FONDATION SUISA
Switzerland
Member since:
2002
Website
Director
Fabio Baechtold
Address
Avenue du Grammont 11 bis
CH-1007 Lausanne, Switzerland
Services
Introduction
FONDATION SUISA is a charitable foundation that has been promoting contemporary music from Switzerland and Liechtenstein in all its diversity since 1989. It is funded by an annual allocation of 2.5% of SUISA’s revenue from performance and broadcasting rights in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein.
About
As a charitable foundation, FONDATION SUISA awards project grants to creators, performers, publishers and institutions across all genres and formats. It supports innovative musical projects as well as measures to raise the national and international profile of music. Through its funding programmes and partnerships, FONDATION SUISA helps to improve the conditions for artistic practice, promote diversity and strengthen the social significance of music.
FONDATION SUISA Team 2026, photo: Mattia Coda
Services
Fondation Suisa offers the following services
- Funding: Support for musical projects by creators from Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
- International exchange: Fostering networks between national and international music professionals and creators/musicians from Switzerland.
- Lobbying: Contributing to cultural policy debates in Switzerland.
- Representation: Acting as an ambassador for Swiss music creation as a whole, in Switzerland and internationally.
Have a look at the website to view all information they have to offer about Swiss music life.
Visit the website
Insights into our work
Jazzahead 2025, photo: Eric Van Nieuwland
KNOBIL Jazzahead 2026, photo: Eric Van Nieuwland
SWISS MUSIC RBF 2024, photo: SME
Website FONDATION SUISA
Womex 2025 1 Swissstand, photo: Eric Van Nieuwland
Interview
Urs Schnell
FONDATION SUISA
Urs Schnell – FONDATION SUISA
For readers outside Switzerland: How is musical life organised and structured?
Musical life in Switzerland is shaped by a very particular political and cultural set-up. The country is organised as a federal state, and the constitution defines culture as a responsibility of the cantons rather than the national level.
As a result, there is no single, nationwide cultural or music policy, but many different approaches across 26 cantons and four language regions. This leads to a very rich, diverse and resilient musical ecosystem, with strong local scenes and a wide range of genres and practices. At the same time, exchange and cohesion across regions do not happen automatically and often require additional coordination, networking and dedicated support structures.
Where does FONDATION SUISA fit into this structure?
The FONDATION SUISA is one of the few organisations working on a truly national level in Switzerland’s highly federal cultural system, supporting contemporary music across all genres and language regions. It can therefore act as an ambassador for Swiss music as a whole – even if it is not a “music information centre” in the classical sense – by connecting regional initiatives, strengthening professional structures and increasing the visibility of music creators at home and abroad. Through its mandate, governance and long-term funding and partnership programmes, including international activities such as SWISS MUSIC (www.swissmusic.ch), the foundation contributes both to the internal cohesion of the Swiss music ecosystem and to its presence on the global stage.
Why is FONDATION SUISA relevant for national and international target groups?
The FONDATION SUISA serves music creators throughout Switzerland – across all genres, scenes and language regions – as well as professionals and partner organisations from the international music community. It supports composers, lyricists and performing musicians, but also festivals, networks and platforms that help to develop, present and distribute their work.
Through initiatives such as the SWISS MUSIC label and its presence at international trade fairs and festivals, the foundation acts as a facilitator and connector between the complex microcosm of the Swiss music sector and the wider international scene. It enables encounters and exchange between national and international professionals, and between artists based in Switzerland and artists from abroad, for example through showcases, delegations, residencies or conference formats. In doing so, it helps to build long-term relationships, open up new markets and strengthen the visibility and mobility of Swiss music in a global context.
