In between pulsing jazz riffs and powerhouse vocals, there are rare quiet moments at MJF. It was within these pauses, in the Festival’s plush Julius Baer client lounge, that Yves Robert-Charrue, our Head of Switzerland, Europe, Middle East & Africa and Member of the Executive Board, managed to sit down with Mathieu Jaton.
Jaton has spent most of his life connected to the Festival – starting as a staff member 28 years ago. And through a few old connections and lucky encounters – one of which involved founder Claude Nobs inviting him to join the Monty Python cast for food in Montreux – he rose to the position of CEO ten years ago.
A history of forward-thinking
The late Nobs, Jaton explains, was ahead of his time. His dedication to innovation was what made MJF synonymous with musical prestige among the world’s top artists. Nobs’ brainwave to record each performance – allowing these tapes to then be transformed into a recognisable ‘Live at Montreux’ series – helped to propel the branding of the Festival.
Sharing the on-stage spark with fans to enjoy from home is a common thread for MJF, even today. Jaton utilises the power of the internet to stream performances to a remote audience, catapulting Nobs’ initial technical ideas into the 21st century.
And it is here that Julius Baer meets MJF at the intersection of heritage and future generations. Coinciding with our commitment to the Festival is our dedication to MJF Spotlight, a new digital format that uses Spotify, YouTube, and TikTok to showcase the very best of upcoming commercial artists. Julius Baer also supports young international jazz talent from the Montreux Jazz Artists Foundation.
The precise and personal angle of the Spotlight programme reflects the intimacy of MJF. As Jaton points out: “One of the most important things about the Festival is the intimacy, and the proximity, and the human factor.” He adds that digitalisation can enhance the 16-day Festival, as long as technology is not used ‘just for technology’s sake’.
Similarly, in terms of the Bank, Robert-Charrue explains: “Our business is about humans, right? It’s people talking to clients. And of course, technology becomes more important. We use technology to interact also with clients, to use artificial intelligence, to use different channels, also in terms of publishing and spreading content.
“So I think embracing technology is super important, even in our business, which is obviously more traditional,” adds Robert-Charrue.
The humanity of music
When it comes to human connection, performers are no exception. In one anecdote, Jaton details a shared moment with iconic musician Nick Cave which illustrates the spontaneity and sincerity of MJF.
Despite being at the helm of MJF, Jaton doesn’t use his status to strongarm a brush with fame. “My position is that I’m always stepping back a little bit. I’m never forcing anything because I feel that the artist is here for the music and for the audience. But I’m always waiting to get moments in which something human is happening,” he explains.
“I’m not the guy that will knock on the door of the lounge and say: ‘Hey, I’m the director of the Festival. How are you? Blah, blah, blah.’ I’d prefer to spend five minutes, which is intense, where I have a very cool human relationship rather than having 100 meetings with the artist, but no real relationship.
“I take the example of Nick Cave, because everybody asks me: ‘Have you seen Nick Cave backstage after the show? Have you talked to him?’ And honestly, when he went off the stage, he was so deeply in the music. I saw him walking around and he was still in the show. How can I get to him and say: ‘Hey, hello, good show’? I mean, it’s obvious it doesn’t work like that.”
By chance, Cave seated himself beside Jaton the next morning at breakfast – and the pair naturally struck up a conversation. “We spent like ten minutes together talking about the show,” says Jaton. “And that was my best time ever. I don’t need more. Those things are human. When it’s authentic, when it’s real, then it works.”
Other legends of the music world have also shown their passion for the Festival. Jaton recalls that Diana Ross’ performance was peppered with many pure, human moments – and she didn’t let organisational difficulties affect her show. “They hadn’t had the time to rehearse it properly because the plane was late, the luggage was missing – so there was a nightmare during the afternoon. But she was so cool. And it shows us that she really wanted to do Montreux in a very specific way,” he says.
“That afternoon, she brought all the musicians on stage without rehearsing and said: ‘You know, this show is key. Do you know the story of the Festival? Do you know why we’re here? We’re going to do a great show’.” Jaton believes it is these moments of respect for the Festival’s authenticity that preserve its legacy.
Building networks across generations and industries
Human connection is central to the partnership of MJF and Julius Baer. As Jaton recommends to emerging musicians, they must be generous with their time and stay engaged – as building a network is vital. This is no different to the next generation of wealth managers at Julius Baer, as Robert-Charrue notes that emerging talents in the bank are encouraged to expand their network and take action.
He explains that some people early in their financial career “say that they’re ‘going to go to business school, get a good degree and then it will happen’”. To this, he counters: “Not at all. You need to manage your own career, you need to create your network, you need to find your personality, see what you’re good at and what you like to do as well.
"You have to manage that, and you have to make something happen. It will not just happen with you sitting in a corner, waiting.”
Robert-Charrue adds that the values of MJF are aligned with the long-term ideals of the Baer family – keen supporters of bringing art and creativity into the everyday world. Some may say it’s a match made in heaven – or as Jaton calls it, a love affair of values.
Recalling their discussion of the partnership when the pair met in Zurich, the home of Julius Baer’s headquarters, Jaton exclaims: “I loved this moment because it’s the kind of moment that you expect when you’re creating a new partnership.
“We were sitting around the table with all your team, and I was talking about our values and you were talking about your values – and it just matched like a kind of love affair. And I think it’s great. Because then, everything is simple,” he concludes with a smile.