Geo Voumard, a Swiss jazz pianist who was one of the founders of the Montreux Jazz Festival, died Wednesday. He was 87.
Mr. Voumard founded the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1967 with Claude Nobs and Rene Langel. He also won the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956 with the song “Refrain," written with Emile Gardaz.
Born on Dec. 2, 1920, in the northwest Switzerland town of Biel, Mr. Voumard studied architecture before starting his musical career. He joined the Hazy Osterwald Orchestra in 1944 and formed his own group in 1948.
In 1952 he started in broadcasting at Radio Lausanne, now Radio Suisse Romande. He joined the station as a pianist, accompanist, composer and producer of a musical program. He became director of popular music in 1966 and was director of light entertainment from 1969 to 1983.
After leaving the station, Mr. Voumard lived in the Provence region of France, where he started to work again as an architect. He returned to Switzerland during the final years of his life.
