Munich. The BMW Welt Jazz Award will enter its ninth
season in January 2017. Following the motto “Amazing Bass!”, a range
of outstanding international ensembles will perform at the
double-coned structure of BMW Welt in a total of six free Sunday
matinees between January and March 2017. The featured musicians hail
from Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, France, USA and Germany. The final
concert of BMW Welt Jazz Award and the competition for its prize money
totalling 15,000 Euro will take place on May 6, 2017 at the auditorium
of BMW Welt.
This year, the bass will take centre stage – an instrument that plays
an important and significant role in jazz. During their live
performances, the artists will show just how versatile this instrument
really is and they will electrify the audience with their creativity.
After the sixth and last matinee, a panel of expert jurors will
nominate two of the participating ensembles to perform at the final
concert at BMW Welt’s auditorium. In addition to a prize of
10,000 Euro, the winner will receive a trophy designed specially by
BMW Design; the runner-up will receive 5,000 Euro. The ensemble with
the best combined average of all concerts will receive the audience
award, which includes an appearance at Jazz Classica Festival 2017 at
resort Schloss Elmau.
Maximilian Schöberl, head of BMW Group Communication and Policy,
said, “Year after year, the BMW Welt Jazz Award offers a unique
experience. It is a platform for artists to present themselves and
their artistic creativity to both amateur audiences and renowned jury
members alike. I am convinced that our audience will once again be
very excited. We would like to thank not only the musicians but also
the city of Munich and our partners for the long-standing collaboration.”
“BMW Welt Jazz Award’s matinees are legendary and year after year,
they uphold their outstanding reputation as presenters of
internationally renowned musicians. I am pleased to see that the bass
will take centre stage in this year’s edition – an instrument that
because of its diverse expressions provides the musical foundation of
many ensembles. Both the international BMW Welt Jazz Award and, since
2016, the BMW Welt Young Artist Jazz Award for emerging talents from
Munich are an audible as well as visible sign of the outstanding
commitment of BMW Group to the cultural life of our city and it is an
absolute must of our event calendar,” added Dieter Reiter, mayor of
the state capital Munich.
The upcoming year will also see the second season of the BMW Welt
Young Artist Jazz Award, which is awarded together with the city of
Munich. In addition to a prize money, the winner will be offered to
hold a concert at Unterfahrt Jazzclub as well as an appearance at the
Leipzig-based Jazztage festival.
Programme of BMW Welt Jazz
Award 2017
Matinees: 11 am to c.1:30 pm at the double-coned structure of
BMW Welt:
January 22, 2017 Chris Minh Doky New Nordic Jazz
February 5, 2017 Lars Danielsson plays Liberetto feat.
Grégory Privat
February 12, 2017 Henning Sieverts: Symmethree
February 19, 2017 Rauned Garcia-Fons: Revoir Paris
March 5, 2017 Linda Oh: Sun Pictures
March 12, 2017 Eva Kruse: On the Mo
Admission is free of charge but seating is limited. Tickets are
subject to availability. Doors open at 10.30 am.
Grand finale at the auditorium of BMW Welt at 7 pm
May 6, 2017 Final concert featuring the two nominated finalists
Tickets for the grand finale on May 6, 2017, will be available as of
January 224, 20176, at BMW Welt and München Ticket.
As in previous years, the programme will be hosted by Beate Sampson,
jazz expert and editor at the German broadcasting station “BR-KLASSIK”.
Jury
The distinguished panel of expert jurors will be headed by
Oliver Hochkeppel (journalist for music and
cultural affairs at the German daily “Süddeutsche Zeitung”) and will
include the following members:
Roland Spiegel, editor at the music desk and jazz
expert at the German broadcasting station Bayerischer Rundfunk “BR‑KLASSIK“;
Andreas Kolb, editor-in-chief of the magazines
“JazzZeitung” and “neue musikzeitung and co-publisher of the new music
magazine “SILBERHORN“;
Heike Lies, musicologist, Music and Music Theatre
Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the state capital Munich;
Christiane Böhnke-Geisse, Artistic Director of the
international jazz festival “Bingen swingt”.
