“Saxophone Worlds” interpreted by Maciej Obara Quartet and Céline Bonacina Crystal Quartet.
Munich. The BMW Welt Jazz Award 2019 was celebrated with a successful concert of the BMW Welt Young Artist Award Winner 2017 Roman Sladek and his Jazzrausch Bigband. Following this year’s theme “Saxophone Worlds”, the audience is once again invited to six matinees free of cost at the BMW Welt double-cone until the mid of March. With its two first guests, the Maciej Obara Quartet on 27 January and the Céline Bonacina Crystal Quartet on 3 February, the BMW Welt Jazz Award kicks off its eleventh season. The BMW Welt Jazz Award jury will pick two ensembles after the last matinee, which will face each other in the finale at the beginning of May, while the audience is free to decide their winner.
The eleventh edition of the BMW Welt Jazz Award started off with an opening concert for the first time yesterday. The diverting evening was hosted by Beate Sampson and Roman Sladek, winner of the BMW Welt Young Artist Jazz Award 2017. Together with the Jazzrausch Bigband, Sladek excited the audience with his new program “Dancing Wittgenstein” and ensured a successful evening with the powerful blend of big band jazz and electronic club music.
This year’s BMW Welt Jazz Award starts in the end of January. During six free Sunday matinees, distinguished jazz musicians compete with each other. Starting on 27 January, the Maciej Obara Quartet is the first to start. The Polish alto and tenor saxophonist Maciej Obara is one of Europe’s most significant jazz musicians. With his sixth album “Unloved”, Obara celebrated his bandleader debut in 2017. His lyrical, colourful sound and breath-taking technique will be accompanied by fellow countryman Dominik Wania on the piano and two Norwegian musicians, bassist Ole Morten Vagan and drummer Gard Nilssen, together forming the Maciej Obara Quartet.
Following her classical saxophone training, Céline Bonacina quickly identified the baritone sax as her instrument of choice and went on to play with various Parisian big bands from 1996. In 1998, she moved to the island of La Réunion, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean. The local music traditions of that island continue to influence her music to this day, especially with regards to rhythm. At the BMW Welt, she will present her current Céline Bonacina Crystal Quartet with pianist Leonardo Montana, bassist Chris Jennings and drummer Asaf Sirkis on 3 February.
BMW Welt Jazz Award 2019
Matinees from 11 am to 1.30 pm in the double-cone of the BMW Welt:
27 January 2019 Maciej Obara Quartet
3 February 2019 Céline Bonacina Crystal Quartet
17 February 2019 Géraldine Laurent Quartet
24 February 2019 Matthieu Bordenave Archipel
10 March 2019 Maria Faust Machina
24 March 2019 Rudresh Mahanthappa Quintet
The matinees are offered free of charge; however, seating is limited and cannot be guaranteed. Doors open at 10.30 am.
Final concert at the auditorium of BMW Welt at 7 pm:
4 May 2019 Final concert featuring the two shortlisted finalists
Tickets for the final concert will go on sale on 27 January 2019, at the BMW Welt and München Ticket.
As in previous years, the event will be hosted by Beate Sampson, Editor of the jazz desk at German broadcasting station Bayerischer Rundfunk BR-KLASSIK.
Jury
The distinguished panel of expert jurors will be headed by Oliver Hochkeppel (Music and cultural affairs journalist, Süddeutsche Zeitung) and will include the following members:
Roland Spiegel, Editor and jazz expert at German broadcasting station Bayerischer Rundfunk BR-KLASSIK
Andreas Kolb, Editor-in-chief of JazzZeitung.de 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, Artistic Director of the international jazz festival “Bingen swingt”.
