Géo Voumard (2 December 1920 – 3 September 2008) was a Swiss

jazz pianist Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instru ...

and composer. He was a co-founder of the

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...

and composer of the song "'' Refrain''" which won the first Eurovision Song Contest.

Life and career

Voumard was born in

Biel/Bienne , french: Biennois(e) , neighboring_municipalities= Brügg, Ipsach, Leubringen/Magglingen (''Evilard/Macolin''), Nidau, Orpund, Orvin, Pieterlen, Port, Safnern, Tüscherz-Alfermée, Vauffelin , twintowns = Iserlohn (Germany) ...

. He originally studied

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

in college before starting his musical career.

Music career

Voumard joined the Hazy Osterwald Orchestra in 1944. Four years later, in 1948, he created his own group. Voumard began broadcasting out of Radio Lausanne, which is now known as Radio Suisse Romande, in 1952. He originally joined Radio Lausanne as an

accompanist Accompaniment is the musical part which provides the rhythmic and/or harmonic support for the melody or main themes of a song or instrumental piece. There are many different styles and types of accompaniment in different genres and styles of ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

, composer and

musical producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

. In 1966, Voumard became the station's

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former descri ...

. He later served as Radio Lausanne's director of light entertainment from 1969 until 1983. Voumard founded the

with

René Langel The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annu ...

and Claude Nobs in 1967. He co-wrote the very first Eurovision Song Contest winning song, '' Refrain'' in 1956. ''Refrain'' was co-written by

Émile Gardaz Émile Gardaz (29 August 1931, Échallens, Vaud - 19 December 2007) was a Swiss radio moderator and author, working for Radio suisse romande since 1955. He was the father of comedian Sophie Gardaz. Ten years before his death, in 1997, he was, ...

. Voumard moved to the

Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...

region of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

following his departure from

radio broadcasting Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

in the 1980s. He worked as an

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

in France before returning to his native Switzerland for the remainder of his life. Géo Voumard died at the age of 87.

Discography

* Flavio Ambrosetti Sextet, 1943 * Geo Voumard Trio With Mers Eddy And His Strings – Piano, Strings And Sound * Géo Voumard – 25 Ans De Jazz, 1953–1977 * Géo Voumard Trio – Geo Voumard Trio * Hazy Osterwald – Big Bands of Europe Vol. Ii, 1946–1948 * Various – The Golden Swing Years, 1942–1947

References

1920 births 2008 deaths People from Biel/Bienne Swiss jazz pianists Swiss composers Swiss male composers Swiss songwriters Swiss architects Eurovision Song Contest winners 20th-century pianists Male pianists 20th-century male musicians Male jazz musicians {{Switzerland-composer-stub