Swiss Grand Prix to Irène Schweizer
The Grand Prix Suisse de Musique 2018 is awarded to Irène Schweizer, one of the most important contemporary jazz pianists, for a unique work. The award ceremony will take place on September 13 in Lausanne as part of the Label Suisse festival, in the presence of Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis.
Born in Schaffhausen in 1941, Irène Schweizer is one of the most influential figures in modern jazz. A pianist and percussionist, she began exploring the jazz scene in London and Zurich in the 1960s. In 1968, she met drummer Pierre Favre in Zurich, with whom she forged a long artistic partnership; together, they made a major contribution to the development of free jazz and improvised piano music. Irène Schweizer is a charismatic, no-nonsense musician. She has performed in concert all over the world, both as a soloist and with various groups; she has also recorded numerous solo and duo albums (notably with Pierre Favre and Joey Baron). A central figure in the feminist music movement in Europe ("Feminist Improvising Group", "Les Diaboliques"), she is co-founder of the Taktlos festival, the "Werkstatt für Improvisierte Musik Zürich" (WIM), and the Intakt jazz label.
13 other prizes
The following 13 musicians and ensemble receive the Swiss Music Prize: Noldi Alder (Urnäsch, AR), Dieter Ammann (Zofingen, AG), Basil Anliker aka Baze (Bern), Pierre Audétat (Lausanne), Laure Betris aka Kassette (Fribourg), Sylvie Courvoisier (New York), Jacques Demierre (Geneva), Ganesh Geymeier (Moudon, VD), Marcello Giuliani (Paris and Lausanne), Thomas Kessler (Allschwil, BL), Mondrian Ensemble (Basel), Luca Pianca (Lugano), Linéa Racine alias Evelinn Trouble (London and Zurich), Willi Valotti (Nesslau, SG). From jazz to contemporary music, hip-hop, classical and improvised music, rock, sampling, folk and baroque music, the prizewinners testify to the diversity and excellence of the Swiss music scene.
Procedure for selecting the winners
The Swiss Music Prize rewards and highlights outstanding and innovative Swiss musical creation. Each year, the Federal Office of Culture commissions a dozen music experts to nominate candidates from all regions of the country and from all musical fields. This selection is then submitted to the Federal Music Jury. In February 2018, the seven-member jury named the winner of the Swiss Grand Prix of Music and the 14 Swiss Music Prize winners. The Swiss Music Grand Prix is endowed with 100,000 francs, and the Swiss Music Prizes with 25,000 francs each.
Awards ceremony
The award ceremony will take place on September 13 at the Salle Paderewski in Lausanne, in the presence of Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis. SSR, partner of the Swiss Music Prize, will broadcast the ceremony live on the websites of all national channels. Some of the prize-winners will also be on the program of the Label Suisse festival in Lausanne, which from September 14 to 16 will present some 100 musicians from all over Switzerland on eight stages.
