Closing Concert of the SONGS Songwriting Competition

At the closing concert of the eleventh season, selected participants will perform their submitted songs live before a panel of experts. The jury consists of artist, songwriter, and Popakademie lecturer Alex Mayr; Derek von Krogh (Artistic Director and Managing Director of the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg); Prof. Udo Dahmen (former Artistic Director and Managing Director of the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg); Andreas Küchle (Board Member of the Education and Social Affairs Foundation of Sparda-Bank Baden-Württemberg eG), Michelle Leonard (artist, publisher, and songwriter), Rolf Vogl (Deputy Program Director & Host of the bigFM Morning Show), and Hannah Lauth (Event Manager, Sparda Bank Baden-Württemberg). The winners will receive prizes and professional coaching at the Popakademie.

This year, Popakademie alumna Juli Gilde will perform. Snowstorms, roller coasters, dinosaurs: indie musician Juli Gilde writes songs that are tender and loud, colorful and astonishing, lyrical or whimsical. With influences ranging from Phoebe Bridgers to Wir sind Helden and Adrianne Lenker, her music shimmers in a wide variety of colors and settings, yet always strikes a chord and enchants listeners—for example, with her recently released debut album “it’s hard to be a blizzard.”

SONGS Closing Concert
SpardaWelt Eventcenter, Am Hauptbahnhof 3, 70173 Stuttgart
Saturday, May 9, 2026, doors open at 5:30 p.m., concert starts at 6 p.m., free admission

About the Sparda-Bank Baden-Württemberg eG Foundation for Education and Social Affairs
Cultural and sustainable engagement has always been an integral part of the corporate philosophy of Sparda-Bank, which has deep regional roots. The Education and Social Affairs Foundation is one of five foundations of Sparda-Bank. It addresses social issues within the state. For many years, the foundation has been committed to social institutions and projects that support children, young people, and people with disabilities and illnesses. The foundation does not see itself merely as a financial backer, but actively promotes networking among various stakeholders and advances the common good through its own projects. Furthermore, the foundation is particularly committed to education-related projects that focus on topics such as promoting healthy eating, teaching media literacy, or fostering innovative learning methods.