Valerian Alfaré has been selected to represent Switzerland at Eurovision Young Musicians 2024 in Bodø.
Valerian Alfaré was selected to represent Switzerland at Eurovision Young Dancers 2024 after winning the Swiss selection. A number of Swiss music colleges and conservatories, as well as the Schweizerische Jugendmusikwettbewerb, nominated their most talented young musicians to take part in a preselection in the Meret Oppenheim Hochhaus in Basel. A three-person jury of experts selected the winner. The jury consisted of:
- Oliver Schnyder (pianist)
- Manuel Oswald (conductor and violinist)
- Eva Oertle (flautist and music editor at SRF Kultur)
Eva Oertle commented:
“Valerian impressed us greatly at the Swiss preselection with his technical skill and stage presence. We are convinced that he is ideally suited to represent Switzerland in Bodø.”
Valerian Alfaré reacted to being selected:
“I am incredibly happy to have this opportunity to take my music and the euphonium with all its qualities out into the world and to be able to reach and touch a wide audience. I’m also looking forward to exchanging ideas with other young musicians who share my fascination with music.”
Valerian Alfaré is 19 years old and comes from Rheinfelden in northern Switzerland. He plays the euphonium and the trumpet. As a trumpeter, Alfaré focuses primarily on jazz and is a member of the Swiss Youth Jazz Orchestra. With the euphonium he primarily performs in classical and modern music.
Valerian has already competed at several Swiss music competitions. In the final of the Swiss Youth Music Competition 2021, he was awarded first prize. He finished in second place in the Swiss solo and quartet competition for brass and percussion instruments in 2022. He is also a member of various ensembles for young talents.
Valerian will play the euphonium at Eurovision Young Musicians 2024. This will be the first appearance of the euphonium in the history of Eurovision Young Musicians.
Eurovision Young Musicians 2024 will be broadcast live on SRF 1 on August 17. In the lead up to the contest, reports will be shown across SRF televisions shows like Gesichter & Geschichten and Kulturplatz and on Radio SRF 2 Kultur. Valerian will make his first TV appearance on Potzmusig on June 29, 2024.
Switzerland is returning to Eurovision Young Musicians for the first time since 2006, having previously competed in every edition since its launch in 1982. Their best result in history came in 1986, when pianist Marian Rosenfeld finished second.
Eurovision Young Musicians 2024
Eurovision Young Musicians 2024 will take place on August 17 in Bodø, Norway. Eleven countries will be competing in the contest. They are:
- Armenia: AMPTV – Hayk Hekekyan
- Austria: ORF – Leonhard Baumgartner
- Belgium: RTBF – Mahault Ska
- Czechia: ČT
- France: France Télévisions – Pierre-Emmanuel Hurpeau
- Germany: WDR
- Norway: NRK – Sebastian Egebakken Svenøy
- Poland: TVP – Jeremi Tabęcki
- Serbia: RTS – Bogdan Dugalić
- Sweden: SVT – Hugo Svedberg
- Switzerland : SRF – Valerian Alfaré
Bodø, which is one of the European Capitals of Culture for 2024, is playing host to a Eurovision event for the first time, while Young Musicians returns to Norway for the first time since 2000.
The competition for musicians between the ages of 12 and 21 and has been held since 1982, as the first spin-off contest of the Eurovision Song Contest. The event celebrated its twentieth edition in 2022 when Montpellier hosted the competition.
Over the twenty editions of the competition, a total of forty-two countries have competed across the history of the competition. Norway has competed in nineteen out of the twenty contests, tied with Austria. Austria is the most successful country having won 5 editions and competed in 15 finals.
Image Source: SRF/Gian Vaitl |
Source: EUROVOIX