Andreas Vollenweider Concert – Moments of Joy and Peace

Andreas Vollenweider

2 days ago, I went to a concert of Andreas Vollenweider & Friends. I’ve loved his music since about 35 years ago when I first heard him playing during the summer festival in cinema Corso. This Swiss, multi-talented musician was quite famous in the 90ies and enchanted many with playing up to 14 instruments on stage, most prominently the harp.

After a 10-year absence from stage, he started performing live again last year, at the age of 70. His music, his performance, and his obvious love of playing music are mesmerizing, and so immensely joyful and peaceful. Listen here to get a bit of an idea: https://youtu.be/ord5mJwk9Ek?si=3x5iHFjZgZCy0u7m

After the concert, I was lucky to get pulled into a “Meet and Greet” by a friend. I was too shy to approach Andreas Vollenweider. But then, as he walked past me, I couldn’t help but say “Hi’” and “Thank you so much. Your music feels like a warm, long hug.” Which made him smile. And he pulled me into a spontaneous hug. It was a deeply heart-warming moment, even though I could feel he wanted to move on quickly to speak to the people in the room he already knew and had come to connect with. So, move on he did, about a second after this photo was taken ☺️

One thing that amazed me – and was the reason why at first I didn’t want to post about this at all, was how profoundly peaceful this musical event was – because nobody held a cell phone in their hands during the concert. 

The large audience included mostly older folks, between the ages of 50-80. Normally, when I’m at a concert everyone is now constantly filming and photographing and later bombarding the internet with all the pictures of where they have been, what they have seen. Often, I feel it’s not so much about sharing how beautiful something was but, rather, to boast about how cool they themselves are to have gone there and seen it. 

It makes every event hectic, nervous, and a bit self-centred. And it always strikes me as odd that people are more concerned about owning a piece of each moment and pushing it onto the world, instead of simply being in the moment and enjoying it with all their hearts.

Enjoying with all our hearts is what happened here, at this concert of Andreas Vollenweider & Friends, in Theatre 11 in Zurich Oerlikon. Hundreds of people simply listened and enjoyed without once taking out their phone. The auditorium was dark and peaceful the entire time. The focus was on stage and on the joyful creativity of the 5 musicians on stage. Nothing distracted from it. Even on stage as well, there was no fluff, no special effects. 

All of us, we were there, in the present, uncool, unseen, enjoying. Much like villagers must have enjoyed many hundreds of years ago when they all sat together in the village square and listened intently to the elders imparting their wisdom.

What I am taking from this is to allow myself more moments of peace. More moments in places where people forget their phones. More moments of profound happiness immersing myself in matters of the heart.

Thank you Andreas Vollenweider & Friends for your music, which really does feel like being enveloped in a long, soul-warming hug. 

I am traveling to Iceland soon for a little road trip. And I already know exactly which music I’ll be listening to along the way ☺️