Artists and Ensembles
January 22, 2017:
Chris Minh Doky New Nordic Jazz
In Danish jazz, bassists have a long-standing tradition as band
leaders. Continuing this tradition in a convincing and unique manner
is Chris Minh Doky, son of a Danish pop singer and Vietnamese doctor
and guitarist. As a teenager, he studied piano at the Royal Danish
Academy for Music before turning to the bass age 15. He went to the
US, where he became an integral part of the young New Yorkean Scene of
the early 90s. Whether playing alongside the likes of Larry Goldings,
Mike Stern or Randy Brecker or together with his brother, pianist
Niels Lan Doky as part of Doky Brothers, his renditions
always combine East Coast grooves with the lyrical sounds of
Scandinavia. With his current trio New Nordic Jazz, Chris
Minh Doky once again gives a taste of this special mix.
February 5, 2017: Lars Danielsson plays Liberetto feat.
Grégory Privat
For many years, Swedish bassist Lars Danielsson has been one of the
major voices in European jazz. Originally a cellist, he produces a
more melodic, warmer sound than most of his colleagues. Add to this
mix the “Nordic sound” with which Danielsson joined in his own way the
modern, open style European jazz that incorporates both classical and
pop music. With his quartet and its members including David Liebman,
Bobo Stenson and Jon Christensen alone he recorded ten albums. Other
than developing projects with his singer wife Cæcilie Norby, he
favoured working with pianists as of late – he recorded several albums
with Polish musician Leszek Mozder and for “Libretto” I and II, he
formed an entirely harmonious duo with Armenian musician Tigran
Hamasyan. Aficionados hold Grégory Privat, a young musician from
Martinique in high regard, and it is with him that Danielsson will
perform at BMW Welt for the very first time.
February 12, 2017:
Henning Sieverts: Symmethree
This inhabitant of Munich holds a special place among Europe’s top
bassists as he also holds a degree of the German School of Journalism
and works as radio host. He is featured on more than 120 albums and
continuously makes appearances with his own remarkable projects.
Symmetry plays an important role in Sieverts’ musical world, sometimes
exclusively as mirrored compositions, sometimes with intriguing
rhythmical and harmonious numbers games with which this Berlin-born
musician turns his passion for chess, Sudoku, Scrabble and riddles of
all kinds into music. Together with his trio, which includes star
trombonist Nils Wogram, who won the BMW Welt Jazz Award 2011, and
guitarist Ronny Graupe, Henning Sieverts will present his brand new,
second project “Symmethree” at “Amazing Bass!”.
February 19, 2017:
Renaud Garcia-Fons: Revoir Paris
The Ibero-Frenchman Renaud Garcia-Fons might just be the greatest
virtuoso among jazz bassists. Aged 53, he turns what is often reduced
to a rhythmic humdrum of a bell metronome into a lyrical, singing and
polyphonic cornucopia of bouncy staccato and legato strokes in the
highest ranges otherwise known only from violin or guitar
performances. For many years Garcia-Fons has been using this unique
tone for his programme featuring Mediterranean jazz influenced by
Italian, southern French, Spanish and even Arabic and south eastern
European folk music. In his new trio, together with accordionist David
Ventucci and vibraphonist and percussionist Stephen Caracci, he now
turns back to the urbanity of his native Paris. This reunion, named
“Revoir Paris”, covers a broad range indeed – from Musette to hot
jazz, from chansons in the tradition of Charles Trenet to folklore
imaginaire, from “Montmartre en courant” to “Rue du Dragon”.
March 5, 2017:
Linda Oh: Sun Pictures
Bassist Linda Oh grew up in Western Australia as the daughter of
Malaysian immigrants and has been living in New York, the Mecca of
Jazz, since 2008. To the faithful members of the BMW Welt Jazz Award
audience, she is no stranger – in 2015, she accompanied guitarist and
singer Camila Meza in such an impressive manner that everyone
understood why this winner of many newcomer’s competitions (including
the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer‘s Award 2008) as well as scholarships in
the USA is currently one of the most sought-after bassists. She played
alongside a range of musicians including Joe Lovano, Vijay Iyer, Dave
Douglas and Kenny Barron and just became a member of the Pat Metheny’s
new quartet. She has made her name not only as an instrumentalist but
also as a composer for a broad range of ensembles and short film
projects. At BMW Welt, Oh will perform as part of a quartet alongside
saxophonist Ben Wendel, guitarist Matthew Stevens and drummer Justin
Brown and together they will present her third album “Sun Pictures”.
