Bayerische Motoren Werke : BMW Welt Jazz Award 2019 kicks off.

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'.

For further questions please contact:

Prof Dr Thomas Girst
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Head of Cultural Engagement
Telephone: [phone]
[e-mail]

Doris Fleischer
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Cultural Engagement
Telephone: [phone]
[e-mail]

Cypselus von Frankenberg
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
BMW Brand, Marketing, Lifestyle
Telephone: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]

www.press.bmwgroup.com

E-Mail: [e-mail]

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.

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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.

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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 2017 was € 10.655 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.678 billion. As of 31 December 2017, the BMW Group had a workforce of 129,932 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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