AZ Medien Culture Prize goes to Massimo Rocchi
The 2013 AZ Medien Culture Prize goes to cabaret artist, actor, and director Massimo Rocchi. The award, which comes with a prize of 25,000 francs, honors Rocchi as a keen observer of the spirit of the times and a warm-hearted, sharp-tongued chronicler of everyday life.
Born in Cesena in 1957, Massimo Rocchi has lived in Switzerland for thirty years and in Basel for ten. With "äuä" in 1994, he played his way into the hearts of the Swiss and held up a precise mirror to them. In "Circo Massimo" in 2005, the "Svitaliano" took aim at Europe - almost prophetically - and from 2009 in "RocCHipedia" he explained their own country to the Swiss, according to a statement from AZ Medien. The award honors Massimo Rocchi not only as a cabaret artist and stage performer, but also as a director. The way he brought Joseph Haydn's opera "Lo speziale" to the Basel stage with a light touch, attention to detail and witty commentary not only delighted the audience, but also convinced the jury of the AZ Medien Culture Prize (Sabine Altorfer Chair, Christian Berzins, Christian Dorer, Ludwig Hasler, Peer Teuwsen and Maja Wanner): "A theater person has found a new place to work".
Massimo Rocchi is the 15th Culture Prize winner. The award will be presented to him at a ceremony at the beginning of September. The AZ Medien Culture Prize has already been awarded to Scuola Teatro Dimitri, Tanzcompagnie Flamenco en route, Egon Ammen, Hugo Suter, Franz Hohler, Ruedi Häusermann, Sonja and Roger Kaysel, Klaus Merz, Samir, Sol Gabetta, Beat Zoderer, Max Lässer, Andreas Fleck (Werbewoche.ch reported) and Pedro Lenz (Werbewoche.ch reported).
