Patricia Draeger

An accordionist bridging cultures

Patricia Draeger has spent decades exploring the worlds of folk music, jazz and the sounds of other musical traditions. Born in Zug in 1964, the accordionist sees her instrument as a connecting element: she creates textures, sounds and atmospheres that allow musicians from different cultures to come together into a single whole.

Raised in a musical household, Draeger started playing the accordion at the age of four and soon added piano and flute to her repertoire. Her journey took her from studies in contemporary music and stays in Amsterdam, to the new folk music of Hans Kennel’s Alpine Experience, across Europe with the Yehudi Menuhin-supported Trio Avodah, as well as across Asia with Heiri Känzig’s Tien-Shan-Express. She has had a close collaboration with Albin Brun for over 20 years and, through Corin Curschellas, she came to know the Romansh folk song tradition. Other key figures include Christy Doran, Isa Wiss, Sina and, of course, her husband: the accordionist Sergej Simbirev, to whom she has been married for over 30 years.

A residency in Cairo became a key experience for Draeger and led to the founding of her ensemble Ala Fekra, a collaboration with Egyptian musicians. The ensemble will present its second CD in December 2026.

Patricia Draeger finds peace and tranquility in nature, which she describes as her most important inspiration alongside music.

Excerpt from the jury statement

Patricia Draeger is a musical border-crosser, always on equal footing and far removed from folkloristic exoticism.