What do young musicians need to find their own artistic voice? Talent is only the beginning. They also need time, trust, professional guidance and a place where they can experiment without being afraid of making mistakes.
That is exactly what I experienced at the Music in the Woods 2026 Showcase on 19 September at the Bühnenwirtshaus Juster in Gutenbrunn. After five intensive days, 30 young musicians from across Austria presented work created through songwriting, music production, film scoring and game audio. They had been selected from around 120 applicants and received full scholarships covering the programme, accommodation and meals.
The evening was not simply a final concert. Singer-songwriters and instrumentalists performed their music, producers shared new work, participants presented their video-scoring projects for the LA Challenge, and a DJ set concluded the programme. What mattered most was the courage behind these presentations: young artists making their ideas visible and opening them to an audience.
Oliver Schmellenkamp, Head of the Institute for Media Music at JAM MUSIC LAB, and JAM lecturer, singer and producer Michael Klimas guided the participants through the five-day media music workshop in Austria. Their work was complemented by professionals representing many different sides of the music world.
Jeff Levenson contributed decades of experience from the international jazz and recording industries, while Martin Brem shared perspectives from music management and his former role as Head of Global Music Services at Red Bull Media House. AKM was represented by its President Peter Vieweger, Director General Dr. Gernot Graninger and Susanne Lontzen, Head of Members and Communication. Susanne also gave the participants practical insights into copyright, royalties and collective rights management.
I was very pleased to share the evening with Prof. Mag. Andreas Hüttner, Federal Managing Director of the Veranstalterverband Österreich, as well as representatives of the region: Gutenbrunn Mayor Birgit Haberzett, former Mayor and honorary citizen Adelheid Ebner, and Christoph Prinz, Deputy District Chairman in Zwettl.
For me, this gathering represented something essential. Supporting young musicians in Austria requires more than good teaching. It requires cooperation between universities, professional organisations, the music industry, cultural institutions and regional communities. When these different worlds meet, education becomes a living network.
ORF Niederösterreich also reported on the initiative and highlighted former participant Tamara Flores. Her artistic development and Latin Grammy nomination are a powerful reminder of what can grow from focused support, meaningful connections and personal determination.
As Rector of JAM MUSIC LAB, I see projects such as Music in the Woods as an important part of our responsibility. A university should not only pass on knowledge. It should create spaces in which young artists can take risks, work together and discover what they want to contribute.
Organised by JAM MUSIC LAB Private University, AKM – Autoren, Komponisten und Musikverleger and the Veranstalterverband Österreich, with support from the SKE Fonds, the third edition of Music in the Woods showed what becomes possible when talented people are given the right environment to grow.