Géo Voumard

Géo Voumard (2 December 1920 – 3 September 2008) was a Swiss jazz pianist and composer. He was a co-founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival and composer of the song "Refrain" which won the first Eurovision Song Contest.^[1]

Life and career

Voumard was born in Biel/Bienne.^[1] He originally studied architecture in college before starting his musical career.^[1]

Music career

Voumard joined the Hazy Osterwald Orchestra in 1944.^[1] 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.^[1] He originally joined Radio Lausanne as an accompanist, pianist, composer and musical producer.^[1] In 1966, Voumard became the station's director of pop music. He later served as Radio Lausanne's director of light entertainment from 1969 until 1983.^[1]

Voumard founded the Montreux Jazz Festival with René Langel and Claude Nobs in 1967.^[1] He co-wrote the very first Eurovision Song Contest winning song, Refrain in 1956.^[1] Refrain was co-written by Émile Gardaz.^[1]

Voumard moved to the Provence region of France following his departure from radio broadcasting in the 1980s.^[1] He worked as an architect in France before returning to his native Switzerland for the remainder of his life.^[1]

Géo Voumard died at the age of 87.^[1]

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

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