SUISA is launching a new songwriting camp in collaboration with the Montreux Jazz Artists Foundation and Pro Helvetia. The aim of this initiative is to compose songs that will be listened to at national and international levels. Songwriters and artists from all genres, whether singer-songwriter or jazz, will be given the opportunity to expand their co-writing skills, create a track for a release and make valuable contacts in the songwriting scene.
Artistic direction
Barbara Lehnhoff (aka Camilla Sparksss) and Luk Zimmermann will be the artistic directors of the camp and will support the participants with their experience and expertise. The Montreux Jazz Festival programming group will also be involved in the selection of the songwriters and artists.
The camp takes place as part of the Montreux Jazz Festival Residency, which also offers participants the opportunity to network with the musicians of the residency. This creates a unique platform where different creative disciplines can be combined with each other and new synergies can emerge.
Dates and procedure
The songwriting camp will take place from Wednesday, 15 October to Friday, 17 October 2025 in Montreux. On Friday evening, 17 October 2025, a public listening session will be held in the Petit Palais. The songs created during the camp will be presented and introduced to the audience there. The Listening Session is part of the Montreux Jazz Festival Residency programme.
Apply for the Montreux Songwriting Camp
Musicians with a connection to Switzerland can apply to take part in the first Montreux Songwriting Camp. The requirements for an application are:
- Your musical creation activities must be centred in Switzerland, or your place of residence must be in Switzerland, or you must have a Swiss passport.
- You should have professional musical skills and already have published works.
- Aptitude to work in a team, resilience, openness and ability to take criticism are important.
- You should be available on one or more of the event days from morning to evening.
How to apply:
Send your application by e-mail to songwritingcamp (at) suisa (dot) ch and enclose the following documents:
- a short biography;
- reference songs (mp3 file or as a link);
- your complete contact information (e-mail, telephone, address);
- if you use a pseudonym as an artist, please also state your real name.
The closing date for applications is 30 June 2025.
An application does not guarantee a place at the camp and there will be no correspondence regarding the allocation of places. Only applicants who are selected will be directly contacted by the artistic director; this may not be until shortly before the date of the event. Application rejections will not be sent.
Aims of the Montreux Songwriting Camp
The main aim of the songwriting camp is to develop creative and unique songs that will be published on various platforms. In addition, the reporting on the camp aims to give the participants the opportunity to tell the stories and emotions behind their songs and in this way bring the creative process closer to a wider audience.
Moreover, the further professionalisation of songwriting in Switzerland is a central objective. The camp is designed to help participants establish themselves as professional songwriters and expand their skills. It also promotes networking and collaboration between songwriters from different countries, regions and genres.
Finally, the public listening session as part of the Montreux Jazz Festival Residency offers an excellent opportunity for participants to present their work to the public and the media and to exchange ideas with people from the music industry.
Take the chance to maybe become part of the Montreux Songwriting Camp! We look forward to receiving your application.
