Classical Music News

Jazz Pianist Wins Swiss Grand Prix for Music

June 12, 2025

2 MIN READ

Sylvie Courvoisier will receive the prize of CHF 100,000

Contemporary jazz pianist Sylvie Courvoisier, who was born in Lausanne but now lives and works in New York, has been named as the recipient of the Swiss Grand Prize for Music in 2025. Awarded to Swiss artists who have made both a substantial and an innovative contribution to Swiss musical creation, the prize carries a value of CHF 100,000.

Her first solo album, Chimaera, was released on Intakt Records in 2023, followed by To Be Other-Wise (Intakt Records)

In 2024, Courvoisier will also unveil a new album in 2025 titled Angel Falls, featuring Wadada Leo Smith.

Courvoisier's collaborators have included names such as John Zorn, Mark Feldman, Yusef Lateef, Ikue Mori, Joey Baron, and Evan Parker. Her influences are diverse, ranging from Cecil Taylor and Thelonious Monk to composers such as György Ligeti and Olivier Messiaen.

Earlier in 2025, Courvoisier was honored with the American Academy of Arts and Letters Music Award and the Deutsche Jazzpreis Piano International in 2022. She was also a recipient of the Swiss Music Prize in 2018.

She currently teaches at the New School in New York City.

"I'm deeply honored to receive the Swiss Grand Award for Music," Courvoisier wrote on social media. "It’s a meaningful recognition of my artistic journey and many years of creative work between New York and Europe. This award inspires me to continue exploring bold, emotional musical territories where freedom and invention are essential."

"Warm congratulations to the other Swiss Music Prize recipients."