
Aarau Switzerland
Jazzaar Festival .
Festival
Jazzaar Festival is an annual music festival with a heart for cultural exchange and music education. Every April the audience is entertained with world class musical works; classics and premiers in the Afro-American, European and folk traditions as well as fusions into other world genres.
Jazzaar Festival is unique for its authentic productions with professionals of international and national acclaim that allows gifted youth musicians to be incorporated into the productions in a learning on the bandstand setting called ‘Bandstand Learning with Role Models’. The production week culminates into memorable and grand performances that showcase the basic ingredients for cultural sustenance – tradition, interaction, innovation and progress!
Bandstand Learning with Role Models™
The Jazzaar concept ‘Bandstand Learning with Role Models’ creates a vital platform for youth musicians keen on making a career in the music industry. It offers aspiring young musicians the coveted opportunity of participating in real productions with professional musicians. ‘Bandstand Learning with Role Models’ places the emphasis on training on the job with professionals as mentors and colleagues in the process of music making and problem solving on the bandstand.
As a result this unique educational platform has equipped many a young musician since 1992 with competences to produce excellence in the task at hand. Its alumni continue to contribute professionalism into any field they venture. Naturally many have gone to lead a life of music successfully in Switzerland and internationally too.
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Alumni Stories
Success Stories .
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Phil Hilfiker
Phil Hilfiker, a saxophonist / composer & arranger / music educator is another of our alumni that we're most proud of. His talent, wit and hard work did not fail to earn him the well deserved success he enjoys as a musician. Besides that his humility and gratitude is something we also admire about him.
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Mathias Kunzli – Drummer / Percussionist
Drummer/percussionist Mathias Kunzli is one of the Swiss Youth Jazz Orchestra's earlier generations of young musicians that is successful in the international music scene. We're proud to feature him in this segment and wish him continued success that is well deserved.
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Christoph Huber
Christoph Huber is a fairly recent alumnus that has already successfully taken his performances to many stages. For a virtuoso on the tenor saxophone with a charming personality the sky is the limit! Here's what he's been up to.
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Silvan Schmid – Expand the Perception
Silvan Schmid is a trumpeter whose understanding of music makes him one of the most exciting representatives of the young Swiss scene. The co-founder of the Zurich Gamut Collective maintains a lively exchange with national and international musicians. He is versatile, curious, open and enormously talented.
Team .
John Williamson
President Jazzaar AssociationFritz K Renold
Musical DirectorHelen Savari Renold
Festival DirectorFrederik Baatz
CFO Jazzaar FestivalSamir Rachide
Youth Coordinator / Social MediaMathieu Bitz
Youth Coordinator / Social MediaMarkus Hammer
Transport LogisticsSharon Renold
Website & Social MediaYvonne Söhner
Public Relations, CateringThe Jazzaar Team
John Williamson – President
Axel Dähler – Secretary
Helen Savari-Renold – Festival Direction
Fritz K Renold – Musical Director
Yvonne Söhner – Public Relations, Catering
Frederik Baatz – Finance Chief
Markus Hammer – Event Logistics
Mathieu Bitz – Youth Coordination & Social Media
Samir Rachide – Youth Coordination & Social Media
Sharon Renold – Youth Coordination & Social Media