Swiss Global Artistic Foundation

Rudy W. Baur is a leading Swiss international hotelier with a keen interest in the philanthropic development of the arts, especially music.

Born in Basel and educated in Zurich, he was trained at the Swiss Hotel School in Lausanne before doing his military service as a jet fighter pilot in the Swiss Air Force. He then occupied a number of managerial positions in London and Istanbul before returning to Switzerland to head the wide international development of the Mövenpick organisation into the hotel field.

Following further studies at the Harvard Business School, he moved to Toronto in 1982 as CEO of an expanding Canadian hotel company, returning to Europe to look after the hotel portfolio of a worldwide organisation owning a chain of luxury hotels in Europe and another group in the developing world.

In 1990 he realized his personal dream by buying an abandoned patrician home with an 11-acre park close to Avignon and Orange in the South of France and transforming it into the Château de Montcaud, a small luxury hotel which is an oasis of charm, character and personal attention, and a member of Relais et Châteaux.

The Château has become noted for its close musical connections, ranging from its weekly jazz luncheons, special events in association with the annual Orange and Avignon festivals and regular recitals, often featuring outstanding new talents, discovered and encouraged by Mr Baur.

Over the past three years he has hosted the Jours des Arts Festival of the Swiss Global Artistic Foundation.