The Internationale Hugo-Wolf-Akademie für Gesang, Dichtung und Liedkunst (IHWA) is one of the world's oldest and most traditional institutions for the promotion and preservation of a unique art form - the art song. Its beginnings date back to the lifetime of its patron saint at the end of the 19th century, when a circle of Hugo Wolf's friends in Stuttgart endeavoured to support the composer, who was always penniless, to the best of their ability - among other things by organizing concerts. The IHWA continues this tradition to this day and, according to the association's statutes, is dedicated to "promoting the work of Hugo Wolf and cultivating the tradition of art song and vocal art". In addition to organizing classical concert formats (song recitals, song master classes, song competitions, etc.), the IHWA aims to attract new audiences with digital forms of presentation and mediation and to offer the art song an international and contemporary platform.