Claude Nobs, Founder Of Montreux Jazz Festival, Dies At 76
Claude Nobs, 76, the founder and general manager of the Montreux Jazz Festival, whose passion for music and artistry introduced generations of legendary musicians to international audiences on the Swiss stage, died Thursday after sustaining injuries from a fall while cross- country skiing nearby on Christmas Eve. The Jazz Festival announced his death.
Nobs, a native of Montreux, worked his way up from being a chef and director of the community's tourism office, where he organized charity concerts, to overseeing one of the most iconic music festivals in the world.
It was from a visit to the New York offices of Atlantic Records that the first festival in his home city was born in June 1967, featuring musicians such as Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette.
The festival was an overnight success, building over the decades on Nobs' passion for jazz, as much as his gumption and contacts abroad.
