Corin Curschellas

Corin Curschellas together with Albin Brun, Patricia Draeger and Claudio Strebel Spring 2012 («La Grischa»). Corin Curschellas (; born 2 July 1956) is a Swiss singer-songwriter, vocalist (jazz, folk music, world music, chanson), free improvisation, actress (theatre, film, musical), voice actress in (radio drama and audio books) as well as voice instructress.

Biography Curschellas was born in 1956 in Chur (Graubünden, Switzerland where she grew up. She attended the local state school in Chur, Kantonsschule Chur, and completed her studies in 1977 with a Primary Teacher's Certificate.

From 1977 to 1983 she studied theatre and theatre pedagogy at the Zurich University of the Arts as well as three semesters of Music Sciences at the University of Zurich.

From 1983 until 1989 Curschellas lived in Berlin, followed by two years in Basel. A grant she received enabled her to move to Paris in 1991, where she ended up living until 2000, with a two-year break she spent in New York City from 1995 to 1997. Between 2000 and 2005 she alternated between Paris and Zürich.

Corin Curschellas in a broadcast for Radiotelevisiun Svizra Rumantscha, 19 May 2013.

Corin Curschellas' actual mother tongue is the Swiss German dialect. Although from her father she learnt to speak near-perfect Surselvan, she does not herself write any Graubünden Romansh songs. However, she does sing the lyrics and songs of Romansh writers in full Romansh Idiom, including Graubünden Rumansh.

Speaking of her increased connection to her Romansh roots and her return to Rueun, Corin Curschellas says:

Work

Song

Corin Curschellas music covers different Music genres: Jazz, Folk, Chanson, World Music, Folk Song, Musical improvisation. She refers to herself ironically as a "sound medium"(Tonträgerin). Her first large World music project Sud des Alpes originated in 2000: in this collaboration with the Senegalese Douane Saliou Sène and Abdou Samb Corin Curschellas combines Swiss folk music tradition with the sounds and rhythms of Senegal and even with the Senegalese language Wolof. The song La pura finds new expression within this project. Also in 2000 the World Music project Global Vocal Meeting with Corin Curschellas, Abdoulaye Diabate (Mali), Rinde Eckert (United States), Mónika «Mitsou» Juhász Miczura (Hungary), Sudha Ragunathan (India) and Senge (Madagascar), came about during the "Stimmen-Festival", the Voice Festival of Lörrach. It premiered in Lörrach and was followed by a tour through Europe and the United States. From 2001 onwards, together with Christine Lauterburg and Walter Lietha, she sings Swiss German folk song arrangements in the bands, Echo und Doppelbock. In 2004 she performed together with the Jazz pianist Vera Kappeler at the Schauspielhaus Zürich (Zürich state theater) in the "Pfauen-Matinée" of Werner Wollenberger, and with Wolfgang Mitterer and Peter Herbert she toured Austria under the name "Wir 4 " (English: "The Four of Us") in 2005. With the Turkish-German singer Özay Fecht she founded a global New Year's song project in 2005. In her Album Grischunit of 2008 she sings in Romansh and is accompanied by Marc Ribot, Peter Scherer, Shahzad Ismaily and Matt Johnson. Intriguingly, the recording took place in New York City, far from rural Romansh-speaking areas of Switzerland. Die lyrics are by Linard Bardill, Benedetto Vigne, Ann Dee, Thomas Cathomen, Arno Camenisch and Corin Curschellas herself. The Album's name refers to a rare mineral, Grishunite belonging to the Wicksites, which occurs only in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The Album Origins (trad.) of 2014 also brings old Romansh traditional songs back to public awareness. It is a co-production between the violinist Andi Gabriel and the folk musicians of the group "Pflanzplätz". Ursina Giger and Astrid Alexandre appear as guest artists. On 14 August 2015, a performance together with the Ladin Dolomitan Trio Ganes, as well as Patricia Draeger and Barbara Gisler premiered at the Alpentöne-Festival in Altdorf.

Instrumental Music Corin Curschellas is a Multi-instrumentalist: She plays Piano, Keyboards, Indian Harmonium, Dulcimers and Zithers, Percussion and Ukulele besides the Accordion. This ethnographical engagement has caused her to become known as the "Grande Dame of contemporary and traditional Romansh Song" . At the same time Corin Curschellas distances herself from Pop-style Alpine Folklore.

The concert project “Suisse Miniature” forms part of the same theme. The project was born out of one of the “Convivenza-Events” of Lia Rumantscha in the year 2010. By 2013, a collection of songs in the three original languages of Graubünden, Walser German, Italian and Romansh had come about. The name of the project refers to the Open Air Theatre "Suisse Miniature" in Melide, Ticino on the one hand and on the other the fact that the Canton Graubünden represents both culturally and linguistically a kind of Switzerland in miniature.

With La Pura in 1992 her first concern with ethnographic issues lies quite far back in the past. However, Corin Curschellas sees in it a biographical connection.

(English: the older I become, the greater the affinity for the traditional songs.)

