAECE e.V. designs and supports international programmes that connect music, education, research and social engagement. Our initiatives build bridges between cultures, disciplines and generations — combining artistic excellence with educational and social impact.

Music & Cultural Heritage
ISFAECE develops and supports worldwide programmes that combine artistic excellence, education and intercultural exchange. These include international masterclasses, concert projects and educational residencies that bring together students, professionals and audiences from different cultural backgrounds. Through these initiatives, music heritage is preserved and reinterpreted across generations and continents. In cooperation with cultural partners worldwide, the programmes promote brass music as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage – linking tradition, innovation and global artistic dialogue.

Education
Educational programmes in music form the core of ISFAECE’s work. They offer young talents, students, professionals and amateurs the opportunity to refine their artistic skills, expand their repertoire and engage in intercultural learning. Through masterclasses, academies and collaborative performances, participants develop musical excellence alongside essential personal and social competences such as teamwork, empathy and creative communication. At the same time, audiences are actively involved through concerts, workshops and outreach events that encourage cultural participation and shared learning experiences. This inclusive approach connects artistic education with community engagement and audience development, fostering appreciation for music and culture across generations.

Research & Innovation
ISFAECE develops and supports transdisciplinary research projects based on intangible cultural heritage (ICH). These projects connect music, equine-assisted methods, education and social sciences to explore how traditional knowledge and embodied practices can foster inclusive learning, social responsibility and resilience. The research focuses on translating the values of ICH — cooperation, empathy, craftsmanship and cultural continuity — into new educational and leadership models. Findings from these activities inform transferable toolkits and methodologies that can be shared across institutions and international networks.

Film & Digital Outreach
Documentary film projects and digital platforms extend the reach of ISFAECE’s educational and cultural work. They document artistic processes, cultural heritage and cross-cultural collaboration, making knowledge and inspiration accessible to a global audience. Digital media also support open learning environments and long-term visibility of cultural achievements.

Solidarity & Inclusion
Cultural and educational programmes that promote inclusion, equal opportunities and social cohesion. Through music, education and intercultural dialogue, ISFAECE supports communities and artists affected by crisis or disadvantage. These projects foster empathy, hope and human connection — using art and education as tools for peace and understanding.

Summer Academies for Brass and Cultural Exchange
Programs in Cooperation with the World & European Brass Assocication supported by the Werner & Marlene Schöder Foundation (Excerpt):
In addition to ISFAECE’s international exchange and education programmes in cooperation with universities, orchestras and cultural institutions worldwide throughout the years, an annual Summer Academy has been held every August since 2020. The Academy brings together international exchange students and young musicians from around the world. It introduces participants to the European brass music tradition while fostering intercultural learning, artistic collaboration and professional development.

Through intensive masterclasses, ensemble work and concert performances, the Academy provides young artists with practical insight into professional life and strengthens their understanding of cultural heritage as a living tradition to be shared with diverse audiences. 

Events have been hosted in locations of outstanding cultural and historical significance — including several recognised UNESCO World Heritage Sites — such as:
  • Eisenach – Wartburg Castle (UNESCO World Heritage)
  • Paris – Château de Courances (French Monument Historique)
  • Cologne – Cologne Cathedral (UNESCO World Heritage)
  • Spantekow – Spantekow Castle (Regional Heritage Site)
  • Lanzarote – Cueva de los Verdes (within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Lanzarote)
  • Bayreuth – Historic city associated with the legacy of Richard Wagner
  • Leuven – Historic university city, home to one of Europe’s oldest universities
The Summer Academy has become a unique meeting point for talented young musicians, educators and audiences from different cultural backgrounds — a place where artistic excellence, education and cultural heritage come together in the spirit of European exchange and mutual inspiration.


ISFAECE e.V. – List of International Projects and Activities since 2020 

Germany

1. WBA Summer Brass Academy (since 2020)

The WBA Summer Brass Academy is held annually in Eisenach, Bayreuth, and Cologne, and in some years also in Aachen and Spantekow, bringing together young brass players from 15–20 nations.
The programme focuses on artistic excellence, intercultural dialogue, cultural heritage, and inclusion, involving participants from regions affected by crisis and from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as musicians with disabilities. The courses are taught by internationally renowned professors also from underrepresented and conflict-affected countries and regions.

2. Peace Concert Tour (2022)

ISFAECE organised the Peace Concert Tour across Germany and Austria, featuring the Ukrainian artists Andriy Ilkiv, Nataliia Ilkiv, Yuliia Zasimova, and Kyiv Brass, together with trumpeter Prof. Otto Sauter.
The male musicians were among the first Ukrainian artists officially permitted to participate in international cultural-exchange programmes. This permission, granted through Ukrainian state authorities, was made possible thanks to the long-standing international reputation and cultural commitment of Prof. Otto Sauter and Prof. Sabine Kierdorf.
Concerts took place as 20 performances in 18 cities across Germany and Austria (Münster, Soest, Eckenhagen, Bonn, Aachen, Steinhausen/Muttensweiler, Bad Birnbach, Obernberg am Inn, Speinshart, Dresden, Schwandorf, Daberkow, Berlin, Wermelskirchen, Cologne, Pirmasens, Germersheim, Innsbruck), symbolising unity and humanitarian awareness through music, cultural heritage, and intercultural exchange.

