First Swiss songwriting camp for the Eurovision Song Contest
The Powerplay Studios in Maur recently played host to renowned songwriters and producers from Switzerland and abroad as they attended a songwriting camp to write entries for arguably the most famous music competition in Europe – the Eurovision Song Contest. This is the first time that a songwriting camp like this for the ESC has taken place in Switzerland. The camp was supported by SUISA, the cooperative society for composers, lyricists and publishers of music in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
From 23 to 25 August, the legendary Powerplay Studios in Maur, Zurich, were abuzz with Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) fever. Songwriters and producers from Switzerland and abroad joined forces for the international music competition. In total, 25 music professionals took part in the three-day songwriting camp. The 13 authors from Switzerland came from the cantons of Ticino, Bern, Basel-Stadt and Basel-Land, Lucerne, Schwyz, Vaud, Neuchâtel and Zurich, and they worked together with authors from Belgium, Finland, Canada, Holland, Israel, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the USA.
The event marks the first time that a songwriting camp like this for the ESC has taken place in Switzerland. The camp was organised by SUISA in collaboration with Pele Loriano Productions (www.peleloriano.com). Pele Loriano is a composer, producer and musical director, and has been a member of SUISA since 1996. SUISA is the cooperative society for authors and publishers of music in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Songs for the Swiss ESC entry
In teams of three to five people, the 25 artists composed a total of 18 tracks and recorded demos over the course of three days. Their main aim was to produce songs for the Swiss ESC entry. Probably all of the songs written at the songwriting camp will be submitted for the Swiss preselection.
Artists can submit songs for the 2018 Swiss ESC to SRF (http://esc.srf.ch/en-ch) between 1 and 22 September 2017. A 20-person jury will then select six songs for the Swiss finals show, which is scheduled to take place on 4 February 2018. The songs will not be accessible publicly. The final of the 63rd Eurovision Song Contest will be held on 12 May 2018 in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon.
Further information:
Giorgio Tebaldi
Head of Communications SUISA
Tel. +41 44 485 65 03
Email: giorgio.tebaldi@suisa.ch
About SUISA
SUISA is the cooperative society for composers, lyricists and music publishers in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Its 36,000 members include music professionals from all disciplines. In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, SUISA represents the musical repertoire of two million authors and publishers worldwide. It grants licences to use this repertoire to more than 90,000 customers. In 2017, SUISA and US performance rights organisation SESAC founded the joint venture Mint Digital Services. The company manages invoicing and administration for the transnational music licensing businesses of SESAC, its subsidiary the Harry Fox Agency and SUISA with online providers, and also offers its services to publishers.
With approximately 200 employees in Zurich, Lausanne and Lugano, SUISA generates a turnover of more than CHF 154 million. As a non-profit organisation, it distributes the proceeds from licences to music authors and publishers after deducting the administrative costs.