Double award for the Rafale trio from Zurich

The Migros Culture Percentage has been helping young Swiss chamber music ensembles to launch their careers since 1974. This year, the final was held in public for the second time. Three chamber music ensembles qualified for the final on March 7, 2013 in the Tonhalle Zurich through an audition on February 19, 2013: the Belenus Quartet (string quartet) from Zurich, the Daimones Piano Trio (piano trio) from Basel and the Trio Rafale (piano trio) from Zurich. The three ensembles each demonstrated their skills with a half-hour performance at the highest level. A high-caliber international jury selected Trio Rafale as the 2013 prize-winning ensemble, which also received the Audience Award.

The Trio Rafaleconsisting of Maki Wiederkehr (piano) and Flurin Cuonz (violoncello) - both Migros Culture Percentage Study Award winners in 2009 and 2010 - and Daniel Meller (violin), impressed the jury and the audience alike with their performance of Ravel's Trio in A minor. The Migros Culture Percentage Ensemble 2013 will receive prize money of CHF 10,000 as well as comprehensive support that will allow the ensemble to gain concert experience and achieve national renown. All three finalist ensembles will be included in the Migros Culture Percentage concert agency, which makes a financial contribution to the ensembles' commitment. In this way, concert organizers are able to offer high-quality concerts with Swiss musical talent at good conditions.

The jury for the final on March 7, 2013 consisted of:

• Reinhold Friedrich, trumpet, international concert activity as a soloist and chamber musician
• Ulrich Koella, Professor of Piano Chamber Music at the Zurich University of the Arts, international concert activity as a chamber musician and accompanist
• Patricia Kopatchinskaja, violin, international concert activity as a soloist and chamber musician
• Patrick Peikert, director of Claves Records and the Concours Clara Haskil, founder of the concert agency Applausus
• Christian Poltéra, violoncello, international concert activity as a soloist and chamber musician

The Migros Culture Percentage has been supporting young Swiss artists since 1969 through national talent competitions and study and sponsorship awards. The study prizes enable young talents to finance their education in Switzerland and abroad. The study prizes are endowed with CHF 14,400 each. Exceptionally talented study prize winners receive sponsorship awards. These include long-term, individual support measures such as performance opportunities, coaching and promotion. The competitions take place annually in the following categories: Movement theater, singing, instrumental music, chamber music (biennial), acting and dance.

To date, around 2,800 promising talents have been supported with a total of CHF 37 million and accompanied on their path from education to a career with comprehensive support measures. On its online talent platform, Migros Culture Percentage presents outstanding talents with their biographies as well as visual and audio examples. Cultural event organizers, creative artists and artists' agencies can thus discover up-and-coming talent in a simple and uncomplicated way.

Talent competitions: www.migros-kulturprozent.ch/talentwettbewerbe
Online talent platform: www.migros-kulturprozent.ch/talente