"The music industry is notoriously tough and many young artists who come to the Festival are still learning so much about agents, managers, video marketing, communication..."
The Festival is both a world-class venue for musical giants and a springboard for new talent. The Montreux Jazz Artists Foundation focuses on supporting this new talent. Tell us more about this.
We set up the Foundation some 15 years ago at the time that the music industry was undergoing rapid change. Back then we used to hold young artist competitions and I remember one year we had a 16-year old Cuban pianist who took the competition by storm. Across the industry, the prize at these competitions was and usually is money. After the competition the Cuban pianist returned to his homeland and I felt that there was so much more we could have done to support that artist. The music industry is notoriously tough and many young artists who come to the Festival are still learning so much about agents, managers, video marketing, communications - just receiving a prize isn't enough, we need to educate artists how to enter the music business.
The Foundation was therefore set up to provide the right tools and support to young artists as they begin their careers. We are fortunate to see so many talented artists come to the Montreux Jazz Festival at the start of their careers such as Adele or Ed Sheeran who both performed at the festival when they were only 20 years old.
With these digital assets we can then give young artists international exposure through the Montreux Jazz Café network...
By focusing on nurturing young artists and helping them grow, the Festival has become a magnate for listeners to find new talent. With millions of artists listed on streaming platforms, our audiences increasingly asked us to suggest new artists so the Foundation now curates new artists for new audiences. We also support these artists to create those all-important music videos and digital content which they need to promote their brand in an online world.
With these digital assets we can then give young artists international exposure through the Montreux Jazz Café network, venues which as our founder Claude Nobs intended, bring our passion for music and hospitality together. Showcasing new artists alongside our UNESCO protected audio-visual archive of music across the Cafes, is another way we look to help young artists along their way.
"By focusing on nurturing young artists and helping them grow, the Festival has become a magnate for listeners to find new talent."
Finally, with a world of musicians to work with, are there any artists you would like to see at the Festival in the future who have not previously performed?
I have so many dreams in this field, partly because I find the legacy of Jazz in so many musical genres today, be it electronic, soul, hard rock or hip-hop. Something I aim for in all our performances here at the Festival is simplicity - so that the music can speak for itself. Big stadiums can be impressive but seeing a big artist such as the Chemical Brothers or Run-D.M.C in a pared back intimate setting leaves our audiences with unforgettable memories. I'd love to see U2 play acoustic at the Festival or for Metallica to play a simple set by the Lake or the likes of Radiohead or Red Hot Chilli Peppers to return for a back-to-basics session at the Auditorium Stravinski.
Ultimately, I am moved by situations when the authenticity of our musicians come to life and the artists are there just with their voices, their instruments and nothing more. These are the magic moments which have audiences returning to the Festival year after year.