What is D-bü all about? (English explanation)

D-bü, an innovative competition held by the Rectors' Conference of German Conservatories, showcases diverse and extraordinary music performances from students, with a jury of peers awarding prizes across different categories.

D-bü (neologism referring to the German pronunciation of the word „debut“) is a new competition for students studying at a German conservatory. It is held by the Rectors‘ Conference of German Conservatories (Die deutschen Musikhochschulen) .

With its platform character for a new spectrum of performances, D-bü supports presentations of exceptional music projects far away from usual classical concerts and promotes modern and extraordinary performance possibilities, innovative interpretations of old and new compositions and modern productions of music.

D-bü is open to a broad variety of musical performances. From improvised, staged or educational concerts to IT/New Media performances – new ideas are welcome.  As the performances are difficult to compare, the jury will award three equally endowed prizes in different categories.

The judgement is made by students as well: Each of the 24 German conservatories which is not part of D-bü with a performance will nominate a student for the jury. Head of the jury will be an expert in the field of new and innovative music formats.

Completed competitions so far took place in 2017 (Berlin), 2020 (Hamburg) and 2022 (Trossingen).

D-bü is sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Premium partners are Konzerthaus Berlin, Pierre Boulez Saal, Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and the brand agency Dan Pearlman.

D-bü has been established to support new artistic ideas presented by music students currently studying at a German conservatory. The knowledge of German culture and its language is a central part of the cultural education that German conservatories offer their music students. By implication, the information on this website is provided in German only.