3. Documentary Project – The Trumpet Greets the Monument (since 2020)

Parts of the filming for The Trumpet Greets the Monuments took place at heritage sites such as Wartburg Castle, Cologne Cathedral, and historical venues in Bayreuth.
The film documents ISFAECE’s work with respect to cultural heritage, intercultural exchange, and music pedagogy.
The project combines music, architecture, and intangible cultural heritage through intercultural exchange, creating a cinematic record for the Chinese Lumière Pavilions. The film follows an arthouse approach that reflects our non-profit mission. It expresses artistic creativity, cultural dialogue, cultural heritage, and social impact. 

4. Equine-Assisted Communication Seminars (since 2020) 

In Solingen, ISFAECE conducted equine-assisted seminars for students, teachers, professors, business leaders, therapists, and individuals on the autism spectrum.
Through experiential learning in close contact with nature and animals, participants develop a deeper sense of responsibility, empathy, and awareness for environmental protection, climate care, and sustainability.
These seminars focus on inclusion, resilience, and communication, helping participants build effectiveness and fairness in interaction while fostering social and environmental responsibility, self-awareness, self-leadership, empathy, and teamwork.

Austria
Peace Concert Tour (2022)

Concerts took place in Obernberg am Inn and Innsbruck as part of the cross-border Peace Concert Tour between Germany and Austria, realised with Ukrainian artists and supported by ISFAECE’s international network.



Annual ISFAECE e.V: Network Meetings (since 2020)
Annual ISFAECE network meetings are held in the Biosphere Reserve Großes Walsertal, at the historic Propstei St. Gerold.
In this unique natural and cultural setting, members and partners of the organisation gather to exchange experiences, present ongoing activities, and develop new collaborative projects.
Concerts accompanying the meetings reflect ISFAECE’s mission to connect artistic excellence with cultural dialogue and community engagement.

France

WBA Summer Brass Academy (since 2020)

Activities in France have been centred around Château de Courances near Paris, a Monument historique and long-standing partner of the WBA Summer Academy.
Concerts and masterclasses have highlighted Europe’s rich brass heritage and encouraged intercultural exchange between young musicians and leading teachers from across Europe and the world.
Inclusion has been promoted through scholarships, accessible learning formats, and the participation of people with disabilities, including individuals on the autism spectrum.
Special concerts take place outdoors in the historic park of the Château — in harmony with nature rather than on a traditional stage. The landscape itself becomes the stage, creating an immersive experience where music, architecture, and nature blend into one artistic whole.
Through these performances, visitors also discover the ecological richness of the park, guided by the château’s owners, who are specialised in organic and sustainable cultivation. The biologically certified gardens and award-winning restoration of the estate make it a living example of how cultural and natural heritage can coexist and inspire each other.

Equine-Assisted Leadership Seminars (since 2020)

At the Château de Courances estate, located within the UNESCO Fontainebleau & Gâtinais Biosphere Reserve and officially recognised as an éco-acteur of the biosphere, ISFAECE has conducted equine-assisted leadership seminars.
The estate is surrounded by award-winning historic landscapes and the owners’ biologically certified gardens, which promote biodiversity and sustainable land use.
These seminars integrate interaction with horses and the natural environment to strengthen self-awareness, empathy, fairness, responsibility, communication, and resilience.
Participants develop effective and ethical leadership skills, enhance team dynamics, and cultivate a deeper connection to nature, social responsibility, and sustainable values.

Belgium
WBA Summer Brass Academy (2022)

In 2022, the WBA Summer Brass Academy took place in Leuven in cooperation with the LUCA School of Arts.
Masterclasses brought together students and professors from various international countries, promoting artistic exchange, intercultural dialogue, and the preservation of European brass heritage.
The Academy provided a platform for young musicians to perform, collaborate, and connect with internationally renowned teachers, fostering inclusion and innovation within the wider ISFAECE network.

The project list is currently being updated, and the description of ISFAECE’s worldwide activities will be republished in the coming days.

Visual Impressions of some of our projects: 


Open access and open content WBA Online Academy due to Covid 19 Lockdowns in 2020 


The World & European Brass Association (WBA & EBA) is the association of international Brass Festivals, Universities, Orchestras, Opera- and Concert Houses, Music Institutions, Musicians etc. to support Brass Music, Education and Intercultural Exchange in Concerts, Masterclasses and Professional Exchange.


"It's time to practice" the initiative by Otto Sauter and his brass colleagues of the World & European Brass Association faculty are giving free group webinars  for amateurs, students and professionals of brass music. The aim is to maintain education and daily practice programs for brass players worldwide, despite shutdowns of cultural institutions and to keep the intercultural dialogue running, although cultural exchanges in person are not possible due to travel restrictions and with it the cancellation of nearly all WBA in person projects in 2020.


2020/2021 - Initiative: Reducing isolation of elderly people during Covid 19 Lockdowns 2020

Otto Sauter is giving a series of outdoor charity concerts for elderly people in nursing homes who are not allowed to have relatives or visits during covid-19 lockdown times. An initiative of Otto Sauter and Dr. Christoph Kösters, Managing Director of Ittertalklinik senior centres, region Aachen, as well as the senior centres of the city of Solingen, Germany. Thank you also to Bianka Kerres, vocals and Hans Fücker, keyboards.