BMW Welt Jazz Award 2015 following the motto “Playing my Guitar”. The ensembles “Manu Codjia Trio” and “Carl Mörner Ringström Majestic Orchestra” to be presented on March 8 and 15, 2015, at BMW Welt.

Munich. On March 8 and 15, 2015, the BMW Welt Jazz Award will present its final two free Sunday matinees as part of a series of six concerts held at the double-coned structure of BMW Welt. With French trio “Manu Codjia Trio” and Swedish ensemble “Carl Mörner Ringström Majestic Orchestra” the top-class representatives of the European jazz scene will display their virtuous mastery of the entire range of the jazz guitar. Following the final matinee, a panel of expert jurors will nominate two of the six competing ensembles to perform at the grand finale on April 18, 2015, presented at the auditorium of BMW Welt. 

On March 8, 2015, the “Manu Codjia Trio” will put their abilities to the test. The trio’s founder, Emmanuel Codjia, began his career as a musician at age 14. After having acquired the basics of classical guitar in his hometown of Chaumont, this French-Ivorian musician increasingly turned to jazz during his studies at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique in Paris. In the following years, he was awarded numerous prizes including best solo artist at the Concours national de jazz and he became a member of the Orchestre National de Jazz under the direction of Paolo Damiani. Since 2007, he has recorded four albums, of which “Covers” displays the most jazzy rock elements. At this year’s BMW Welt Jazz Award in Munich, he will be accompanied by the very artists he recorded this album with, namely bassist Jérôme Regard and drummer Philippe Garcia. 

On March 15, 2015, the “Carl Mörner Ringström Majestic Orchestra” will compete for a spot in the grand finale during the last matinee. Carl Mörner Ringström began his musical career playing hard rock. Via his studies in Helsingborg, Sweden, as well as at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, Denmark, this guitarist and passionate Eddie van Halen fan eventually found his way to jazz. A technical virtuoso of the likes of Alan Holdsworth or Kurt Rosenwinkel, he won first prize at the Swedish Youth Jazz Festival in 2004. Today, he lives in Denmark and he has travelled repeatedly to the US to explore various styles from the folkloristic sounds of the Balkan, hip hop, fusion and heavy metal to orchestral improvisations. Together with keyboardist William Larsson, bassist Paul Hinz and drummer Daniel Johansson, Carl Mörner Ringström will present this mix to the knowledgeable audience and the panel of expert jurors. 

Programme of the BMW Welt Jazz Award 2015  

Matinees: 11 am to c.1:30 pm at the double-coned structure of BMW Welt:

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 Orchestra 

Admission is free of charge but seating is limited. Tickets are subject to availability. Doors open at 10.30 am. 

Grand finale in the auditorium of BMW Welt at 7 pm

April 18, 2015               final concert by the two nominated finalists 

Tickets for the grand finale on April 18, 2015, are available at BMW Welt and München Ticket. 

As in previous years, the programme will be hosted by Beate Sampson, editor at the jazz desk at the German broadcasting station “BR-KLASSIK”. 

Jury

The distinguished panel of expert jurors will be headed by Oliver Hochkeppel (journalist for music and cultural affairs at the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung) will include 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” 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 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 Bavarian state capital Munich. 

Photographic material is available at BMW PressClub (www.press.bmwgroup.com)

and via LoeschHundLiepold Kommunikation GmbH

on behalf of the department for public relations of BMW Welt.

Telephone: +49-89-720187-10

Email: bmw-welt@lhlk.de 

For further questions please contact:  

Dr. Thomas Girst

BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs

Head of Cultural Engagement

Telephone: +49-89-382-24753

Leonie Laskowski

BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs

Cultural Engagement

Telephone: +49-89-382-45382

Daria Gotto-Nikitina

BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs

Spokesperson Marketing and BMW Welt and FIZ Future

Telephone: +49-89-382-60340

Internet: www.press.bmwgroup.com, Email: presse@bmw.de

www.press.bmwgroup.com

Mail: presse@bmw.de

About BMW’s Cultural Commitment
For more than 40 years now, the BMW Group has initiated and engaged in over 100 cultural cooperations worldwide. The company places the main focus of its long-term commitment on modern and contemporary art, jazz and classical music as well as architecture and design. In 1972, three large-scale paintings were created by the artist Gerhard Richter specifically for the foyer of the BMW Group's Munich headquarters. Since then, artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Olafur Eliasson, Jeff Koons, Zubin Metha, Daniel Barenboim and Anna Netrebko have co-operated with BMW. The company has also commissioned famous architects such as Karl Schwanzer, Zaha Hadid and Coop Himmelb(l)au to design important corporate buildings and plants. In 2011, the BMW Guggenheim Lab, a global initiative of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, the Guggenheim Museum and the BMW Group celebrated its world premiere in New York. The BMW Group takes absolute creative freedom in all the cultural activities it is involved in for granted – as this is just as essential for groundbreaking artistic work as it is for major innovations in a successful business. 

Further information: www.bmwgroup.com/culture and www.bmwgroup.com/culture/overview  

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With more than 3 million visitors in 2014, BMW Welt in Munich is Bavaria's most visited attraction and has become a real magnet for visitors since its opening in 2007. With its pioneering architecture, BMW Welt is the heart of all the brands in the BMW Group – BMW, the sub-brands BMW M and BMW i, MINI, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and BMW Motorrad, which are impressively presented in their own worlds of experience. But it is not only the exhibitions and the collection of new vehicles that are highlights for car lovers from all over the world. Visitors can enjoy a year-round programme of varied events covering culture, art and entertainment along with culinary delights in several restaurants. Whether it's a jazz concert, clubbing event, a film première, gala event or panel discussion – BMW Welt is the perfect platform for innovative events. In the BMW Welt Junior Campus, children and youngsters can enjoy exciting guided tours and workshops on the themes of mobility and sustainability. 

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