Audi 2011 Annual Report Download - page 116

Inspiration _ 113
She isn’t
just smiling, she
radiates joy. Clare Maguire
from Birmingham is
standing on the stage of
the picturesque 19th century theater.
She senses the audience’s elation
and knows: This is the moment she
has spent years waiting for. And it
is happening on her 24th birthday.
The SWR3 New Pop Festival in
Baden-Baden is the chance for her
big breakthrough. She seizes the
opportunity with a performance nearly
unparalleled in fervor and passion.
It is the highlight of the fi rst day.
But just one of many – in a very special
series of events. This is not a carnival-
like festival for the masses. Instead,
it is a three-day event in a small, inti-
mate setting for which approximately
19,000 admission tickets are off ered.
The event has an almost missionary-like
goal: showcasing young, intelligent
pop music once a year. In venues with
perfect acoustics and optimum visibility,
performed by ambitious young artists
who have released their fi rst albums and
for whom Baden-Baden often serves as
a springboard to an international career.
“The SWR3 New Pop Festival has
always demonstrated an exceptional
feel for trends in the scene, making it
our ideal partner,” says cultural offi cer
Jürgen Bachmann from AUDI AG. The
Company appeared for the fi rst time in
2011 as main partner and co-sponsor
of the festival, which is organized
by SWR3 – the Südwestrundfunk
broadcasting company’s pop radio
station. “This enables us to promote
new talents and further strengthen
the Audi brand image among a young,
cosmopolitan audience,” continues
Bachmann. Performing at the fall
festival has been a popular goal for
outstanding new artists and pop
groups since 1994. International stars
such as Alanis Morissette, Anastacia
and the Fugees took their fi rst steps
on the big stage here.
Enter Jessica Ellen Cornish from
Essex – better known by her stage
name Jessie J. At 23, she reached
number two on the British album
charts with her debut album
“Who You Are.” With her powerful
soul voice, she gives a magnifi cent
performance in the sophisticated
New sound in an old hall:
Tim Bendzko performs on the picturesque round stage
of the Baden-Baden Theater, built in 1862.