Music connects: Muri brings talents and people together
Dr. Josef Gut and Thomas Gut support The Muri Competition from the very beginning. For them, music is more than art. It creates encounters, opens up opportunities and connects people. This will be demonstrated once again when Muri becomes a stage for oboe and bassoon in 2026.
Josef Gut and Thomas Gut
What motivated you to support the competition in 2013 and what still motivates you today ?
Josef Gut: We wanted to give young people in our region a stage. Music is a language that everyone understands. To this day, I am inspired by the joy of the talents and the audience. This is an investment in the future and in the community. With the Foundation for Classical Music Muri, we wanted to make classical music accessible to everyone right from the start.
Thomas Gut, the Monsol Foundation has been helping good ideas to succeed since 2020, including in the areas of education and culture. Why do you support The Muri Competition ?
Thomas Gut: We don't just promote talent here. We build bridges between musicians from all over the world and the audience. People share in the excitement of the talent. Such encounters are more valuable than a single performance.
Is there a moment that has stayed with you in particular ?
Josef Gut: Yes, I remember the shining eyes of one of the winners. It was his first time playing on the premises of Muri Abbey and he was overwhelmed by the special atmosphere. You never forget this combination of ancient history and the living present.
In the preliminary round, the jury evaluates anonymously. What does this fairness mean to you ?
Thomas Gut: This is how we ensure that only the music counts. The name or the origin don't matter. This is an important message to the young artists: only their performance and their passion count.
What makes Muri and the monastery so special ?
Josef Gut: The monastery combines history, spirituality and hospitality. It is an impressive stage for the young musicians. For the audience, it is a special experience right here in the region. This proximity makes all the difference.
What role do host families and helpers play ?
Thomas Gut: They often do much more than they have to. For example, one family spontaneously invited a musician to a birthday party - and it turned into a friendship. That shows what our guiding principle «Music connects» means. The volunteers also experience the music at first hand. This arouses interest and joy.
What values do you share as a family ?
Josef and Thomas Gut: Education, culture and equal opportunities are important to us. We complement each other well: one generation brings experience, the other new ideas. That makes our commitment stronger.
What do you wish for the talents in 2026 ?
Thomas Gut: I hope that they not only show off their skills here, but also feel that someone here believes in them.
What do you say to people who want to promote culture ?
Josef and Thomas Gut: Supporting culture means investing in people and their future. Many of our winners now play in top orchestras, for example in Vienna, Berlin or Paris. Any support in Muri has a double effect: it strengthens talent and enriches the entire region.
The interview was conducted by André Heller.