BMW Welt Jazz Award Final 2022. Anat Fort Trio and Marco Mezquida Trio selected as finalists.

Munich. After six unique soirees, the BMW Welt Jazz Award 2022 enters its final round on July 9 where the Anat Fort Trio and the Marco Mezquida Trio will perform their interpretation of this year’s theme “Key Position” at the auditorium of the BMW Welt. The winning ensemble, chosen by the renowned jury, will receive the award created by BMW Design as well as a prize money of 10,000 Euro. The runner up will be awarded 5,000 Euro.

Jazz fans have been experiencing the musical skills of this year’s performers in six free soirees between March and April in the Double Cone of BMW Welt. In addition to the first and second place winners, the winning ensemble of the audience award will also be announced during the finale and awarded 1,000 Euro.

The finalists

Anat Fort Trio
Pianist Anat Fort ranks among the Israeli artists raised in New York that continue to put their mark on contemporary jazz. Fort has since returned to Israel, a move that in no way slowed down her international career. Since 2007, she has been publishing her albums at Munich-based label ECM with her most recent album “Birdwatching” featuring Italian clarinetist Gianluigi Trovesi as star guest. As so many of her great jazz pianist colleagues, Fort prefers performing as part of a trio working together with bassist Gary Wand and drummer Roland Schneider. Various experiments including her most recent collaboration with tango guitarist and vocalist Shlomo Ydov notwithstanding, the trio has been her ensemble of choice for over 20 years and a constant throughout her artistic career. The resulting trust allows for unparalleled freedom of improvisation, as seen on their most recent album “Colour”, released by Sunnyside Records, and soon to be heard at BMW Welt.

Marco Mezquida Trio
Pianist Marco Mezquida is one of the most versatile and most productive representatives of the Spanish jazz world. Known from a very young age as a “prodigy”, “workaholic at the piano” and “once-in-a-century musician” in his native country, this Menorca-born artist has, at the tender age of 34, recorded over 30 albums to date. He performs solo improvisation and delivers programmes with duos, trios or orchestras. With his inspiration coming from sources as far-ranging as Ravel, Skrjabin, Bach and traditional American jazz, Mezquida’s work is best described as a pioneering, modern interpretation of Spanish folklore. This can also be seen in his work with Flamenco guitarist Chicuelo, a project that was very successful both in Germany and on the international stage, or his most recent work “Talismán”, which he recorded with cellist Martín Meléndez and drummer and percussionist Aleix Tobias.

The jury
The jury, headed by Oliver Hochkeppel (journalist for music and cultural affairs, Süddeutsche Zeitung), consists of Heike Lies (Musicologist, Music and Music Theatre Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the state capital Munich ), Christiane Böhnke-Geisse (Director of schwere reiter Musik), Roland Spiegel (Editor and jazz expert at German broadcasting station Bayerischer Rundfunk BR‑KLASSIK) and Andreas Kolb (Editor-in-chief of JazzZeitung.de and nmz – neue musikzeitung). 

The finale
Like the soirees on Tuesdays, the final concert will again be hosted by Hannah Weiss, winner of the BMW Welt Young Artist Jazz Award 2019. The award, created specially by BMW Design, will be handed over by Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Director of Human Resources and Labour Relations. Anton Biebl, Head of the Department of Cultural Affairs, will be representing the City of Munich.

The concert featuring the two shortlisted finalists will take place at the auditorium of BMW Welt on July 9, 2022 at 7.00 pm. Tickets are available at München Ticket.

This year’s BMW Welt Jazz Award is presented with the support of nmz – neue musikzeitung and the City of Munich’s Department of Culture.