Winterthur promotes Marena Whitcher
The 2016 sponsorship prize of the city of Winterthur, endowed with CHF 10,000, goes to the musician Marena Whitcher. The city's Culture Prize, also worth CHF 10,000, goes to Ursula Bienz, director of the Marionette Theater im Waaghaus and the Winterthur Marionettes ensemble.
Born in 1990, Marena Whitcher completed her bachelor's degree in music (jazz profile) at the Zurich University of the Arts from 2010 to 2013, graduating with distinction. From 2014 to 2016, she studied for a Master's degree in Performance & Composition at the Bern University of the Arts.
In addition to various engagements as a guest singer, for example with the well-known Swiss electro-swing band "Klischée", Marena Whitcher launched several musical projects of her own in 2011. She appears as a composer, performer and singer and plays guitar, keyboard, percussion and glass harp. With the bands "Eclecta Forever" and "Marena Whitcher's Shady Midnight Orchestra", among others, the versatile artist has shown a "great love of experimentation, expressiveness and originality", according to a statement from the city of Winterthur.
The City of Winterthur's sponsorship award is publicly advertised every year. Winterthur artists from all cultural disciplines up to the age of 35 can apply. 25 artists from various cultural fields applied for the 2016 sponsorship award. The award ceremony will take place together with the presentation of the Culture Prize on January 24, 2017 in the Salzhaus.
