Female-led final at BMW Welt Jazz Award 2016. Indra-Rios Moore and Stucky-Doran-Studer-Tacuma: Play Hendrix! to compete for win on May 7.

Munich. The finalists for the BMW Welt Jazz Award
2016 were chosen – incidentally, both ensembles qualified for this
year’s finale of the competition to be held on May 7 are female-led.
The American-Swiss ensemble Stucky-Doran-Studer-Tacuma with their
“Play Hendrix!” programme and the American-Danish group of singer
Indra Rios-Moore were able to convince the jury. The winning ensemble
will be awarded a prize money of 10,000 Euro as well as a trophy
designed by BMW Design specifically for this purpose. The runner-up
will receive a prize money of 5,000 Euro. 

For the eighth time, this prestigious international jazz competition
takes place at BMW Welt. In a total of six free Sunday matinees held
between January and March, participating ensembles were invited to
convince both the jury and their audiences with their interpretations
of this year’s theme “Inspired by Legends” at the double-cone
structure of BMW Welt.

 


Finalists

Indra Rios-Moore (USA)

With her new album “Heartland”, New York-raised singer Indra
Rios-Moore, the daughter of a Puerto-Rican social worker and jazz
bassist Don Moore, will take her audience on a journey back to her
roots. References to the stars of the world of folk and gospel music
such as David Bowie and Pink Floyd, her musical idols of old, will
become integrated into a reduced retro sound delivered in the hypnotic
manner of Rios-Moore’s distinctive, bluesy voice. Together with her
husband, Danish saxophone player Benjamin Traerup, bassist Thomas
Sejthen and guitarist Uffe Stephen, the quartet won the Danish Music
Award as early as 2012. 

Stucky-Doran-Studer-Tacuma (Switzerland/USA)

Iconic guitar player Jimi Hendrix has been a source of inspiration
far beyond the world of rock music, which is why many jazz musicians
continue to return to his music. Almost twenty-five years ago, Swiss
guitarist Christy Doran founded his very own Hendrix project featuring
different musicians over time. In its music, this milestone of the
European jazz scene combines melodies and riffs while adding complex
rhythms. During the BMW Welt Jazz Award, Doran will be accompanied by
American-Swiss singer and performer Erika Stucky, who for many years
has been famous for her unique mix of entertainment, pop music and
avant-garde jazz. With her charming alpine Voodoo, she creates new
links between Hendrix and songs such as “Hey Jude” by the Beatles or
“Purple Rain” by Prince. The quartet’s driving groove will be
generated by American E-bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma and powerful Swiss
drummer Fredy Studer.


Jury

The distinguished panel of jurors includes renowned jazz experts and
specialists of the jazz scene, who will choose the winner of the BMW
Welt Jazz Award 2016. Led by Oliver Hochkeppel (journalist for music
and cultural affairs at the German daily “Süddeutsche Zeitung”), the
jury includes the following members: Andreas Kolb (editor-in-chief of
the magazines “JazzZeitung” and “neue musikzeitung” and co-publisher
of the new music magazine “SILBERHORN“), Roland Spiegel (editor at the
music desk and jazz expert at the German broadcasting station
Bayerischer Rundfunk “BR‑KLASSIK“), Heike Lies (musicologist, Music
and Music Theatre Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs of
the state capital Munich) and Christiane Böhnke-Geisse (Artistic
Director of the international jazz festival “Bingen swingt”). 

As seen during the Sunday matinees, the final concert will be hosted
by Beate Sampson (editor at German broadcasting station “BR-KLASSIK”).
Dr. Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Sales
and Marketing BMW, Sales Channels BMW Group, will present the winners
with the custom-made trophy designed by BMW. 

The ensemble with the best combined average of the audience’s votes
of all concerts will receive the audience award donated by Schloss
Elmau. The winner will receive an exclusive invitation to appear at
this year’s edition of the Jazz Classica Festival at resort Schloss
Elmau in July. 

The final concert followed by an award ceremony will take place on
May 7 at 7 PM at the auditorium of BMW Welt. Currently, a limited
number of tickets is still available at BMW Welt. 

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 more than 40 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 modern and contemporary art,
jazz and classical music 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, Roy Lichtenstein, Olafur
Eliasson, Jeff Koons, Zubin Metha, Daniel Barenboim and Anna Netrebko
have co-operated with BMW. The company has also commissioned famous
architects such as Karl Schwanzer, Zaha Hadid and Coop Himmelb(l)au to
design important corporate buildings and plants. In 2011, the BMW
Guggenheim Lab, a global initiative of the Solomon R. Guggenheim
Foundation, the Guggenheim Museum and the BMW Group celebrated its
world premiere in New York. 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 

 

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

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the
world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles
and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global
company, the BMW Group operates 30 production and assembly facilities
in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. 

In 2015, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.247 million cars and
nearly 137,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the
financial year 2015 was approximately € 9.22 billion on revenues
amounting to € 92.18 billion. As of 31 December 2015, the BMW Group
had a workforce of 122,244 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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