Lucerne guest prize for bluegrass organizers
The Competition Commission of the Canton of Lucerne honors Bruno Steffen for his many years of voluntary work for the Swiss bluegrass scene and in particular for the annual Bluegrass Festival Willisau with a guest prize of 15,000 Swiss francs.
What began in 1997 with a single concert has developed into a real festival since 2000 and has become an integral part of the Swiss scene, according to the jury report. The Bluegrass Festival is a success story that is the result of 19 years of voluntary work by Bruno Steffens.
Year after year, Steffen, supported by his organizing committee of volunteers, manages to launch a festival on the grounds of the Burgrain Museum in Alberswil that has regional, national and even Europe-wide appeal.
The Guest Prize is awarded annually as part of the competition for work grants and honors individuals or groups who have made a special contribution to the cultural life of the Canton of Lucerne. Bruno Steffen received the prize from the Canton of Lucerne's Culture Commissioner Stefan Sägesser at the award ceremony on Friday, November 11, 2016.
In 2016, the canton announced selective production funding for the first time. There were 21 applications in the music category. Contributions were awarded to Studer Fredy ("Solowerk", CHF 30,000) and Blind Butcher, Aregger Christian and Bucher Roland ("ALAWALAWA", CHF 20,000).
