Bayerische Motoren Werke : The BMW Welt Jazz Award 2015 under the motto “Playing my Guitar”. On January 18 and 25, 2015, the seventh edition will feature trios from Israel and Austria.

Munich. January 18 and 25, 2015, will mark the beginning of the seventh season of the BMW Welt Jazz Award. Following the motto "Playing my Guitar", six international jazz ensembles will be presented free of charge during a total of six Sunday matinees. The programme includes live performances of musicians from countries such as Israel, Austria, the US, Switzerland, Italy, France and Denmark. Following the matinees, a panel of expert jurors will nominate two finalists, who will vie for the award on April 18, 2015 in the auditorium. 

The series of matinees will start on January 18, 2015, featuring the Israeli ensemble Michel Sajrawy Trio. Born in Nazareth in 1970, Palestinian Michel Sajrawy skilfully combines various forms of jazz ranging from Bebop to European Avantgarde with Arab sounds, creating unparalleled new harmonies. His latest album, "Arabop", is a testament to his inimitable mix of styles. Accompanied by keyboardist Loai Abu Sinni and drummer Stas Zilbermann, the trio of Michel Sajrawy, who studied at the London College of Music and Media, is complete. Sajrawy lives in Israel and is inspired by the contrasts found in his home country. The accomplished musician and composer has been awarded the Wilfried Joseph Prize and is, last but not least, a world‑renowned producer. 

During the second matinee on January 25, 2015, BMW Welt Jazz Award will present the Fabulous Austrian Trio (FAT). Together with bassist Raphael Preuschl and drummer Herbert Pirker guitarist Alex Machacek has been cultivating his Austrian heritage, even though he relocated to the US in 2004. Originally from Vienna, 42 year old Machacek began playing classical guitar at age eight before venturing into the world of rock and then jazz. At the age of 16, he began studying jazz guitar at the conservatory of Vienna and continued his studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. In addition to John Scofield and Allan Holdsworth, Machacek cites Frank Zappa as his most important source of inspiration. To this day, he works in close collaboration with Zappa's drummer Terry Bozzio. 

BMW Welt Jazz Award 2015 concert calendar

Matinee competition rounds 11 am to about 1:30 pm at the BMW Welt Double Cone:

January 18, 2015         Michel Sajrawy Trio

January 25, 2015         FAT - Fabulous Austrian Trio

February 8, 2015         Camila Meza Quartet

February 22, 2015       Hellmüller Risso Zanoli

March 8, 2015             Manu Codjia Trio

March 15, 2015           Carl Mörner Ringström Majestic Quartet 

Doors open at 10:30 am, admission is free of charge but capacity is limited so seating cannot be guaranteed. 

Finale in the BMW Welt Auditorium at 7 pm

April 18, 2015            Final concert by the two nominated finalists 

Tickets for the finale on April 18, 2015 will be on sale at BMW Welt and München Ticket starting January 18, 2015. 

As in previous years, the event will be hosted by Beate Sampson, jazz editor at radio station BR-KLASSIK. 

Jury

The distinguished panel of experts , chaired by Oliver Hochkeppel (music and culture journalist at Süddeutsche Zeitung) includes:

Roland Spiegel, music editor specializing in jazz at Bayerischer Rundfunk (Bavarian public radio) BR‑KLASSIK;

Andreas Kolb, editor-in-chief of JazzZeitung 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, Jazz & Music Consulting and Promotion. 

This year`s edition of the BMW Welt Jazz Award will once again enjoy 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 (www.press.bmwgroup.com)

and via LoeschHundLiepold Kommunikation GmbH

on behalf of the department for public relations of BMW Welt.

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For further questions please contact: 

Dr. Thomas Girst

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Head of Cultural Engagement

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Leonie Laskowski

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Cultural Engagement

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Daria Gotto-Nikitina

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Spokesperson Marketing, BMW Welt and FIZ Future

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Internet: www.press.bmwgroup.com, Mail: [e-mail]

www.press.bmwgroup.com

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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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With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the world's leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. 

In 2013, the BMW Group sold approximately 1.963 million cars and 115,215 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2013 was € 7.91 billion on revenues amounting to approximately € 76.06 billion. As of 31 December 2013, the BMW Group had a workforce of 110,351 employees. 

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