On 17 April 2026, the culture magazine »aspekte« published an article entitled »The Power of Music – Opportunities and Challenges«. In it, presenter Katty Salié explores the various facets of a musician’s life: dealing with competition, stage fright and the pressure that can come with fame. She accompanies pop and classical artists who have found ways to successfully overcome performance pressure, the demand for perfection, burnout and stage fright.
Those profiled include pop musicians such as Antje Schomaker, members of »Club 27« and Thomas D from »Die Fantastischen Vier«, as well as classical greats such as Anne-Sophie Mutter. Young musicians from the Gürzenich Orchestra’s Academy of Music describe how, during their training, they receive targeted support to overcome stage fright, strengthen their stage presence and handle competitive situations with confidence. In addition to rehearsals, concerts and chamber music lessons led by experienced orchestra members, the Academy offers workshops and individual coaching. Each musician is closely supported by mentors from the orchestra, ensuring that artistic skill and personal resilience are nurtured in equal measure. Efthymia Georgia Polonidou and Benjamin Joost-Meyer zu Bakum, students at the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne’s Academy, share their experiences and the strategies that help them deal confidently with performance pressure and stage fright.
The report makes it clear that music can not only heal, comfort and bring people together, but can also present challenges. With professional guidance and targeted training, musicians can learn to harness the positive power of music and use the pressure constructively.
We recommend watching the full report on ZDF Aspekte. If you’d like to skip straight to the sections on the orchestra academy, you’ll find them from 08:06 in the video: ZDF aspekte – the destructive power of music.