Lucia Cadotsch is a Zurich-born, Berlin-based vocalist, songwriter, creative producer and mentor. With her distinctive vocal style and her innovative band projects such as Speak Low, AKI and LIUN, Lucia Cadotsch has become one of the defining voices of her generation. For over twenty years, her musical universe has continued to grow – a world of emotional depth and subtle interplay that moves comfortably in the connected space between worlds of song and improvisation.

Cadotsch’s voice has been described as “mesmerizing,” making “a song resonate like crazy,” while her writing is praised for “capturing unique feelings.” Critics highlight that “the ease she conveys with every note is hypnotizing,” and place her among the rare singers who take risks in the spirit of Betty Carter. She has been called “one of the most interesting female vocalists on the European scene,” admired not only “for the quality of her voice but for the musical settings she creates and the choices she makes“, and “a musical attitude whose clarity and uncompromising nature make you want to bow down.”

With her acclaimed chamber trio Speak Low (with Petter Eldh and Otis Sandsjö), Cadotsch reimagines jazz standards and folk songs through a minimalist, remix-inspired lens, delving beneath the surface of familiar material and unpeeling layers to reveal new meaning. The trio’s debut received top ratings from The Guardian and DownBeat and led to more than 150 international concerts, including major festivals and concert halls such as NYC Winter Jazzfest, London Jazz Festival, Berlin Jazzfestspiele, and the Berlin Philharmonie.

With AKI (with Jozef Dumoulin, Phil Donkin and James Maddren), Cadotsch invites listeners into a dreamscape of lyrical explorations that, in a remarkably subtle way, tackle complex social themes that define our age. AKI is a dialogue between four autonomous voices who listen attentively to one another and allow each other space, creating an intimate environment. The compositions emerge from a collective process in which each member reshapes the others’ ideas through their own musical perspective, eamlessly merging composition and improvisation. Their debut album AKI, featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel on guitar on two songs, was released in 2023 on Heartcore Records. Emerging from the close musical dialogue within AKI, Cadotsch and Belgian pianist and electronic musician Jozef Dumoulin have developed a new duo that distils their collaboration into an intimate and focused format. At the centre stands the interplay between voice and piano, subtle, attentive and rich in detail. The duo invites the listener into a dreamscape of lyrical explorations, unfolding a musical world of emotional depth and quiet intensity.

With LIUN, Cadotsch shapes expansive electronic and orchestral sound worlds with variable-sized ensembles, including a large ensemble, LIUN + The Science Fiction Orchestra, as well as collaborations with the HR Big Band and the EOS Chamber Orchestra. The latest album Does It Make You Love Your Life?, features a 13-piece string ensemble and was created in collaboration with Wanja Slavin, with whom she has developed a multilayered world – a heavily textured and sophisticated form of modern electronica and lush jazz harmonies. The album is accompanied by a series of visual works developed in close collaboration with choreographer and dancer Meg Stuart. Through this process, Cadotsch discovered new artistic territory, including the integration of movement and dance into her own performance practice.

Lucia Cadotsch’s diverse output as a musician is documented on thirteen albums to date and has been celebrated internationally, appearing in numerous “Best of the Year” lists. She is the recipient of major honors including the Swiss Music Prize (2023), the German Jazz Award (2021), and the ECHO Jazz (2017). Critics from The Guardian, DownBeat, Jazzwise, and the New York City Jazz Record have praised her releases for their originality, depth and unmistakable sonic identity.

Across all her projects, Cadotsch cultivates a creative approach grounded in attentive listening, collaborative spirit, and a deep focus on the emotional narrative of song. Her work is equally defined by the contexts she creates for her voice, placing it in distinctive musical environments, treating sound and production as compositional elements, and creating a space where the ensemble’s individual musical identities become part of the music. Where interaction and improvisation become integral parts of its storytelling.

Alongside her concert activities, Cadotsch is active as a mentor and is particularly committed to empowering FLINTA musicians. As part of the team at the Árvore Foundation and as a board member of the cultural policy representation IG Jazz Berlin, she has been advocating for improved working conditions for freelance musicians for several years. She also serves on various juries and funding committees and has been leading the Árvore Foundation’s commission since 2022.

"The Berlin-based vocalist and songwriter has become one of the most original and distinctive voices in European jazz and beyond in recent years, she often reimagines jazz standards - Here’s that rainy day and Blame it on my youth - through a kind of controlled interiority that accentuates both her playful theatricality and emotional clarity".
Irish Times