This is where the pulse of time beats. The academies – Lied, Chamber Music and Music Journalism – are a platform, they are a festival investment in the future, because the talents of tomorrow’s music are promoted. There are master classes for young artists in many places – in Heidelberg this is only one part of the big picture. In Plato’s sense of the academy, the scholarship holders of the academies expand their professionalism with the help of international stars. And they have the opportunity to form an interdisciplinary network, look beyond your own nose, exchange ideas and – far from the pressures of everyday life – reflect on what a better world of tomorrow’s art can be. In the »LAB«, the festival’s innovation incubator, they have the opportunity to translate their visions into projects with participants from the fields of directing, media art and science. So that the actors of tomorrow can be strengthened, and above all: so that the audience can hear and see extraordinary things. This is how we shape the future.