Schwyz honors Nadja Räss and Roland Bucher
The cantonal government of Schwyz honors yodeler, singing teacher and composer Nadja Räss with the 2015 Cantonal Recognition Award. The percussionist and sound artist Roland Bucher was awarded a cultural promotion prize, as was the animated filmmaker Roman Kälin.
With the award of the Schwyz Culture Recognition Prize, endowed with 10,000 Swiss francs, the Culture Commission and Cantonal Council are honoring the Einsiedeln yodeler Nadja Räss, who "has been providing important impulses in Schwyz culture for many years with her artistic work and commitment", according to the canton's press release. She has made a name for herself as a yodeller, singing teacher/yodelling teacher and composer far beyond the canton of Schwyz.
According to the canton of Schwyz, her winning way of combining old and new music has enabled her to inspire traditional yodelling circles as well as new, more urban audiences for the traditional Swiss way of yodelling. She has also been the artistic and operational director of Klangwelt Toggenburg since 2012.
Born and raised in Küssnacht am Rigi in 1977 and now living in Lucerne, musician and sound artist Roland Bucher is a percussion teacher at the Küssnacht Music School. Among other things, he develops instruments in the field of live electronics. With his "Noise Table" he samples acoustic instruments and everyday objects. The resulting sound collages oscillate between the sounds of the acoustic source material and electronically modified "sound clouds". The prize is endowed with 5000 francs.
