Landesakademie für die musizierende Jugend in Baden-Württemberg

The Landesakademie für die musizierende Jugend in Baden-Württemberg — commonly known as Landesakademie Ochsenhausen — is a state institution and foundation of the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg, housed in the former Benedictine imperial abbey of Ochsenhausen in Upper Swabia. It was officially opened on 1 September 1990 by then Minister-President Lothar Späth, following a comprehensive restoration of the monastery complex between 1974 and 1990. Its foundation statute dates from 13 October 1987. The academy's mission is the continuing education and professional development of pupils, teachers and other music enthusiasts. It offers a broad programme of instrumental and vocal courses, teacher and educator training, masterclasses, holiday courses, family and intergenerational courses, and courses on music and health. It also hosts rehearsal weeks for youth and school choirs and orchestras, international youth encounters, and working phases for qualified youth ensembles from Baden-Württemberg. Over the decades the number of courses and events has more than tripled from 106 in 1991, and the range of rooms equipped with pianos or grand pianos grew from 14 to 23 by 2019. The academy is a recognised training institution, offering apprenticeships every three years in housekeeping and cooking, and cooperating with DHBW Ravensburg in a business administration programme for trade fair, congress and event management. Around 50 permanently employed staff (as of 2026) work in teaching, administration, hospitality, technology and maintenance. The academy is a member of the Arbeitskreis der Musikbildungsstätten in Deutschland, which in turn is part of the German Music Council. It awards the Bruno-Frey Prize. Its facilities in the former abbey include 82 bedrooms, 17 rehearsal rooms ranging from 30 m² to 300 m², two concert halls, four further performance spaces, a multimedia room, a dining hall and a cafeteria. The music library holds more than 26,000 media items, including over 16,000 scores and sheet music, more than 8,000 sound recordings, over 6,500 books on music and music education, and 18 subscribed periodicals (as of 2019). The academy is also home to several ensembles: the Orpheus Vokalensemble (founded 2005), the children's choir SingsalaSing (founded 2002) and the youth choir VoiceLab (founded 2011). The academy is led by a director, Klaus K. Weigele, and a managing director, Torsten Kallfass. It has an eight-member board and a 20-member board of trustees appointed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. The chairman of the board of trustees is the president of the State Music Council, Hermann Wilske. The academy cooperates with other institutions of school and extracurricular music education, with state teacher training in Baden-Württemberg and with independent organisations in the state's musical life.

