The Schmid family, who live in Salzburg, have been performing together regularly for two and a half years. The opening evening in the courtyard of Golling Castle was the biggest joint concert to date – although the youngest, ten-year-old daughter Flora, was absent due to flu.
Concert “a giant step”
The concert was an experience for 14-year-old Darius Schmid: “I’ve never played on such a big stage with television and everything. So it’s of great value.” His 12-year-old brother Emilian also said: “I don’t think I’ve ever had such a big concert, especially in front of so many people. I’m really, really happy to be here. This is of course a huge step in our career. It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had at a concert.”
“I was very nervous,” said 16-year-old Cosima Schmid. “But every single rehearsal was worth it – definitely.” But how do the rehearsals for such concerts at Schmid go? “Sometimes the emotions are full,” said mother Ariane Haering. “It’s natural there – like in any family.” The program of the concert evening not only included Mozart, Vivaldi or Haydn, but also folk music – as a trio by Cosima, Darius and Emilian Schmid.
“Education without music in our house unthinkable”
The children wanted and had to learn the instruments – “absolutely both,” said 16-year-old Cosima. “It was practically put into our hands,” added her brother Darius. Emilian Schmid, on the other hand, “always” wanted to learn an instrument.
For father Benjamin Schmid, “an upbringing in our house without music is actually unthinkable because we both make music all day. In this respect, it is quite natural for the children to say, ‘But I want to learn the cello’ or ‘But I want to sing’.”
The Schmid family at the start of the Golling Festival
Joy about “highly musical family”
For ex-Festival President Helga Rabl-Stadler, the concert was “enchanting and thrilling. The joy of this highly musical Schmid family spread to the entire audience.”
For Hermann Döllerer from the Golling Art & Culinary Festival, “there could be nothing better than such a great Salzburg family, run by stars like the two parents. And I never would have thought that the children would be so great. The way they played here today – fantastic.” The Golling Festival lasts until the end of August.