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Accademia d'Archi

Opened in 1998, Accademia d’Archi is a music school specialized in bowed string instruments located in the Trois Chêne region of French-speaking Switzerland. With support from the Edmond de Rothschild Foundations, the school is launching a project to create a children’s orchestra workshop.

School orchestras pass the test

Following the successful production of two children’s operas and a concert featuring French songs, with children at schools in the Trois Chêne region, Accademia d’Archi would like to expand its children's programs using the El Sistema method. Developed in Venezuela and popular in France, where ‘classroom orchestras’ have sprung up around the country, the method is used to teach groups of beginners how play musical instruments. These types of programs bring music to children through their personal experience, stimulating their curiosity and giving them renewed confidence both at school and in daily life.

Accademia d’Archi’s new project reflects a desire to encourage personal growth and a sense of community through the benefits of music learning and the right teaching methods.

School orchestra program in French-speaking Switzerland with the support of the Edmond de Rothschild Foundations

The two-year project – involving a school in the town of Thônex, Accademia d’Archi, the Public Education Department and the Edmond de Rothschild Foundations – will be launched in September 2012 at the start of the new school year.

Children will be able to try violins, violas, cellos and double basses and choose the instrument they will learn to play with two teachers and a qualified music instructor. In addition to classroom instruction, annual overnight weekend events and a number of other daytime-only weekend events will be hosted to build ties among students and provide additional practice time and exposure to music.

Children will be given several opportunities to perform in public at school and at Accademia d’Archi. They will also be invited to attend concerts and take music theory classes.

This initiative fully supports the Edmond de Rothschild Foundations’ commitment to making music as accessible as possible. Teaching children how to play a musical instrument directly gives them the tools they need to acquire self-confidence for life-long development.