Swiss Grand Prix for the Swiss
The Swiss Grand Prix Music 2018 goes to Irène Schweizer, one of the most important pianists in contemporary jazz, for her unique work. Thirteen musicians and one ensemble are honored with a Swiss Music Prize.
Born in Schaffhausen in 1941, Irène Schweizer is one of the formative personalities of modern jazz. The pianist and drummer explored the London and Zurich jazz scene in the 1960s. In 1968, she met her long-time companion, the drummer Pierre Favre, in Zurich and together they continued to provide important impulses in the field of free jazz and improvised piano playing. To this day, she is committed to the European women's music movement. She is a co-founder of the Taktlos Festival, the Workshop for Improvised Music Zurich (WIM) and the jazz label Intakt.
The Swiss Music Awards recognize "outstanding and innovative Swiss music" and contribute to its promotion. 13 musicians and one ensemble will be honored with a Swiss Music Prize: Noldi Alder (Urnäsch, AR), Dieter Ammann (Zofingen, AG), Basil Anliker alias Baze (Bern), Pierre Audétat (Lausanne), Laure Betris alias 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 aka Evelinn Trouble (London and Zurich), Willi Valotti (Nesslau, SG). The award ceremony will take place on September 13, 2018 as part of the Label Suisse festival in Lausanne.
