Nederlands jazz trio in finale BMW Welt Jazz Award 2014

Munich. The jury of the BMW Welt Jazz Award has decided: the Swiss sextet “Hildegard Lernt Fliegen” and the Dutch trio “Tin Men and the Telephone” will be this year’s finalists of the sixth edition of the BMW Welt Jazz Award. On May 3, 2014, beginning at 7 PM in the auditorium of BMW Welt the two ensembles that convinced the jury with their interpretations of the 2014 motto “Sense of Humour” will be entering a musical competition at the final concert. The winning ensemble will be presented with the prestigious award endowed with the sum of 10 000 Euro; the runner up will receive 5 000 Euro. Additionally, an audience award will be presented. Starting in January, a total of six extraordinary international jazz groups were presented during the free Sunday morning matinees. Long queues forming before the opening of the matinees were proof of not only the quality of the ensembles, but also of the reputation of the BMW Welt Jazz Award, which in this year has entered its sixth season.

Hildegard Lernt Fliegen – Switzerland

A wide range of instruments, expression and styles defines the Swiss sextet surrounding singer Andreas Schaerer. The co-founder of Berner Jazzwerkstatt is a true vocal artist mastering the arts of beat boxing and coloratura as much as any other kind of onomatopoeia. Next to Schaerer, the ensemble consists of a wind section with Andreas Tschopp, Benedikt Reising and Matthias Wenger as well as bassist Marco Müller and drummer Christoph Steiner – together they enchant their audiences with more than their unique Swiss sense of humour. These musicians combine complex improvisations and musical fragments into symphonious compositions for which they have won numerous awards.

Tin Men and the Telephone – Netherlands

This Dutch trio is one of the most unconventional newcomers in the world of jazz. Pianist Tony Roe, bassist Lucas Dols and drummer Bobby Petrov have dubbed themselves a “demolition team masquerading as a jazz piano trio.” From classical music and jazz to hip-hop and Balkan rhythms, from everyday-sounds to animal noises – in a break from tradition, these ensemble’s unique compositions transcend the known boundaries of jazz. Accompanied by projections and multimedia elements, the performance includes its audience in the audio-visual experience to co-create the concert. Which is why audiences are asked to bring their smart phones.

A distinguished jury of jazz experts will chose this year’s winner of the BMW Welt Jazz Award. The panel of judges includes: Oliver Hochkeppel (journalist for music and cultural affairs at the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung); Roland Spiegel (music desk, jazz expert at the German radio 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) and Christiane Böhnke-Geisse (artistic director at jazz club “Unterfahrt”, Munich).

The evening’s programme of this final concert will be hosted by Beate Sampson, jazz expert and editor at the German broadcasting station Bayerischer Rundfunk. The award trophy was designed by BMW Design and will be presented by Dr Ian Robertson, member of the board of BMW AG, and Dr Hans-Georg Küppers, Head of Cultural Affairs of the city of Munich. The audience award donated by the exclusive resort Schloss Elmau will be presented to the ensemble favoured by the audiences over the course of the six matinees. It offers an exclusive stay at Schloss Elmau as well as a concert for select guests of the house.

The final concert will take place on May 3, 2014 at 7 PM in the auditorium of BMW Welt. A limited number of tickets is still available at BMW Welt or at München Ticket (www.muenchenticket.de).

This year’s edition of the BMW Welt Jazz Award has once again enjoyed 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.

Photographic material is available at BMW PressClub,

tag: “Photo”, key word “BMW Welt Jazz Award” (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 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

Daria Gotto-Nikitina

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Spokesperson Marketing and BMW Welt

Telephone: +49-89-382-60340

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

For further information regarding the programme of BMW Welt please contact

Gabriele Weber, Head of Brand Experience at BMW Welt

Telephone: +49-89-382-57521

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 

BMW Welt – at the heart of the brand, on the pulse of the city

With around 2.5 million visitors each year, BMW Welt in Munich is Bavaria's most popular 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, poetry slam, clubbing, improv theatre, family Sundays, a film première, gala event or panel discussion – BMW Welt is the perfect platform for innovative events with a capacity for up to 2,500 guests. 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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