Air & Skin
is an international music and poetry project, initiated by poet and director Julian M. Grünthal. Some of us live in Switzerland, some in Austria, some in Israel, some are born in Germany, some in Hungary – but our hearts are not confined by locations or origins. Our performances are a combination of live music and performed poetry, tender and dark, filled with desire and hope.
The lead singers are Rahel Nahely and Anat Porat. Drummer and sound artist Rolf Caflisch, guitarist Daniel Wisman, Violonist Monica Tarcsay and bass player Rees Coray complete the ensemble. All lyrics are written and read by Julian M. Grünthal.
This is us
Rahel Nahely was born in Switzerland and is at home where voices come together, sounds swirl through the air and the heart finds its expression. Whether on the theater stage, in the Bo Katzman Choir, as a wicked singer in the Variété, as a speaker, t-shirt model in Colombia, finalist of The Voice of Switzerland, or as singer songwriter – Rahel Nahely loves and lives her artistic diversity and blossoms when she is surrounded by creativity. Yes, even as a t-shirt model. From 2018 to 2021 Rahel Nahely was part of the Kulturnacht Surselva, and most recently toured Switzerland, Ireland, England, Germany and Canada with her band Rahel N' Rose. Music is medicine for her. With her powerful yet gentle voice, she takes her audience on a musical journey into her worlds that full of stories and emotions. She believes that the honest songs of the spirited and soulful artist can touch people with their unique, different colors.
Anat Porat is an Israeli singer and song writer. She is a graduate of Rimon school of music – one of Israel’s most prestigious contemporary music schools.
In the 90s, Anat performed as a backup singer for one of Israel’s top singers, Riki Gal, and was a cast member of the musical “Les Miserables”. She recorded her debut album and collaborated with fellow musicians. In 2016, Anat returned to the theatre stage as a singer and actress in a new production of “Les Miserables” at Habima National Theatre, where she performed in 300 shows. In 2017, Anat was invited as a guest singer to Sashin Orchester’s tour “Das K” in Switzerland, where she first met Julian M. Grünthal and where the two began an artistic collaboration of song writing. During that time, Anat recorded her second album and started working with musician Daniel Wisman. Over the past 3 years, Anat has been performing with Daniel and her daughter Shira throughout Israel. Anat also takes part in the “Beyond Music” project, which connects musicians from all over the world, and the song “Meadow” she co-wrote and co-performed is included in the album “Beyond Music vol.2”. Anat recently completed her new album “Back to New”, which will be released internationally over the coming months.
In that album, there are a few songs that were created with Julian M. Grunthal, and which are also a part of “Air & Skin” project.
Rolf Caflisch initiates, networks, mediates and organizes. Whether as live musician, in the studio, for Swiss radio, or in theater productions, Rolf is involved with various artists and projects. In 2008, Rolf founded the concert series WEEKLY Jazz. In 2019, he initiated and organized the integration of Chur jazz players into the new JazzChur association. In 2014, he received the recognition award of the city of Chur for his long-standing cultural commitment. In 2016, he received a three-month scholarship at the Cité International des Arts in Paris, and in 2017 he was awarded the Werkbeitrag for large projects from the Graubünden canton. He is a member of the board of the association Graubünden Musik, co-president of the Kulturraumnetzwerk Chur and executive president of JazzChur.
Julian M. Grünthal lives in Tamins, Switzerland, and works as film & theater director, screenwriter, poet and cinematographer. He is also a board member and coach at the film school Filmkids.ch.
In 2005, he graduated from the Zurich theatre school ZhdK. After his time as an ensemble member of the Theater Bielefeld, Julian began to work as a freelance artist, among others with the collective 400ASA. He co-directed the feature films "Mary & Johnny" (Berner Filmpreis) and the transmedia storytelling project and feature film "Polder" (Prix Melies for Best European Science Fiction Film) with Samuel Schwarz. In 2015, he studied cinematography and screenwriting at the Prague Film School and graduated with distinction. His short film "To the Sea" screened at the Winterthurer Kurzfilmtage, Solothurner Filmtage, Alcine Festival Alcala and Max Ophüls Preis Saarbrücken, among others. His short film "Sabotage", shot in Arosa, screened at various festivals, including the Show Me Shorts Festival in New Zealand. In 2020, he won the Grison Music Award for Best Music Video as director of the music video “Hakuna Matata” with Sandro Dietrich. In the same year, he was also awarded the Werkbeitrag by the city of Chur.
Daniel Wisman is an Israeli musician – a guitar player, arranger and musical producer. Daniel is a graduate of the musical program at Metro high school and of Rimon School of Music. In 2014, he was the chief musical instructor at the JCC & Jewish Agency summer camps for youth in Fort Lauderdale (Florida, USA), where he led sing-alongs and services for all ages. Daniel played and recorded with top Israeli musicians, and co-arranged the album of Israeli singer Odeli-a Fitoussi.
He released two original singles with a string quartet and a guest singer, Noa Margalit.
Daniel is also a music teacher of young guitar players and of musical youth ensembles.
Daniel co-wrote the original musical “The Inn”, which premiered in Tel-Aviv in 2022. In the past few years, Daniel has been collaborating with Anat Porat: they have been performing in various musical festivals across Israel, and he recently produced Anat’s new album “Back to New”.
Monica Tarcsay was born in St.Gallen as a child of Hungarian emigrants. She earned a Diploma at the Conservatory of Music in her home city and a Concert Diploma (awarded Distinction) at the Stella University of Music (FK), which she followed with further studies in Vienna. In 2010 she studied tango at La Escuela del Tango in Buenos Aires, and in 2016 she attended the Basel Academy of Music. She founded her Quinteto del Arco Nuevo
in 2010, and played concerts with accordionist Goran Kovacevic and bandoneonist Luciano
Jungman (including Munich’s Prinzregen- tentheater and the opening concert of
the Bregenz Festival). Monica’s ongoing projects include collab- orations with bando-
neonist Gustavo Battistessa, guitarist Carlos Peralta, ensemble konz.art, Peter Madsen (jazz), and Otones (pop and rock). She was violinist for the original scores for the films Die Mamba, Blunzenkönig, Die grüne Lüge, and Rettet das Dorf. She is a member of the quartet Cami- nos Nuevos. In 2020 she won 1st prize at the Music Plus competition. In 2021 she comple- ted an M.A. in Music Education (awarded Distinction) at the ABU in Linz. In 2022 she was nominated for the Culture Award of Vor- arlberg (Austria). She is also the co-founder of Trio Tractatus along with composer Marcus Nigsch. Monica is a member of the Bavarian Chamber Orchestra and the Symphony Or- chestra Vorarlberg, and teaches at Appenzell Innerrhoden (Switzerland).
Rees Coray is a Rumantsch musician who is active in the Grisons and Swiss music scene.
He is touring as a double bass player and electric bass player with bands and musicians such as Hanreti, Pascal Gamboni, Astrid Alexandre and others. Between 2015–2022,
he released 5 albums with the band Hanreti. In addition, Rees is always active in various projects. He is repeatedly booked as a bass player for studio recordings, radio and televi- sion recordings and for live performances.
In 2008 he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music (electric bass) at the Lucerne University of Music. In 2010 he completed a Master of Arts in Music Education (double bass). In 2016 he received the Canton of Graubünden working scholarship. He works as a freelance musician and music educator.