March 12, 2017: Eva Kruse: On the Mo
Bassists and drummers typically act as the supporting acts of jazz.
Which is why it is all the more remarkable when the career of a female
bassist is linked to a single ensemble, as is the case for Eva Kruse
and Trio [em]. Ever since the early stages of the new
millennium, she has symbolised the new beginnings of young German jazz
together with Michael Wollny and Eric Schaefer (also as the winners of
the very first BMW Welt Jazz Award 2009). After her parental leave,
Kruse changed directions, moved to Sweden, played with star trombonist
Nils Landgren and finally brought her very own projects to fruition.
Following “In Water”, which won the Echo Jazz, she will present “On
the Mo”, her next fascinating programme, at BMW Welt. Arranged for a
quintet, its outstanding qualities are the result of a somewhat
unusual orchestration: Eric Schaefer on the drums, Christian Jormin on
the piano, Uwe Steinmetz on the saxophone and Tjadina Wake-Walker on
the oboe.
This edition of the BMW Welt Jazz Award will once again enjoy the
generous support of BR-KLASSIK, the new music magazine SILBERHORN,
resort Schloss Elmau and the Department of Cultural Affairs of the
city of Munich.
Photographic material is available at BMW PressClub (
www.press.bmwgroup.com)
and via LoeschHundLiepold Kommunikation GmbH
on behalf of the department for public relations of BMW Welt.
Telephone: +49-89-720187-15
Email:
bmw-welt@lhlk.de
For further questions please contact:
Dr Thomas Girst
BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs
Head of Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49-89-382-24753
Leonie Laskowski
BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs
Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49-89-382-45382
Bernhard Ederer
BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs
Spokesperson BMW Welt
Telephone: +49-89-382-28556
www.press.bmwgroup.com
Email:
presse@bmw.de
About BMW’s Cultural Commitment
For almost 50 years now, the BMW Group has initiated and engaged in
over 100 cultural cooperations worldwide. The company places the main
focus of its long-term commitment on contemporary and modern art,
classical music and jazz as well as architecture and design. In 1972,
three large-scale paintings were created by the artist Gerhard Richter
specifically for the foyer of the BMW Group’s Munich headquarters.
Since then, artists such as Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Daniel Barenboim,
Jonas Kaufmann and architect Zaha Hadid have co-operated with BMW.
Currently, female artist Cao Fei from China and American John
Baldessari are creating the next two vehicles for the BMW Art Car
Collection. Besides co-initiatives, such as BMW Tate Live, the BMW Art
Journey and the “Opera for All” concerts in Berlin, Munich and London,
the company also partners with leading museums and art fairs as well
as orchestras and opera houses around the world. The BMW Group takes
absolute creative freedom in all its cultural activities – as this
initiative is as essential for producing groundbreaking artistic work
as it is for major innovations in a successful business.
Further information:
www.bmwgroup.com/culture
and
www.bmwgroup.com/culture/overview
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BMW Welt – at the heart of the brand, on the pulse of the city
With more than 3 million visitors in 2015, BMW Welt in Munich is
Bavaria’s most visited attraction and has become a real magnet for
visitors since its opening in 2007. With its pioneering architecture,
BMW Welt is the heart of all the brands in the BMW Group – BMW, the
sub-brands BMW M and BMW i, MINI, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and BMW
Motorrad, which are impressively presented in their own worlds of
experience. But it is not only the exhibitions and the collection of
new vehicles that are highlights for car lovers from all over the
world. Visitors can enjoy a year-round programme of varied events
covering culture, art and entertainment along with culinary delights
in several restaurants. Whether it’s a jazz concert, clubbing event, a
film première, gala event or panel discussion – BMW Welt is the
perfect platform for innovative events. In the BMW Welt Junior Campus,
children and youngsters can enjoy exciting guided tours and workshops
on the themes of mobility and sustainability.
The BMW Group
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world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles
and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global
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In 2015, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.247 million cars and
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The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
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