Lionel Cottet, an acclaimed young cellist born in Geneva, has won many prestigious awards and has performed as a soloist with distinguished orchestras such as the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. He has a special interest in contemporary music and particularly enjoys performing in chamber ensembles. He plays an 1852 Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume violoncello.
Louis Schwizgebel-Wang, an acclaimed young pianist also born in Geneva, has won many prestigious awards and enjoys performing as a chamber musician. As a soloist he has appeared at fine international venues such as the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall in New York and Wigmore Hall in London.
The Swiss Ambassador’s Award Concert was established in the UK in 1999 with the aim of presenting talented young Swiss musicians in a concert at Wigmore Hall in London. Due to its popularity and musical excellence, the annual event now also tours in Manchester and Edinburgh. The concerts are organised by the Swiss Cultural Fund in Britain and the Embassy of Switzerland, in collaboration with the Swiss Consulates in the UK.