Munich. January 18 and 25, 2015, will mark the beginning of the seventh season of the BMW Welt Jazz Award. Following the motto “Playing my Guitar”, six international jazz ensembles will be presented free of charge during a total of six Sunday matinees. The programme includes live performances of musicians from countries such as Israel, Austria, the US, Switzerland, Italy, France and Denmark. Following the matinees, a panel of expert jurors will nominate two finalists, who will vie for the award on April 18, 2015 in the auditorium.
The series of matinees will start on January 18, 2015, featuring the Israeli ensemble Michel Sajrawy Trio. Born in Nazareth in 1970, Palestinian Michel Sajrawy skilfully combines various forms of jazz ranging from Bebop to European Avantgarde with Arab sounds, creating unparalleled new harmonies.
His latest album, “Arabop”, is a testament to his inimitable mix of styles. Accompanied by keyboardist Loai Abu Sinni and drummer Stas Zilbermann, the trio of Michel Sajrawy, who studied at the London College of Music and Media, is complete. Sajrawy lives in Israel and is inspired by the contrasts found in his home country. The accomplished musician and composer has been awarded the Wilfried Joseph Prize and is, last but not least, a world‑renowned producer.
During the second matinee on January 25, 2015, BMW Welt Jazz Award will present the Fabulous Austrian Trio (FAT). Together with bassist Raphael Preuschl and drummer Herbert Pirker guitarist Alex Machacek has been cultivating his Austrian heritage, even though he relocated to the US in 2004. Originally from Vienna, 42 year old Machacek began playing classical guitar at age eight before venturing into the world of rock and then jazz. At the age of 16, he began studying jazz guitar at the conservatory of Vienna and continued his studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. In addition to John Scofield and Allan Holdsworth, Machacek cites Frank Zappa as his most important source of inspiration. To this day, he works in close collaboration with Zappa’s drummer Terry Bozzio.
BMW Welt Jazz Award 2015 concert calendar
Matinee competition rounds 11 am to about 1:30 pm at the BMW Welt Double Cone:
- January 18, 2015 Michel Sajrawy Trio
- January 25, 2015 FAT – Fabulous Austrian Trio
- February 8, 2015 Camila Meza Quartet
- February 22, 2015 Hellmüller Risso Zanoli
- March 8, 2015 Manu Codjia Trio
- March 15, 2015 Carl Mörner Ringström Majestic Quartet
Doors open at 10:30 am, admission is free of charge but capacity is limited so seating cannot be guaranteed.
Finale in the BMW Welt Auditorium at 7 pm
April 18, 2015 Final concert by the two nominated finalists
Tickets for the finale on April 18, 2015 will be on sale at BMW Welt and München Ticket starting January 18, 2015.
As in previous years, the event will be hosted by Beate Sampson, jazz editor at radio station BR-KLASSIK.
Jury
- The distinguished panel of experts , chaired by Oliver Hochkeppel (music and culture journalist at Süddeutsche Zeitung) includes:
- Roland Spiegel, music editor specializing in jazz at Bayerischer Rundfunk (Bavarian public radio) BR‑KLASSIK;
- Andreas Kolb, editor-in-chief of JazzZeitung and neue musikzeitung;
- Heike Lies, musicologist, Music and Music Theatre Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the state capital Munich;
- Christiane Böhnke-Geisse, Jazz & Music Consulting and Promotion.
This year`s edition of the BMW Welt Jazz Award will once again enjoy the generous support of BR-KLASSIK, JazzZeitung, Ludwig Beck department store, resort Schloss Elmau and the Department of Cultural Affairs of the city of Munich.