Solo Programs Corin Curschellas in her solo program «Mono» 2005: song, music, film plane. Corin Curschellas started to do solo performances in 2005: 2005: endlICH («Sola!») (English (approx.): I at last) 2005: Mono («Sechs Instrumente, sechs Sprachen und eine Filmebene») (English: Six Instruments, six languages and a film plane") 2010: Pomp auf Pump («Ein dramatisch-musikalischer Abgesang»)(English: "Pump the Pomp" a musical-dramatic aftersong) 2011: Wittern und twittern («Gesänge aus einem humanoiden Bestiarium»)(English: "Sniffing and Chirping" ("Songs from a humanoid menagerie") )

From the program Mono comes Corin Curschellas’ musical rendition of the Canzun de Sontga Margriata (English: Song of Saint Margaret), one of the oldest Romansh texts in existence. The song tells how St. Margaret, who has dressed up as an alpine dairyman, works on the Alp, but by accident her disguise is unexpectedly revealed. Corin Curschellas interprets the song in the context of nature conservation and sustainability.

Composition Corin Curschellas produced her first substantial composition in 1979/1980 while she was still studying. It was a theatrical composition for the play Woman by Edward Bond at the National Theatre in Zürich – Schauspielhaus Zürich, directed by George Gruntz.

In 2003 Corin Curschellas composed the music for the TV drama, Marilyn by Stina Werenfels together with Christian Rösli

In 2014 she worked on the cultural-political project "Uccelin – eine Singvogel Suite" (Uccelin – a Songbird Suite). Die Suite pays Hommage to and supports the art project «Uccellin» (English Little Bird) of the Chur artist Hans Danuser. The content deals with children's Counting-out games and the political theme is the influence of politics on art.

Besides this, Corin Curschellas composes songs for Michael von der Heide (for example the award-winning Jeudi amour, 1998), and previously for Vera Kaa und Dodo Hug.

Theatre Corin Curschellas has acted, amongst others, in the following productions: 1983 Nur Stammtische werden überleben (English (approximate) "Only meetings at the local pub will survive." (Director Christoph Marthaler) 1986 Das Damenorchester (The Women's Orchestra) by Jean Anouilh (Berliner Festspiele) 1987 – 1989 The Forest (Direction: Robert Wilson, Volksbühne Berlin and BAM Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York) 1989 Soldaten, Serviertöchter und ihre Lieder (Soldiers, Waitresses and their Songs) (Theater Basel, Director Christoph Marthaler) 1990 Allerlei Rausch (All Manner of Intoxication) at the Theater Marie in Aarau, Freie Theatergruppe M.A.R.I.A, Director: Wolfram Berger) 1992 Stägeli uuf, Stägeli ab (Upstairs and Downstairs) (Theater Basel, Director Christoph Marthaler) 1998/1999 Do Chinese Postmen ring twice too? (Director: Hans Peter Litscher, Music: Christian Marclay, Wiener Festspiele und Knitting Factory NYC) 2000 Hotel Angst (Hotel of Fear) (Schauspielhaus Zürich, Director Christoph Marthaler) 2003 Der Messias (Schauspielhaus Zürich, Director: Nicola Weisse) 2003 Die schöne Müllerin (The Beautiful Miller's Daughter) (Wiener Festpiele/Schauspielhaus Zürich, Director Christoph Marthaler) 2003 Das goldene Zeitalter (The Golden Age) (Schauspielhaus Zürich, Direction: Christoph Marthaler, Stefan Pucher, Meg Stuart) 2004 Tschechows drei entfernte Cousinen (Chekhov's Three Distant Cousins) at the Theater am Neumarkt in Zürich.

In 2006 und 2007 Corin Curschellas played the part of Frau Rossi in the Musical Die schwarzen Brüder (The Black Brothers) 2008 she acted in the Musical Elternabend (Parent's Evening) at the Theater am Hechtplatz.

Radio Plays In 2008 Corin Curschellas played in the series Jimmy Flitz by Roland Zoss, where she spoke the part of Tigerfliege (Tigerfly) and sang. In 2009 she performed as speaker and singer in Fritz Hauser's radio play Am Rande des Horizonts (On the Edge of the Horizon). In 2012 she played in the radio play Ustrinkata of Arno Camenisch SRF 1 in a role as speaker.

Film In 2007 Corin Curschellas acted in the Film Marmorera.

Education During her days in Berlin, Corin Curschellas taught at the Musikschule Kreuzberg. She has, from time to time, worked as guest lecturer at the Zurich University of the Arts and at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

Awards and honors 1991: «Atelier Paris» der GSMBA (today visarte), Bursary of the Canton Graubünden 1993: Prize of the Canton Graubünden 1998: Contest for professional cultural work Canton Graubünden 1999: Composition commission of the Pro Helvetia Trust 2003: Contest for professional cultural work of the Canton Graubünden 2014: Nominated for the Swiss Music Award 2014 of the Bundesamt für Kultur (Federal Department for Culture) 2018: Canton Grisons Culture Prize 2018 awarded by the Government of the Canton Graubünden, Switzerland

Discography Corin Curschellas has produced eight personal albums since: Machination: 1994

Yves Robert: 1994 Heiri Känzig: 1994 Andi Scherer (Band «Yal»): 1998 Christian Marclay: 1996 – 1999 Alex Kirschner: 2000 Pareglish: 2000 Fritz Hauser: 1981 – 2009 «eCHo»: 2001 – 2007 Nguyên Lê: 2002 Gardi Hutter: 2003 Curdin Janett (Project Standards of Rumantsch): 2005