Munich. The Polish jazz musician and saxophonist
Maciej Obara and his quartet have delivered the winning performance in
the final round of the BMW Welt Jazz Award 2019. With ‘Saxophone
Worlds’ as the theme, the competition transformed the Auditorium of
the BMW Welt into a jazz experience unlike any other. In a play-off
against the Rudresh Mahanthappa Quintet, the Maciej Obara Quartet was
able to take the top prize, with Dominik Wania on piano, Ole Morten
Vagan on bass and Gard Nilssen on percussion.
The award was presented by Dr Nicolas Peter, Member of the Board
of Management of BMW AG, Finance and City of Munich Cultural Adviser
Dr Hans-Georg Küppers. Created specially by BMW Design, it was
accompanied by prize money for the winner and runner up, with €10,000
awarded to the Maciej Obara Quartet and €5,000 to the Rudresh
Mahanthappa Quintet.
Based on the theme of ‘Saxophone Worlds’, the BMW Welt Jazz
Award 2019 centred on the instrument voted by the Association of
Federal State Music Councils as Instrument of the Year 2019. The many
facets of the woodwind instrument were demonstrated at six free
matinee performances in the spring of this year, inspiring audiences
of jazz lovers at the BMW Welt.
The specialist jury commented: “Rusdresh Mahanthappa’s
consistent and immersive combination of bebop and modern jazz informed
by elements of Indian music and rock has enthralled the jury. At the
same time, they were equally enchanted by the enormous amplitude of
emotion, the dynamics and possibilities of expression, with which
Maciej Obara and his quartet was able to surprise and fascinate its
audience. Just as the lightness of his sound, the power of his
composition and the spontaneity of his delicate lyrics as well as the
unchained power of this outstanding ensemble’s improvisations turned
the quartet into this year’s winner.”
Bandleader Maciej Obara convinced the jury with his lyrical
playing style and outstanding technique. His creative reinterpretation
of the familiar and respected musical instrument enchanted not only
the audience but also the jury.
A further factor in determining the winner was the audience
votes from the matinee performances. The Céline Bonacina Crystal
Quartet can now look forward to an exclusive stay and performance at
the Bavarian castle Schloss Elmau.
Dr Nicolas Peter, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG,
Finance, praised the skill of the two ensembles that had made it
through to the final round: “Both of them delivered emotional and
passionate interpretations of the theme ‘Saxophone Worlds’. I would
like to congratulate the Maciej Obara Quartet on winning the award.
The language of jazz transcends cultures and unites people across the
continents. Its power was very apparent today, palpable for us here in
the Auditorium of the BMW Welt. This year the BMW Welt Jazz Award was
a fitting celebration of the most significant instrument in jazz
music. I look forward to the years ahead as well: in 2020 the theme of
the awards will be ‘The Melody at Night’. For the first time, the
competition will comprise a series of evening concerts. I would like
to thank our long-standing partners for their support, especially the
City of Munich.”
Cultural Adviser Dr Hans-Georg Küppers also expressed his
delight: “This finale with two outstanding ensembles was another
special highlight for the Munich music scene. I would like to thank
BMW for their tremendous, long-standing commitment to culture and, in
particular, for this successful series of events. It demonstrates to
so many people the multifaceted nature of this cosmopolitan music
style and is the envy of so many other cities.”
During the course of the competition, from January to March,
Sunday matinee performances were given by six renowned ensembles from
around the world. Besides the two finalists, the musicians playing in
the ‘double cone’ structure of BMW Welt were: the Céline Bonacina
Crystal Quartet (France), the Geraldine Laurent Quartet
(France), Matthieu Bordenave Archipel (France) and Maria Faust Machina (Estonia).
The winner of the BMW Welt Jazz Award 2019 was selected by a
top-class jury of reputable jazz experts and connoisseurs. Chaired by
Oliver Hochkeppel (music and culture correspondent with Süddeutsche
Zeitung), the panel members were: Roland Spiegel (music editor and
jazz specialist with the Bavarian broadcaster BR-KLASSIK), Andreas
Kolb (editor-in-chief of JazzZeitung.de and new – neue musikzeitung),
Heike Lies (musicologist with the Music and Musical Theatre Division
of the City of Munich’s Department of Culture), and Christiane
Böhnke-Geisse (artistic director of the international jazz festival
Bingen swingt).
This year the BMW Welt Jazz Awards once again benefited from the
kind support of BR-KLASSIK, nmz, Schloss Elmau and the City of Munich
Culture Department.
For further questions please contact:
Prof Dr
Thomas Girst
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental
Affairs
Head of Cultural Engagement
Telephone:
+49-89-382-24753
Thomas.Girst@bmwgroup.com
Doris Fleischer
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental
Affairs
Cultural Engagement
Telephone:
+49-89-382-27806
Doris.Fleischer@bmw.de
Cypselus von Frankenberg
BMW Group Corporate and
Governmental Affairs
BMW Brand, Marketing, Lifestyle
Telephone:
+49-89-382-30641
Cypselus.von-Frankenberg@bmw.de
www.press.bmwgroup.com
E-Mail:
presse@bmw.de
About BMW Group Cultural Engagement
For almost
50 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 contemporary and modern art, classical
music and jazz 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, Jeff Koons, Daniel Barenboim,
Jonas Kaufmann and architect Zaha Hadid have co-operated with BMW. In
2016 and 2017, female artist Cao Fei from China and American John
Baldessari created the next two vehicles for the BMW Art Car
Collection. Besides co-initiatives, such as BMW Tate Live, the BMW Art
Journey and the “Opera for All” concerts in Berlin, Munich, Moscow and
London, the company also partners with
leading museums and art fairs as well as orchestras and opera houses
around the world. The BMW Group takes absolute creative freedom in all
its cultural activities – as this initiative is as essential for
producing 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
Facebook:
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https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroupculture/
@BMWGroupCulture
#BMWGroupCulture
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.
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI,
Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading
premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides
premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production
network comprises 30 production and assembly facilities in 14
countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2018, the BMW Group sold over 2,490,000 passenger vehicles and
more than 165,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the
financial year 2018 was € 9.815 billion on revenues amounting to
€ 97.480 billion. As of 31 December 2018, the BMW Group had a
workforce of 134,682 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
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