STAINZ. – “I thought about it for a long time”, Dominikus Plaschg wanted to take over the leadership role in the Styrian Choir Association only after retiring. At the general assembly in Leibnitz it happened – unanimously – but earlier: The Stainz agricultural pedagogue and long-time chairman of the Stainz choir was elected president. He is the master of 500 choirs, singing groups, singing schools and around 10,000 singers. “It is our future”, he put promoting the youngsters on the list of priorities. The pandemic, according to the Neo-President, hit clubs in the upper age segment hard.
The President’s area of responsibility can be described as comprehensive. Behind the honest term promoting singers stands a huge number of regional and national activities for singers and choir directors. “Access should be easy,” says Plaschg, referring to the most recent events in St. Martin and Hatzendorf, to which children were also invited. The motto 60+ applies to the choir day in the Stieglerhaus in St. Stefan on September 17th, while the choir currently on October 2nd and the Robert Stolz Gala on November 14th in Graz should present the whole range of singing joy. Singing, according to the creed, should be cultivated above all because of the community. Again the youth: “We will go to schools,” he has in mind about the Meistersinger class project and the consideration that young people tend to decide to take part in a group rather than alone.
Comprehensive work
The new president is used to active club management. “I like to design”, is his role as one who precedes. That was the case in his time as chairman of the Stainz choir community, played a part in the 20 years as regional chairman of Deutschlandsberg and also accompanied him in his role as vice-country chairman of the choir association. To list some of the events held with the Stainz Choral Society, which became a choral community under its aegis: European cultural and choral exchange with choirs from Germany, England, Italy or Hungary, participation in the Styriarte, co-organization of the avant-garde choir project “A West Styrian Waterfall “, Of the nationwide choir festival Opus Styria, organization of the Alpine Choir Christmas AGACH and numerous choir workshops (advanced training) and district singing in the region. With his top-class concerts in the agricultural college, he should see himself as a source of ideas for the StainZeit cultural initiative – but in his modesty he doesn’t do it.
A short résumé or profile, as Dominikus Plaschg (62) calls it: He was born in Gnas and settled in Rassach in 1980 because of his position as a teacher at the LFS Stainz. In addition to working in class, he tried right from the start to bring singing closer to the students. “I’m often asked about it at graduate meetings,” he jokes, saying that the singing units (also at other schools) are better remembered than the subjects. As an additional task, he was also involved in the staff representation of the Styrian agricultural teachers, who is now their national spokesman. He is married to his wife Franziska and they have children Benedikt and Dominika.
An important reason why he decided to take over the presidency: creative and enthusiastic personalities – including treasurer Gerald Waldbauer from Trahütten – work on the board. “With that”, Dominikus Plaschg is convinced, “a positive development should be possible.”
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