Statement Rabih Lahoud

Speech Rabih Lahoud, artist in residence of Monheim Triennale
concert “Stadtstimmung macht Licht”, Dezember 7th, 2025, Old Town Church

“Dear friends of the Monheim Triennale,

I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming to the Old Town Church in such large numbers today. I have met many of you over the past few weeks in my role as Artist-in-Residence at the Monheim Triennale, and I have worked with many of you and clearly inspired you to come here today.

Many of you have known the Monheim Triennale since its inception, while some are here for the first time today.

I am extremely happy about that!

I am all the more sad to inform you that today’s concert will take place differently than we had planned and hoped.

A few days ago, we learned that the new supervisory board of the Monheim Triennale, headed by mayor Sonja Wienecke, intends to decide next Wednesday to dismiss our artistic director Reiner Michalke at the end of the year.

Reiner Michalke is the creative force behind this festival, the creative head of the organization since 2018, the one who sought out and found the artists, the one who had the idea of installing an artist-in-residence for the city´s community.

He is the one who chose Achim Tang and nominated me as his successor.

With the upcoming decision of the new supervisory board, which was only discussed in advance within the alliance around Sonja Wienecke, the Monheim Triennale would be executed behind closed doors, so to speak.

The manner in which this was done leaves me and the team stunned. What is particularly bad is that no one discussed the options with us in advance. I know that alternative concepts were developed and calculated by the festival management – knowing full well that Monheim’s budget had to be slimmed down. All invitations to conceptual discussions went unanswered. Instead, the artistic director of a festival that is unique in the world and has been on the road to international and national success has been dismissed.

We had hoped and expected something different from a mayor who has made dialogue and bridge-building her mission. Today, we are shocked to realize that the new coalition parties were never interested in genuine dialogue in culture. Even though, especially when opinions differ and conditions have changed, human dialogue would have been the only way forward!

As you can see, I am standing here without Sofia Jernberg and without Mats Gustafsson. Both of them would have accepted Reiner Michalke’s invitation. They would have helped shape this special musical encounter here in Monheim. They are shocked and deeply saddened by the current developments and are now sending a message of solidarity through their silence.  We must be clear: by removing the artistic director, his idea of connecting the international music world with the local music scene in Monheim also dies.

My sole task and also my passion as artist-in-residence is to connect the two worlds: on an equal footing, with equal rights, and in such a way that everyone involved can learn and be inspired. Now one of the two worlds is to cease to play a role. My task thus becomes superfluous. This city does not need another music teacher; it needs genuine encounters with the new, with the unknown.

If Mrs. Wienecke and the supervisory board decide on their plan on Wednesday, thereby making a radical cut in the cultural diversity of this city, today will also be my last concert as artist-in-residence.

Because when you remove courageous culture and music, you slow down development and ultimately nothing remains but silence.

_____ 

I invite you to make music with me between the quiet moments. Because even if politicians can make decisions, citizens can raise their voices.”