CÉDRIC DUMONT

Born: July 24th, 1916, Hamburg (Germany)

Died: May 24th, 2007, Küsnacht (Switzerland)

Nationality: Swiss

In due course, the short impression below will be replaced with a more extensive career overview

BIOGRAPHY

Cédric Dumont (Charles Frédéric Cédric Dumont-dit-Voitel) studied piano, violoncello, composing, and conducting at the Zurich Conservatoire. Between 1942 and 1946, he was pianist in the Cabaret Cornichon. After World War II, he worked as an arranger in the Hollywood studios for a while, after which he returned to Switzerland and became a record producer for the Zurich based Jecklin label. 

Dumont founded the Unterhaltungsorchester Cédric Dumont in 1946, consisting of twelve musicians; the orchestra built up a repertoire of music of different styles, ranging from entertainment, jazz, and folk tunes to light classical pieces. In 1961, the orchestra was contracted by Radio Beromünster, the main German-language radio station in Switzerland. In 1966, Dumont gave up the musical directorship of his orchestra (he was succeeded by Hans Moeckel) to become Head of Entertainment of Radiostudio Zurich; seven years later, he was appointed director of this radio station. After he was pensioned, he took to writing, publishing books on cookery and wine, as well as biographies of classical composers Schubert and Beethoven.

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST

Cédric Dumont conducted two Swiss Eurovision Song Contest entries. In 1960, he accompanied Anita Traversi to London, where she sang ‘Cielo e terra’, composed by Mario Robbiani, which reached an eighth position. Two years later, in Luxembourg, Dumont conducted the orchestra for Jean Philippe, who, with the song ‘Le retour’, came tenth. On both occasions, Dumont conducted someone else's arrangement.

EUROVISION INVOLVEMENT YEAR BY YEAR

1960 London

Country – Switzerland

Song title – “Cielo e terra”

Rendition – Anita Traversi

Lyrics – Alberto Bottazzi

Composition – Mario Robbiani

Studio arrangement – Giulio Libano

(studio orchestra conducted by Giulio Libano)

Live orchestration – Mario Robbiani

Conductor – Cédric Dumont

Score – 8th place (5 votes)

1962 Luxembourg

Country – Switzerland

Song title – "Le retour"

Rendition – Jean Philippe 

Lyrics – Emile Gardaz

Composition – Géo Voumard

Studio arrangement – Jean Bouchéty

(studio orchestra conducted by Jean Bouchéty)

Live orchestration – Jean Bouchéty

Conductor – Cédric Dumont

Score – 10th place (2 votes)