Sylvie Courvoisier

by Charlotte DillonVirtuoso performer Sylvie Courvoisier was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, in November 1968. Both a prolific composer and an imaginative pianist, she attended the Conservatoire de Lausanne, where she trained in composition, conducting, and piano. At the Conservatoire de Montreux she studied jazz. During her career she has worked with many other artists, including Marc Ducret, Pierre Charial, Enrico Rava, Dominique Pifarély, and Daniel Bourquin. In 1994, recording under the UNIT Record label as the Sylvie Courvoisier Quintetto, Courvoisier released her debut album, Sauvagerie Courtoise. In both 1995 and 1996, she was selected to appear in Baden-Baden at the New Jazz Meetings. In the latter year, she received the Swiss Young Creators Award. Courvoisier moved herself -- and her talents and unusual jazz style -- to the front position in 1997 on her next daring album, Ocre. Pierre Charial played barrel organ, tuba and serpent were handled by Michel Godard, with Tony Overwater on bass and Mark Nauseef on percussion. She has also recorded as a duo with musicians such as Lucas Niggli on the album Lavin and Mark Nauseef on Birds of a Feather. The 21st century saw new albums and projects, including Deux Pianos (2000), Passaggio (2002), Abaton (2003), Y2K (2005), and Signs and Epigrams (2007).