Patricia Kopatchinskaja has won the Swiss Grand Award for Music (SGAM) 2017. The violinist was picked ahead of 14 others on the shortlist and receives a cash prize of CHF100,000 (€86,500).
Born in Moldova in 1977, Kopatchinskaja is considered an innovative, risk-taking musician. As a soloist she regularly works with conductors including Teodor Currentzis, Péter Eötvös, Iván Fischer, Kirill Petrenko and Simon Rattle.
Her upcoming engagements include a US tour (with dates in New York City, Salt Lake City and Saint Paul); an appearance at Royal Festival Hall in London on 8 November; and an appearance in Vienna with the London Symphony Orchestra on 11 November.
Other nominees included pianist Vera Kappeler, multi-instrumentalist Pascal Auberson, dulcimer player Töbi Tobler, drummer Christophe Calpini and singer Elina Duni.
The SGAM jury was made up of Michael Kinzer, Annelis Berger, Thomas Burkhalter, Zeno Gabaglio, Florian Walser, Carine Zuber and Sylwia Zytynska.
