Munich. After six spectacular matinees, the BMW Welt
Jazz Award 2019 enters its final round on 4 May, with a play-off
between the Maciej Obara Quartet and Rudresh
Mahanthappa Quintet. Taking to the stage in the auditorium
of the BMW Welt, they will perform their interpretation of this year’s
theme, Saxophone Worlds, before the renowned jury decides which of
them will take home the award. Created by BMW Design, the accolade
will be accompanied by prize money of €10,000 for the winner, with
€5,000 for the runner-up.
Jazz fans have been experiencing first-hand the musical skills
of this year’s performers in six free matinees between January and
March. The audience award, presented by Schloss Elmau, will be handed
over at the final, along with an invitation to play at the Schloss.
The finalists
Maciej Obara Quartet
On 27 January the Maciej
Obara Quartet launched the competition for the BMW Welt Jazz Award
2019 with their performance, wowing not only the audience but also the
highly respected jury with their interpretation of the theme of
Saxophone Worlds. Maciej Obara is a key figure in latest-generation
European jazz. With his sixth album, Unloved (2017), the Polish alto
and tenor saxophonist made his debut at ECM Records. His
multi-faceted, lyrical music is delivered with breath-taking technique
and accompanied by his compatriot Dominik Wania on the piano, and
Norway’s Ole Morten Vagan and Gard Nilssen on bass and percussion. The
resulting fusion that is the Maciej Obara Quartet left such an
impression that made it through to the final.
Rudresh Mahanthappa Quintet
At the heart of the
international acclaim for the jazz artist Rudresh Mahanthappa are his
passion for Carnatic music and his Indian roots. The work of this
talented musician is already well-documented by a string of awards. On
24 March Mahanthappa captivated his audience with a fusion of rhythmic
structures and contemporary jazz. Accompanied by Rez Abbasi on guitar,
Bobby Avey on piano, François Moutin on bass and Rudy Royston on
percussion, the Rudresh Mahanthappa Quintet presented the successful
Bird Calls album. Mahanthappa’s very personal, highly virtuouso
interpretation of original compositions by saxophone legend Charlie
‘Bird’ Parker saw him reinterpret the arrangements, themes and solos
of the godfather of modern jazz in a new context to reflect the theme
of this year’s BMW Welt Jazz Awards. Their inexhaustible joy at
playing and their powerful output won the quintet a place in the final.
The jury
The respected jury, chaired by
Oliver Hochkeppel (music and culture journalist
with the Süddeutsche Zeitung), has proved its credentials in previous
years and comprises:
-
Roland Spiegel, music editor and jazz expert with
the Bavarian broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk, BR-KLASSIK -
Andreas Kolb, editor-in-chief of JazzZeitung.de and
nmz – neue musikzeitung -
Heike Lies, musicologist in the Music and Musical
Theatre Division of the City of Munich’s Department of Culture -
Christiane Böhnke-Geisse, Artistic Director of the
international jazz festival Bingen swingt.
The finale
Like the Sunday matinees, the finale will be
introduced by Beate Sampson, jazz editor with BR KLASSIK. The award,
created specially by BMW Design, will be handed over by Dr Nicolas
Peter, BMW AG Board Member. Representing the City of Munich will be
cultural adviser Dr Hans-Georg Küppers.
The final concert and award presentation will be held on 4 May
2019 at 7 pm in the Auditorium of the BMW Welt. Tickets are available
from München Ticket and the BMW Welt.
This year’s BMW Welt Jazz Award is once again presented with the
support of BR KLASSIK, nmz, Schloss Elmau and the City of Munich’s
Department of Culture.
For further questions please contact:
Prof Dr Thomas Girst
BMW Group Corporate and
Governmental Affairs
Head of Cultural Engagement
Telephone:
+49-89-382-24753
Thomas.Girst@bmwgroup.com
Doris Fleischer
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental
Affairs
Cultural Engagement
Telephone:
+49-89-382-27806
Doris.Fleischer@bmw.de
Cypselus von Frankenberg
BMW Group Corporate and
Governmental Affairs
BMW Brand, Marketing, Lifestyle
Telephone:
+49-89-382-30641
Cypselus.von-Frankenberg@bmw.de
www.press.bmwgroup.com
E-Mail: presse@bmw.de
About BMW Group Cultural Engagement
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. In
2016 and 2017, female artist Cao Fei from China and American John
Baldessari created 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, Moscow 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
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BMW-Group-Culture
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroupculture/
@BMWGroupCulture
#BMWGroupCulture
BMW Welt – at the heart of the brand, on the pulse of the
city
The BMW Welt welcomes over 3 million visitors per
year. 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 as
well as a popular event location for over 400 external events per
year. The various restaurants of the BMW Welt offer a variety of
culinary delights up to star gastronomy. 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
With its four brands BMW, MINI,
Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading
premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides
premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production
network comprises 30 production and assembly facilities in 14
countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2018, the BMW Group sold over 2,490,000 passenger vehicles and
more than 165,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the
financial year 2018 was € 9.815 billion on revenues amounting to
€ 97.480 billion. As of 31 December 2018, the BMW Group had a
workforce of 134,682 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
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