Chronicler of Music History

From jazz to electronic beats, from rising talents to ­global superstars – in Montreux, everyone finds their sound.

Interview with Mathieu Jaton, CEO Montreux Jazz Festival

Mr Jaton, 60 years of the Montreux Jazz Festival – that’s a special milestone. What does this anniversary mean to you personally and how do you plan to celebrate it with the audience? For me, this anniversary is very special because it reflects my personal journey with the festival. I experienced the 30th anniversary as a young staff member, I was Secretary General at the 40th, CEO at the 50th – and now I have the honour of leading the 60th. It’s a part of my life. But we must be cautious: an anniversary alone doesn’t automatically bring the biggest stars to Montreux. We don’t want to raise expectations too high but rather use the occasion to create something unique – special projects, extraordinary collaborations, perhaps even one-of-a-kind performances from artists closely tied to the festival. I want to avoid mere nostalgia and instead use the moment as a springboard for the future. Montreux has always been a place of innovation and we want to highlight that in 2025.

After two years with stages throughout the town, the festival returns to the renovated Congress Centre in 2025. What changes will this bring for artists and audiences? The time outside the Congress Centre was a valuable learning experience. With the lakeside stage and new concert venues around town, we explored different facets of Montreux. We’re taking those lessons with us. Returning to the Congress Centre is like coming home – the Stravinski Auditorium and Miles Davis Hall are the festival’s heart, offering perfect acoustics, state-of-the-art technology and a unique atmosphere. The building has now been fully renovated and newly connected to the lake promenade. This gives us opportunities for additional spaces, new stages and a higher quality experience for both audiences and artists. It’s not a return to the past, but a leap forward with a blend of tradition and new ideas.

You’ve been CEO of the Montreux Jazz Festival for over a decade. What developments have you personally helped shape – and what makes you most proud? When I took over leadership, I wanted to reposition Montreux as a brand. Under Claude Nobs, the festival was strongly tied to his personality, which was part of its charm. But I wanted to create a structure that would make Montreux sustainable for the long term and globally visible. Today, the festival is part of a whole ecosystem: we have Montreux Jazz Cafés, international festival editions from Miami to Tokyo, our own media company that produces and distributes concerts worldwide and foundations for nurturing young talent. This gives us the freedom to be bold artistically, even irrational at times, without constantly worrying about short-term profits. That balance – financially stable, artistically free – is perhaps what has fulfilled me the most in recent years.

Peggy Gou got the crowd moving back in 2025 – part of over 600 free events at the Montreux Jazz Festival. From concerts and jam sessions to silent discos, Montreux celebrates music in all its forms, often lasting into the early hours of the morning. Image: Rafael Deprost

The Idea That Changed Montreux Forever

When Claude Nobs founded the first Montreux Jazz Festival in 1967, no one could have guessed that a bold tourism initiative would become a global cultural phenomenon. Nobs, then working at Montreux’s tourism office, wanted to attract more visitors to the Lake Geneva region – and found music to be the key. With support from Géo Voumard and René Langel, he transformed the Casino Kursaal into a jazz stage for three days. The resources were modest, with a budget of just 10,000 Swiss francs. But the ambition was high: to give the region international appeal through musical excellence.

The very first edition already featured major acts like the Charles Lloyd Quartet. Just a year later, Bill Evans performed – his live recording from Montreux won a Grammy and catapulted the festival to global fame. Live recordings from Montreux became a cultural treasure in themselves, influencing generations of music fans and artists. From the beginning, Nobs understood that music is more than entertainment: it tells stories, connects people and redefines places. By the late 1960s, Montreux had become not just a haven for jazz lovers, but a symbol of openness and cultural exchange. Nina Simone, Keith Jarrett and many others followed. With each legendary recording, the festival’s renown grew. Claude Nobs passed away in 2013 after a skiing accident. His original idea to attract tourists has grown into something far bigger: a place where music history was — and continues to be — written.

Over the decades, Montreux has hosted legendary concerts now immortalised as live recordings. Which concert do you still think about fondly? There are many, but a few stand out. David Bowie’s 2002 concert, for example, was a magical moment for me. The fact that we were able to release it as an album nearly 20 years later makes me proud. It shows how timeless Montreux is. Prince was also unforgettable. And then there are the young artists who had their early breakthroughs here: Ed Sheeran in 2012, Sam Smith and more recently artists like Raye. Today they’re global stars and we know: part of their journey began in Montreux. Being a part of stories like that – that’s the true magic of the festival for me.