The Other Voice: A Chronological Essay on Women Improvisers in Switzerland, the STV and Beyond

In the early 1970s, the world of Free Improvisation and Free Jazz had very few women among its pioneers. Irène Schweizer was for a long time the only one in Switzerland, as was Maggie Nicols in the United Kingdom. They performed surrounded by men, and imposed themselves in a milieu that was largely dominated by men. Strangely enough, those women are still often forgotten in the canon of free improvisation pioneers.
In Switzerland, when STV opened its doors to improvisers in 1989, there were already a number of acknowledged female improvisers who played a leading role. Personalities such as Charlotte Hug and Franziska Baumann were instrumental in representing improvisers on the STV, where composers and performers were in the majority. Today, many organisations that promote improvised music continue to work towards egalitarian inclusion, notably by setting quotas. This article uses selected examples and interviews to show the growing importance of women’s contributions to the field of improvisation, especially in Switzerland and in the bosom of the STV.