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Music for the family: concerts for hopping and quacking

Frank von Niederhäusern12-10-20253 min. read

An increasing number of clubs are now offering concerts specifically designed for families with children and even babies. Experience shows that this is a worthwhile endeavour.

When the cumbia band Los Wembler's de Iquitos performed at Moods in Zurich, there were children in the audience too. This was possible because the six brothers from Peru, who make up the band, played an afternoon concert before their evening performance. The Zurich Music Club has hosted a family concert once a month since this year. "There were children's concerts in the past," says Adrian Hofer from the Moods team. "Due to the high demand, we have now increased the frequency."Since the 23/24 season, the Kulturhaus Kaserne in Basel has also included family concerts in its programme. "We want to offer cultural experiences to as many people as possible," says Tobias Breier. "That's why we specifically book bands that want to perform for children and families too." In Basel, the Basel Sinfonietta has also been hosting its "Klangfüchse" series for ten years, playing classical and contemporary music for young children. "We were amazed at the great interest," says Anita Kuster, a Sinfonietta trombonist who is responsible for the "Klangfüchse" series.In particular, classical orchestras are increasingly offering concerts for young children. Theater Orchester Biel Solothurn invites children to "bébé concerts", while the Tonhalle in St. Gallen hosts concerts for toddlers. The Argovia Philharmonic Orchestra offers a whole package of concerts and workshops, and created a 50 percent position specifically for its programming in 2015. Music educator Janina Kriszun says: "We want to adapt symphony and chamber concerts to the needs of our youngest audience members in terms of length, concentration span, and level of involvement."

A "f*ck" becomes a "duck" without further ado

Adrian Hofer from Moods also emphasises that their family concerts are shorter and quieter, and take place in a brighter setting. Taking this into account leads to impressive experiences. "I remember a Congolese band talking about their best concert ever, when they got 200 enthusiastic children dancing and jumping", he says."Of course, some bands are sceptical", says Coco Müller from the Bee-flat jazz club in Bern, where family concerts are held monthly. "But many see it as an enrichment and adapt." Moods' booker, Adrian Hofer, has an anecdote: "One of our bands adapted a piece of text, replacing "f*ck" with "duck" — which got the whole club quacking."Children's and family concerts tend to be popular events, filling clubs and concert halls. The Bern-based Bee-flat organisation also holds concerts in schools, reaching around 2,000 young people every year. The Argovia Philharmonic will soon be performing Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" cycle at several venues. Argovia mediator Janina Kriszun was inspired by a school workshop: 'I realised that these sound pictures are particularly suitable for a target group aged five and over. I enjoy using music like this to stimulate children's imaginations."

The Moods relies on resounding glitter

Unlike children's theatres, which experience a boom during the Advent season, concert organisers emphasise that concerts for families are not seasonal. Nevertheless, Moods is going for a glittering sound: for its December family concert, the club is presenting Swingin' Christmas by Schaffhausen jazz pianist Raphael Jost.Frank von Niederhäusern, Kulturtipp
The article appeared in issue 24/2025 of Kulturtipp. More information and subscriptions are available at kulturtipp.ch

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