Chinese rings and fear of buses
With music, magic, and humor, students represented the university at the “Summer in the City” festival.
“If you’re really interested in magic and sorcery, you can’t get by without reading English-language literature!” Talking shop backstage. At the Noack Building, home of the Dreiländereck District Music School, Markus Brzezinski—a budding magician and student of automation and mechatronics at the University of Applied Sciences in Zittau/Görlitz, offers this valuable tip to Frithtjof Vogel, a musician known for his sense of humor and a student of culture and management.
It’s Saturday, July 10, and it’s “Summer in the City”! A festival organized by the city of Zittau, in which the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is, of course, also participating. How could it be any other way? Responding to a call for participants, several up-and-coming student artists signed up to enrich the stage program at Zittau’s market square following the performance by the district music school.
Chinese ring game or classic shell game of a slightly different kind. With wit, humor and assistance from the audience, Markus Brzezinski enchanted the audience and caused amazement, especially among the very young spectators.
"I've been performing magic for five years and have learned everything myself. My big role models are Penn & Teller, an American magician duo," says the 19-year-old. He is delighted to have the opportunity to perform on stage again.
"Due to corona, there was no opportunity to perform in front of a larger audience. So it's all the nicer to be able to perform again now," says Markus Brzezinski.
”Lea Heymann agrees. She’s from the Ore Mountains and is studying Special Needs Education/Inclusion Studies in Görlitz. She confidently accompanies herself on the electric piano as she interprets German pop songs like “Ich geh in Flammen auf” by Rosenstolz in her own unique way with a romantic, dreamy voice.
“I’m actually used to singing as the lead singer of a band, but since starting my studies and because of the pandemic, I haven’t performed in quite a while—not since Christmas 2019,” Lea reveals. “It’s absolutely wonderful that I can be here.” Many others felt the same way. With her professional performance, Lea not only captured the audience’s attention but also piqued the interest of other cultural professionals, who spontaneously handed her their business cards.
Finally, it was time to say “Curtain up” for ‘Frith Vogel.’ Unbound by conventional genres, the master’s student sang about his fear of buses and the daily grind that threatens to catch up with us all, earning plenty of applause from the guests at Zittauer Marktplatz.
All in all, it was a successful and entertaining evening, and the organizers are certain this won’t be the last time they see these students on stage.
Text: Cornelia Rothe, M.A.
2nd upper floor