Le bassiste français Renaud Garcia-Fons remporte le BMW Welt Jazz Award 2017. Le BMW Welt Jazz Award célèbre ses 10 ans sur le thème du "Jazz Moves".

Munich. Le gagnant du BMW Welt Jazz Award 2017 a été choisi : le bassiste français Renaud Garcia-Fons et son trio ont convaincu le jury avec leur programme « Revoir Paris » face à la bassiste allemande Eva Kruse accompagnée de son quintet. Le prix a été remis par Nicolas Peter, Membre du Directoire de BMW Group, et par Hans-Georg-Küppers, Directeur du Département Arts et Culture de la ville de Munich.

“Amazing bass” was this year’s theme, pushing an instrument from the background to the front, making the big star in all of the six cost-free matinees and the finale at the sold-out auditorium of BMW Welt was just as thrilled. 

Renaud Garcia-Fons was supported by drummer Stephan Carracci and David Venitucci playing the accordion, while Garcia-Fons was playing the usual darker tones of the bass almost violin-like, as heard in his programme “Revoir Paris”. 

The expert jury stated: “Outstanding technique is not always the most important aspect – in classical music as well as in jazz. Eva Kruse and her companions demonstrated with ‘On the Mo’ that creativity with compositions and sensitive power are necessary to enchant an audience. It is a cast of fortune, if unique virtuosity at the contrabass serves a musical portrait engaging all senses. Just like Renaud Garcia-Fons’ thrilling homage to his home Paris. At times, it is lyrical delicate, at times with breath-taking force, leading through musical epochs, typical styles and emotional states of the French Capital – and last but not least with a bow play that couldn’t be better executed by classical musicians. That’s the reason the jury has chosen Renaud Garcia-Fons and his trio to be the winner of the BMW Welt Jazz Award 2017.” 

Renaud Garcia-Fons received 10,000 EUR prize money and a trophy designed by BMW Design. The runner-up, Eva Kruse and her quintet, were awarded with 5,000 EUR. 

Garcia-Fons won this year’s audience award as well, earning his trio an exclusive stay at resort Schloss Elmau and an appearance at the resort’s annual JazzClassica Festival in July 2017. 

“Since 2009, 54 jazz ensembles from 17 countries have performed at BMW Welt Jazz Award. In 2018, we want to celebrate the tenth anniversary of BMW Welt Jazz Award with even more international guests and our loyal fans. I very happily congratulate Renaud Garcia-Fons for winning and also want to deeply thank our long-term partners”, said Dr Nicolas Peter. During the finale, Dr Nicolas Peter also announced next year’s theme: 2018’s leitmotif will be “Jazz moves”: BMW Welt is calling to dance! 

“The BMW Group created with the BMW Welt Jazz Award a success story with international impact, but it’s also a huge gain for our city. Not only the six matinees, but also this incredible finale were very unique musical experiences, which will be remembered by the enchanted audience for a long time”, said the head of the Department of Arts and Culture of the state capital Munich, Dr Hans-Georg Küppers. 

The BMW Welt Jazz Award celebrated its ninth edition in 2017. From January to March, six renowned international ensembles excited and delighted a full house during the Sunday matinees at the Double Cone of the BMW Welt. In addition to the two finalists, the other participating ensembles were: Chris Minh Doky & New Nordic Jazz (Denmark), Henning Sieverts´ Symmethree (Germany), Lars Danielsson plays Liberetto feat. Grégory Privat (Sweden/France), Linda May Han Oh: Sun Pictures (USA). 

The distinguished panel of jurors included renowned jazz experts and specialists of the jazz scene, who chose the winner of BMW Welt Jazz Award 2017. Chaired by Oliver Hochkeppel (journalist for music and cultural affairs at the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung), the jury included the following members: Roland Spiegel (editor at the music desk and jazz expert at German broadcasting station Bayerischer Rundfunk BR‑KLASSIK), Andreas Kolb (editor-in-chief of the magazines JazzZeitung.de and neue musikzeitung), Heike Lies (musicologist, Music and Music Theatre Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the state capital Munich) and Christiane Böhnke-Geisse (Artistic Director of the international jazz festival “Bingen swingt”). 

The 2017 edition of the BMW Welt Jazz Award once again enjoyed the generous support of its partners BR-KLASSIK, nmz, nmz-online and JazzZeitung.de, as well as resort Schloss Elmau and the Department of Cultural Affairs of the city of Munich. 

For further questions please contact:

Dr Thomas Girst

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Head of Cultural Engagement

Telephone: +49-89-382-24753

Leonie Laskowski

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Cultural Engagement

Telephone: +49-89-382-45382

Bernhard Ederer

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Spokesperson BMW Welt

Telephone: +49-89-382-28556

www.press.bmwgroup.com

Email: presse@bmw.de

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