Central Switzerland Culture Prize for Hans Hassler
The Central Switzerland Cultural Foundation is honoring accordion virtuoso Hans Hassler with the 2018 Central Switzerland Culture Prize, endowed with 25,000 Swiss francs, in recognition of a musician whose creative work spans all genres.
Hans Hassler, who now lives in Hagendorn in the canton of Zug, was born in Chur in 1945 and grew up in a family of traditional folk musicians. He began his own musical career with his two brothers, with whom he toured the Ländler scene as the "Hassler Buebe". Hassler, who can play several instruments, quickly recognized his interest in other musical styles. He is regarded as a virtuoso crossover artist who boldly ventured into the realms of classical music and jazz.
Together with the musicians Hans Kennel, Roland Dahinden and Thomas Eckert, Hassler played in the Swiss jazz group "Habarigani", among others. With their first CD, the formation made a name for itself with jazz audiences. His encounter with the Danish accordion pioneer Mogens Ellegaard in the early 1980s also shaped Hassler's musical outlook. Not only did he find his way to improvised and composed serious music, he also discovered new expressive possibilities for his work.
As a renowned musician who is known beyond the country's borders, Hassler not only inspires with his grandiose, playful musicality and an almost unheard-of broad spectrum, he also takes the listener on a journey into his own universe and opens up completely new soundscapes, according to the Cultural Foundation's press release.
