Classical music is one of the most coveted aspects of German culture and DW has always been in tune with this, taking global audiences behind the music with documentaries like Schumann at Pier 2 and the Beethoven Project.  DW’s latest classical music film production, The Highest Level, recently premiered to much acclaim in Berlin. The film was directed by DW’s prize winning director, Christian Berger. It follows the Chinese pianist Lang Lang and the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Sir Simon Rattle as they put together a stunning performance of Piano Concerto No. 2 by Hungarian composer Béla Bartók and Piano Concerto No. 3 by the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. The two pieces are considered to be some of the most intricate and complicated for pianists.  A sneak preview is available now on Euromaxx on DW.  You can see the film on DW television in English, German, Spanish and Arabic from Saturday, November 30 to Monday, December 2 as part of the In Focus documentary series. On December 1 it will be available on-demand in DW’s media center. For those who can’t wait Sony Classical will release the film on October 25, 2013, on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. You can buy the audio CD now online.

Following in the footsteps of “The Beethovn Project”, DW’s new classic music documentary “Schumann at Pier2” will run at the 2012 Montreal World Film Festival. The festival’s committee chose the 98-minute concert film directed by Christian Berger for its “Documentaries of the World” category. The festival will take place from August 23 to September 3.

“Schumann at Pier2” follows Estonian-American conductor Paavo Järvi and the musicians of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen as they offer a modern take on all four of Robert Schumann’s symphonies in Bremen. The concerts are staged at a converted shipyard.

Viewers in Europe will also have the chance to watch the film on the European cultural television channel Arte in November, following the official premiere of the film at Berlin’s film theatre Kino International. In addition, Label C Major Entertainment will sell a DVD box set featuring the documentary and recordings from the concerts.

DW was once again recognized for its music documentary The Beethoven Project – this time at the New York Festivals International Television and Film Awards. The film received the Silver World Medal in the category “The Arts”. This is the 14^th award for the four-part documentary, which focuses on star conductor Paavo Järvi and selected members of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen.

Global Ideas also picked up a “Finalist Certificate” in the category “Environment & Ecology”.

Every year, DW highlights the work of young musicians by inviting youth orchestras around the world to perform at Bonn’s Beethovenfest. Now, DW is taking it one step further with its DW Music Campus page on Facebook. It offers the latest information on music and cultural exchange in Germany and provides a platform for musicians – especially young musicians – to exchange ideas and opinions.

DW is looking for people to join in on the conversation – so whether you have participated in the Orchestra Campus project in the past, or are just interested in classical music, go to Facebook and get involved.

Or just listen – DW offers a full range of podcasts from the Beethovenfest performances.