Andreas Vollenweider

Grammy Award-winning harpist and composer Andreas Vollenweider launched his solo career with the 1979 debut album, Eine Art Suite in XIII Teilen, showcasing his innovative electroacoustic harp. His early work included forming the trio Poesie und Musik and composing for nature documentaries. Vollenweider and ‘Andreas Vollenweider and Friends’ debuted at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1981. Collaborating with German producer Vera Brandes, he achieved international success with Caverna Magica (1983), earning the Dutch Edison Award.

In 1992, he participated in a Chernobyl benefit on Moscow’s Red Square and won the World Music Award in Monaco. Eolian Minstrel (1993–94) introduced vocals with guest artists Carly Simon and Eliza Gilkyson. He performed with Luciano Pavarotti and Bryan Adams at the Pavarotti and Friends event in Modena (1994), preceding his first Latin American performances in 1995. His 1999 album COSMOPOLY expanded ‘world music’ collaborations, featuring Bobby McFerrin, Milton Nascimento, and Abdullah Ibrahim.

He earned his third Grammy Award nomination in 2007 for the soundtrack to his DVD, The Magical Journeys of Andreas Vollenweider. A I R followed in 2008. In 2010, Vollenweider performed ‘The Watercourse Way’ at the Shanghai Centre for Expo 2010, and an exclusive jubilee concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2011. His contributions were recognized in 2012 with the Swiss Music Award for ‘Outstanding Achievement.’ His latest albums, Quiet Places (2020) and Slow Flow / Dancer (2022), continue to showcase his innovative musical vision.