Yesterday, Monday afternoon, September 16th, Veronica Kaup-Hasler, City Councilor for Culture and Science, awarded the Golden Medal of Merit of the State of Vienna to musician, composer and poet Marwan Abado and to musician, composer and painter Christian Muthspiel on behalf of Mayor Michael Ludwig.
In addition to numerous friends and family members, Nikolaus Kunrath, member of the state parliament, and writer Christoph Ransmayr also took part in the ceremony in the Volkshalle of the Vienna City Hall. Nina Feldgrill and Robert Unterköfler provided the music, playing “Viennese Marketplace” by Christian Muthspiel and “Hazza” by Marwan Abado.
Kaup-Hasler: Abado and Muthspiel connect borders, styles and generations
In her speech, City Councilor for Culture Veronica Kaup-Hasler praised the two honored people as “bridge builders”: Both Abado and Muthspiel “crossed borders with their artistic work in a wide variety of constellations and formations and sought dialogue with different musical spheres and worlds across our globe .” They are examples of the unifying power of music. At the same time, they broke down the classical understanding of musical styles and explored hybrids in music.
The two personalities have also proven to be bridge builders in the area of education and outreach work: Christian Muthspiel has “motivated generations of young musicians” and Marwan Abado has also been involved in music education in schools, for example.
Finally, Kaup-Hasler thanked the artists for their “work against the simplification of the concept of culture” and emphasized their search for the unknown and their departures into the new and strange. “I am very pleased that you are writing your name in the city’s book with your actions. You honor the city through your actions.”
Laudator Albert Hosp: Abado and Muthspiel ensure a groove in the Austrian music scene
Music journalist and presenter Albert Hosp gave the laudations for both artists.
In his speech he not only highlighted the musical merits of Marwan Abado but also emphasized his poetic work. “Art has the task of slowing down life,” Hosp quoted the artist as saying. When he plays his Oud, the immediacy that art is all about can be felt – a quality that permeates his works. In addition, Hosp discussed another facet of Abado’s art: As a “troubadour,” Abado is not concerned with simply telling stories, but with additional commentary. This special quality would be remarkable in itself, and yet the artist is also committed away from the stage: with his mobile music school and his work with refugees and the next generation, Abado is building a bridge between art and society.
The eulogy on Christian Muthspiel Albert Hosp defined the meaning of the word “groove” in advance: a musical riverbed in which the action takes place. “You don’t do a groove, you hopefully have it.” According to Hosp, Muthspiel’s ability to conduct with a groove – despite the immense complexity and unbelievable difficulty of the activity – is remarkable: Christian Muthspiel grooves as light as a feather. If this were a craft business, the slogan would be: from the cellar to the roof – “that’s how much talent he has.”
Both artists have contributed in different ways, the laudator concluded, to ensuring that the groove exists in Austrian musical life. Just the fact that they make music is an immense achievement. Because: music changes. And that is at least proof of how important it is.
Words of thanks from the honorees
In his words of thanks he spoke Marwan Abado about his difficult arrival in Austria: it was neither voluntary nor easy. What kept him here was “freedom – not political freedom, but personal freedom.” This enabled him to exist and become a musician. “I am very, very grateful for that.” He therefore urgently appeals to defend this freedom and to make use of the right to vote.
Christian Muthspiel also used his speech for a political appeal and drew attention to the financial insecurity of freelance composers in today’s digital world. Using the example of an invoice from austro mechana for the 2nd to 4th quarters of 2022 for his composition “La Melodia della Strada/Overture”, Muthspiel described the impossibility of making a living from compositions – even though “these pieces of music are perceived by a quantitatively relevant international audience.” to be able to: For 939,546 streaming views from 50 countries he received Ꞓ 164.79 minus 5% commission. These are: Ꞓ 156.67. Muthspiel calculated that a composer receives an average of 0.00016 per stream. For 6,300 streams, the artist receives 1 euro – minus social security and taxes.
Muthspiel advocated that art and culture should not be subject to the dictates of the market or the changing preferences of sponsors and patrons. You need support or subsidies. Otherwise she is in danger of disappearing. With a view to his past, he thanked the MA 7 cultural department and the city councilor for culture, whose long-term support made it possible for “his idea to become a real orchestra.”
On the biography of Marwan Abado
Marwan Abado is a musician, singer, composer and poet. In addition to concert works, his work includes film and theater music as well as conceptual activities in the cultural sector, music workshops and lectures on Arabic music, as well as children’s theater. He continually seeks to build bridges between Orient and Occident and works with musicians from a wide variety of cultures and styles. He often combines his music with his love of language and poetry, for example in literary-musical readings.
Born in 1967 to a Christian-Palestinian family in a refugee camp in Beirut (Lebanon), he fled the civil war zone to Austria in 1985 and continued his musical training here with the master of the Iraqi oud (oriental short-necked lute) Asim Chalabi.
Since 1987, Abado has performed internationally in Europe and the Arab world as well as in Cuba and the USA.
In November 2008 he received the Federal Medal of Honor for Intercultural Dialogue from the Federal Ministry of Education, Art and Culture.
On the biography of Christian Muthspiel
Christian Muthspiel is a musician, composer and conductor. In his artistic work he moves in a wide variety of formations in the areas of jazz, improvisation, new music and classical music and his compositions also include works for a wide variety of genres.
Born in 1962 in Judenburg, he received his first piano lessons at the age of six and trombone lessons at the age of eleven. After discontinuing his trombone studies at the Graz University of Music, he continued his training in piano, trombone and composition at the “School of Fine Arts” in Banff, Canada, as a scholarship holder.
Since 2003, Muthspiel has been increasingly active as a conductor and composer. Since 2006 he has also been involved in painting and photography.
He has received several awards for his artistic work, including the Recognition Prize for Music of the State of Lower Austria (1996), the Josef Krainer Culture Prize of the State of Styria (2003, in a duo with Wolfgang Muthspiel), the Austrian Appreciation Prize for Music (2006) and the Hans Koller Prize in the “Musician of the Year” category (2007).