"Music is the language we all speak" - ERUAvision celebrates its premiere

Frankfurt (Oder), 12. May 2026

What began as a student idea in the cosmos of the ERUA university alliance ended in a week full of music, exchange and European spirit. For the first time, musicians from universities in Italy, France, Spain, Bulgaria, Germany and Lithuania came together at ERUAvision in the first week of May 2026. They presented their self-written songs at the Kleist Forum in Frankfurt, competing with the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), which takes place this weekend in Vienna.

Contest of Unity was the motto of the premiere of ERUAvision. What sounds as pathetic as the big ESC sometimes trumpets was actually lived during the ERUAvision week in Frankfurt (Oder). Whether on the studio stage of the Kleist Forum, in the recording studio in the Gerstenberger Höfe or at workshops on campus - it was palpable everywhere: the solidarity and shared love for music between the participants from six ERUA universities and their hosts in Frankfurt (Oder). Selina Cicek from Turkey, who is studying law in Vilnius, and medical student Yurima del Mar Ramos Ávila from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria spontaneously played a Spanish pop song in the lobby of the Kleist Forum during a rehearsal break. A technician from the Kleist Forum quickly helped out with his private amplifier so that Yigit Tellioglu's electric bass from Vilnius had the right power on stage. And for Williard Kalwani from Tanzania, who is studying economics in Macerata, Italy, there was cake, candles and singing for his 30th birthday.

The competition, which was won by Vyara Raycheva from the New Bulgarian University at the final concert, was only marginally important here. Anyone who made it to Frankfurt from one of the ERUA partner universities was already a winner. Recording their self-written songs in Luca Troschke's recording studio was just as much a part of the prize as workshops on topics such as the role of women or cultural appropriation in the music business. Miguel Ehlert, director of the Frankfurt Singakademie boys' choir, helped the participants with their singing and stage presence.

What became such an impressive experience for all participants thanks to the support of the Frankfurt cultural scene and the ERUA team at the Viadrina began with Izan Suárez Nuez, student ERUA ambassador from Gran Canaria. He initiated ERUAvision as a student project. He applied for funding through ERUA, found fellow campaigners, drew up a rule book, looked for participants and organised the programme. On the sidelines of the rehearsals at the Kleist Forum, he says: "Seeing everyone come together now, with whom we have written so many emails over the months, seems almost unreal to me. It's wonderful to experience this community." The organisation demanded a lot of patience from his team and had some frustrating moments in store. "But it's nice to learn to work with lots of different people, everyone has a job to do and ultimately we always laughed a lot in all the online meetings," he says.

20250507-eruavision-interview-1 With piano, electric bass and vocals, Selina Cicek, Yigit Tellioglu and Ulpan Turniyazova from Mykolas Romeris University Vilnius presented their song "Take me away" about toxic relationships. The three are studying cinematic filmmaking, law and marketing, partly as Erasmus students and partly as regular students in Vilnius. They came together spontaneously for the competition, combining the powerful voice of Selina, the classical music training of Ulpan and the metal attitude of Yigit. "Before I was here, I just wanted us to win. But now it's not about winning, it's about supporting each other. Music is the language we all speak," says Yigit, summarising what they think about ERUAvision.

Martin Aubague and Pierre Blocquet from the University of Paris 8 already generated enthusiasm among their fellow participants with their French rap during the rehearsal. They study Computer Science and History in Paris and have been friends for years. What they have in common is their love of rap and hip hop, which they have so far only lived out from their rooms via online platforms. Rapping their song "Paradise" in front of an audience is a first for both of them. "The best thing about ERUAvision is the performance. When people nod their heads to your music - it's a very satisfying feeling," says Pierre. Martin adds: "Music is our life, it's our way of creating a vision and sharing it."

20250507-eruavision-interview-9 The singer Williard Kalwani from Tanzania and the producer Ruslan Zulpikarov from Turkmenistan found each other at the University of Macerata. They met while studying economics and got involved in this unusual collaboration. Ruslan wrote the song and Williard performed it, even though he has only ever sung in Swahili and never in English. "For me, the best experience was working in the recording studio," says Ruslan. Luca Troschke showed him what he could still get out of the song. For Williard, it was particularly nice to experience how the other musicians and the team helped him overcome his insecurities. "They kept telling me that I could do it," he says. Shortly before the show, he was 95 per cent confident. "I'm still waiting for the last five."

20250507-eruavision-interview-14 Medical student Yurima del Mar Ramos Ávila from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria brought a particularly personal piece of music to Frankfurt (Oder) with her Spanish song, which translates as "Who am I without you?". In it, she deals with loss - including the death of her grandmother. She is convinced that music not only connects people from different cultures. "Music also connects us with ourselves, with our hearts and helps us to be more transparent towards others. It can connect us with the truth," says Yurima. Many people experience pain. "It's hard to face it alone, I want to be there for others," she says, describing the motivation behind her musical work.