Art and Responsibility
Art and Responsibility
Art and Responsibility
The power of music to inspire
At the Villars Music Academy, we believe that the artist of tomorrow is not only a performer but a conscious human being, capable of inspiring change. Music is a force that connects, reveals, and transforms. With this vision, we guide the next generation of musical leaders to step into the world with clarity, courage and alignment, artistically and ethically.
A Voice from the Ice: a message from Robert Swan to the students of the Villars Music Academy
A message from polar explorer Robert Swan to the students of the Villars Music Academy: about truth, presence, and what stays when all is stripped away.
Robert Swan, the first person in history to walk to both the North and South Poles, recorded this message especially for the students of the Villars Music Academy. This is not a speech about climate data or adventure. It is about truth, presence, and choices. His words resonate with rare clarity. They go straight to the essential and remind us of what stays when everything else falls away, both as artists and as human beings.
A message from Thijs and SongHa – Listening, grounding, and presence
A message from Thijs and Songha, for the Villars Music Academy, about perception, nature, and our connection to the living world.
Memories of the Melted” is an extraordinary immersive performance created by Dutch artist Thijs Biersteker of Woven Foundation, South Korean violinist SongHa (First Robert Dunand Prize Winner) and top glaciologists matthias huss and Dr. Heïdi Sevestre for the Villars Summit 2025 in honour of the 2025 International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, showcasing the power of storytelling and why glaciers are critical to planet resilience.
What we believe in
We aim for a global and real impact, not just artistic but societal.Because when facts are connected to feelings, something shifts. That is where artists have a real power. We can influence perception, touch people on a deeper level, and open new ways of thinking, especially when it comes to climate and responsibility.
