(Foto: Fernanda von Sachsen Gessaphe, © privat)

Stay abroad in Rio de Janeiro:
Field reports from Fernanda von Sachsen Gessaphe and Linus Coutureau

Last semester, two of our students had the opportunity to spend several weeks abroad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, funded by PROMOS.

Here are the two testimonials:

Report by Fernanda von Sachsen Gessaphe

My study visit to Rio de Janeiro was undoubtedly one of the most formative experiences of my life. At first I was unsure what to expect in this city. However, I soon realized that this trip would not only intensify my musical skills, but also promote my personal growth enormously.

The hospitality of the people in Rio de Janeiro was overwhelming. As soon as I arrived, I was welcomed into the community, both at the university and in everyday life. The students at the university were not only interested in the subject, but also open to making new acquaintances. This openness created an inspiring atmosphere that encouraged the exchange of musical ideas and cultural experiences.

Rio de Janeiro, with its breathtaking nature and vibrant culture, proved to be the perfect place to get to know Brazil in all its facets. The city literally pulsates with life and this energy spills over into the music. Every evening I went to different concerts and immersed myself in the local music scene. 

The special thing about it was not just listening, but also actively participating. I was soon invited by musicians to sing one or two pieces at their concerts and made valuable contacts with renowned musicians. Later, I even had the opportunity to sing my own concerts.

I strongly recommend this project abroad for students who not only want to expand their musical skills, but are also looking for a deep cultural immersion.

Field report by Linus Coutureau

Arrival on 14.09.2023; departure on 31.10.2023

I stayed with a friend of Martin Zenker (Av. Atlantica, Copacabana) for the first two weeks after my arrival and later moved to an AirBnB (Praia de Botafogo, Botafogo) and stayed there for the rest of my stay. I recommend booking apartments via AirBnB or other providers. It's more expensive than a normal rental apartment by Brazilian standards, but it makes no difference to us Germans with a scholarship and is much more flexible. In addition, there are hardly any student housing options; there are no halls of residence at all. The only option would be so-called "Republicas", large shared flats managed by the students themselves, but it is very difficult to find a place there from abroad and it is also not advisable for the short period of 6 weeks. The neighborhoods around the university in the southern zone of the city are all recommended, especially Urca, Botafogo, Laranjeiras, Flamengo, Leme and Copacabana. These are close by and definitely safer than other parts of the city. However, if you only moved around these neighborhoods, you might get an incomplete view of the city.

Since I was not an official student and had no matricula, I didn't really have a plan as to which courses I could attend; Prof. Korman made a noticeable effort, asked his colleagues and also introduced me to the professors of the MPB program in a meeting, but it was still a bit unclear for me at the beginning which courses were available and which I could attend. In the end, I just went to everything I knew about through contact with students and then sounded out which courses made the most sense for me. As I'm an instrumental student and don't speak Brazilian Portuguese particularly well, in the end it was "only" ensembles and Cliff Korman's courses. But it was very instructive, I not only listened to Brazilian music but also played it, so I was at the university every day and got to know pretty much all the students on the MPB course. I also had two lessons with the local saxophone professor Marco Tulio. 

In my experience, none of the professors reacted negatively to my spontaneous presence in the course, on the contrary. Many of them were very helpful and sometimes translated into English, but you can't follow the theoretical courses without being fluent in Portuguese.

The campus is very beautiful. It is located below a mountain in Urca, very close to the Sugar Loaf Mountain and the sea. There is also a canteen on site and you can sit in the shade under trees between the buildings of the literature, theater and music faculties, which is how I got to know most of the students. The contact with the students was the most valuable thing about this exchange and I was able to make contact with many of them on my first day at the university, which lasted throughout my stay and afterwards. The local MPB students gave me a very warm welcome and took me everywhere they went. The contact was not just limited to the teaching times at the university. The contact with the students opened up opportunities for me that could not have been planned and that I had not imagined. I was able to get to know the city's young music scene, attended countless concerts, went to renowned festivals free of charge, made and recorded music with them. 

I got an authentic picture of student life in Rio and the city itself. The short, six-week stay resulted in close friendships that continue to exist. I would like to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to Maria, Xandao, Anoushka, Lourenco, Luis Houtet, Luis Magalhaes, Luca, Pedro, Lorena, Victor, Carol, Joseph, Wolfgang, Diego and all the Musica Popular students, without them my stay in Rio would not have been what it was.

I also took the opportunity to travel to Sao Paulo for a few days and visited André Kusmitsch and Feldeman de Oliveira Lacerda (Kurt Maas Jazz Scholars 2023). In my opinion, Sao Paulo is much more modern and also feels safer in parts, but I liked Rio de Janeiro much better as a city. The mix of nature and city and the local culture are simply unbeatable.