The Landesakademie für die musizierende Jugend in Baden-Württemberg was established as a foundation under civil law, with its statute dated 13 October 1987. The site — the former Benedictine imperial abbey of Ochsenhausen in Upper Swabia — had been comprehensively restored by the state of Baden-Württemberg between 1974 and 1990. On 1 September 1990, then Minister-President Lothar Späth officially opened the academy and it began its course operations. At the time, the project was described as musical new territory and an economic venture. In the early years, the academy's continuing education work focused strongly on Orff instruments. Later, jazz, rock and pop gained a significant place in the course programme without reducing the existing offerings. In more recent years, the field of class music-making (Klassenmusizieren) has been revitalised, with systematically designed models such as wind classes, string classes and singing classes reflecting a methodological orientation towards action-oriented approaches. Since 2009, educators (Erzieherinnen und Erzieher) have also been a focus of the seminars, reflecting a trend to stimulate children's language development through music, based on studies that consider early contact with singing as productive for child development. Alongside pedagogical seminars, the academy has hosted high-calibre, internationally staffed masterclasses, demonstrating its claim to the title 'Akademie'. The number of courses and events grew from 106 in 1991 to more than three times that figure. The number of rooms with a piano and/or grand piano increased from 14 initially to 23 by 2019. The academy also built up concerts, masterclasses, international summer music festivals and rehearsal weekends for amateur and semi-professional ensembles, consolidating its reputation as a versatile and professional institution. The academy is housed in the former Benedictine abbey, which offers extensive facilities: 82 bedrooms, 17 rehearsal rooms with areas between 30 m² and 300 m², two concert halls, four further performance rooms, a multimedia room, a dining hall and a cafeteria. A large number of instruments are part of the academy's inventory. The music library, which continues to expand, holds more than 26,000 media items: over 16,000 scores, piano reductions and individual parts, over 8,000 sound recordings, over 6,500 book titles on music and music education, and 18 subscribed newspapers (as of 2019). A microfilm archive also makes musical materials from the former Benedictine imperial abbey accessible. The academy is home to several ensembles. The Orpheus Vokalensemble was founded in 2005 as a professional, internationally staffed chamber choir of the Landesakademie Ochsenhausen; it has recorded several CDs and participated in various music festivals. Other ensembles include the children's choir SingsalaSing (founded 2002) and the youth choir VoiceLab (founded 2011). Organisationally, the academy has the status of a legally capable foundation under civil law (rechtsfähige Stiftung des bürgerlichen Rechts) and has an eight-member board. There is also a 20-member board of trustees appointed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. The chairman of the board of trustees is the president of the State Music Council, Hermann Wilske. The director of the academy is Klaus K. Weigele and the managing director is Torsten Kallfass. The academy cooperates with other institutions of school and extracurricular musical youth education, with state teacher training in Baden-Württemberg and with independent organisations in the state's musical life. It employs around 43 permanently employed staff (as of 2018) and offers apprenticeships every three years: in housekeeping and, in cooperation with DHBW Ravensburg, in a business administration degree programme for trade fair, congress and event management. As of 2026, around 50 permanently employed staff work at the academy. The academy is a member of the Arbeitskreis der Musikbildungsstätten in Deutschland, an association of non-commercial state music academies, federal academies and other training institutions, which is itself a member of the German Music Council. The academy awards the Bruno-Frey Prize.

• 2026

  Around 50 permanently employed staff work at the academy.

• 2019

  Number of rooms with piano and/or grand piano reaches 23; library holds over 26,000 media items.

• 2011

  Youth choir VoiceLab founded.

• 2009

  Educators (Erzieherinnen und Erzieher) become a focus of the academy's seminars.

• 2005

  Orpheus Vokalensemble founded as the academy's professional chamber choir.

• 2002

  Children's choir SingsalaSing founded.

• 1991

  106 courses and events held in the first full year of operation.

• 1990

  Official opening of the academy on 1 September 1990 by Minister-President Lothar Späth; course operations begin.

• 1987

  Foundation statute of the Landesakademie für die musizierende Jugend in Baden-Württemberg dated 13 October 1987.

• 1974

  Start of comprehensive restoration of the former Benedictine monastery in Ochsenhausen by the state of Baden-Württemberg (until 1990).

A state-run music education and performance centre offering continuing education, masterclasses and ensemble work in a historic monastery setting.

• Certification course 'Musik in der Grundschule' (Staffel 42, Teil I)

  Teacher training course with state course number QZR5EN, held 28–30 September 2026.

• Choir workshop 'Chormusik erleben'

  Vocal course held 2–4 October 2026, expanding one's own repertoire.

• Ukulele, Buckets and Co. – Popsongs mal anders

  Teacher training course with state course number 8D4NPN, held 5–7 October 2026.

• Sing mit! Open choir for educators and primary school teachers

  Course for educators held 6 October 2026.

• Crash course Ukulele

  Teacher training course on ukulele as accompaniment instrument for singing, held 7 October 2026.

• Swinging Christmas

  Teacher training course with new repertoire for Advent and Christmas, held 8 October 2026.

1. 1Willkommen | Landesakademie für die musizierende Jugend in Baden-Württemberglandesakademie-ochsenhausen.de
2. 2Über uns | Landesakademie für die musizierende Jugend in Baden-Württemberglandesakademie-ochsenhausen.de
3. 3Geschichte | Landesakademie für die musizierende Jugend in Baden-Württemberglandesakademie-ochsenhausen.de
4. 4Landesakademie Ochsenhausenwikidata.org
5. 5Landesakademie für die musizierende Jugend in Baden-Württembergde.wikipedia.org