Munich. As the BMW Welt Jazz Awards 2019 enter the final stages, two more ensembles are set to wow audiences with their interpretation of this year’s motto, Saxophone Worlds. The two final matinees in the Double Cone structure of the BMW Welt will be by Maria Faust Machina on 10 March 2019 and the Rudresh Mahanthappa Quintet on 24 March 2019. The expert jury will then name the two finalists entering the play-off on 4 May 2019 in the Auditorium of the BMW Welt.
The Estonian saxophonist and composer Maria Faust is among the jazz discoveries of the last few years. After her classical training at the Music Academy in Tallin, the 39-year-old turned her attention to jazz and continued her musical career in Denmark, melding different musical genres to create entirely new worlds of sound. On 10 March 2019 she will perform with the Maria Faust Machina Ensemble, delivering a fusion of jazz, classical and alternative rock that defies categorisation. The extraordinary lineup will include bandleader Maria Faust on alto saxophone, Ned Ferm on tenor saxophone, Ida Nørholm on cello, Jacob Anderskov on piano, and Nils Bo Davidsen and Adam Pultz Melbye on double bass. Mixing traditional, experimental and natural sounds, their chamber music is characterised by powerful, haunting improvisations and song-like melodies.
An innovative and creative jazz artist of the younger generation, Rudresh Mahanthappa enjoys international acclaim, with numerous awards as a testament to his work. With roots in India, the talented musician discovered his passion for Carnatic music through a friend, the Indian saxophonist Kadri Gopalnath. His playing is characterised by a fusion of rhythmic structures with modern jazz. At the BMW Welt Jazz Awards on 24 March 2019 the Rudresh Mahanthappa Quintet will feature Rez Abbasi on guitar, Bobby Avey on piano, François Moutin on double bass and Rudy Royston on drums. Together, they will revisit the critically acclaimed Bird Calls album, in which Mahanthappa leans toward the music of saxophone legend Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker to deliver a performance that is his very own. His personal, highly virtuoso interpretations of the original compositions present the themes, solos and arrangements of the godfather of modern jazz in a completely new context. Mahanthappa couples powerful, passionate, modern jazz with an inexhaustible joy of playing.
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 the BMW Welt at 7 pm:
4 May 2019 Final concert featuring the two shortlisted finalists
Tickets for the final concert went 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”.
BMW Welt – at the heart of the brand, on the pulse of the city
The BMW Welt welcomes over 3 million visitors per year. 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 as well as a popular event location for over 400 external events per year. The various restaurants of the BMW Welt offer a variety of culinary delights up to star gastronomy. In the BMW Welt Junior Campus, children and youngsters can enjoy exciting guided tours and workshops on the themes of mobility and sustainability.
