Marius Bear already wowed audiences with his voice at "Art on Ice" in 2023 - just a few days before the start of the big show, he stepped in for Rag'n'Bone Man at short notice. In February, he will once again perform with the figure skating stars, together with Stress, Birdy and Paloma Faith. Here he tells us how much he is already looking forward to the ice skating and music spectacle.
Interview: Christoph Soltmannowski
Marius Bear, how did it go back then, at "Art on Ice" 2023? A pretty spontaneous thing!
Indeed it was! I was on my way home from the WK and a song by Rag'n'Bone Man was playing on the radio when the boss of Art on Ice called me. He said they needed a replacement for Rag'n'Bone Man. His mother had died, could I fill in? After I accepted, I had to learn a lot of songs within 48 hours, together with Marc Sway and Judy Jackson. What a change of scene! First I spent the night in a bunker with 20 military colleagues and suddenly I was on stage in the Hallenstadion!
How nervous were you?
Hardly at all, actually. I had just come from the Eurovision Song Contest, where you perform in front of almost 200 million people. I was already in the flow. It took me the most nerves to get the lyrics into my head so quickly.
This time you had more time. Your colleague Stress - with whom you've already worked - is also involved.
Andres is a fantastic artist! I have huge respect for him. I can learn so much from him. He has a strong stage presence and great depth. He also has rough edges, but I can deal with that well. We feel connected somehow. "Art on Ice" has a special show theme every year. We can't reveal what the current theme is yet. Just this much: it suits me and Stress very well.
The international stars on the next "Art on Ice" tour will be Paloma Faith and Birdy - both from England. You yourself used to live in London. Have you even met them?
I once had a coffee with Birdy when we happened to be in the studio on the same day. I think her music is great. I only know Paloma Faith from her music, but I'm looking forward to our first meeting.
In the show, your vocals have to harmonize perfectly with the figure skating stars. A special challenge?
It's an advantage that I've done this before. Figure skating and music go well together. It's incredible to experience how the speed of figure skating and the music flow together.
What is important?
First and foremost, it's about dynamics. My voice is very dynamic, sometimes subtle and soft, sometimes powerful. It suits figure skating very well. After the first two shows in the Hallenstadion, this magic suddenly happens. It feels to me as if I'm only singing for the figure skaters. This close connection between music and figure skating is so much fun.
Isn't it more like one steals the show from the other?
Not at all. The principle is rather: "I sing for you - and you dance for me." Although we are 20 meters apart, this special synergy is created. I can hardly wait: I already get goosebumps thinking about it!
We're talking about synergy and collaboration - what's that like in the Swiss music scene?
We have an incredible number of talented young artists. It's important that we work together and push each other. A lot has changed for the better in the last four to five years. Everyone used to do their own thing. Today, we work together much more, which helps us all move forward and we are also more visible internationally. I like working with different artists, songwriting sessions and collaborations - that's central to creativity. My advantage is that my voice and my persona suit many things. I'm not restricted to one style and genre. That gives me freedom. I can do whatever I feel like doing.
You trained as a mechanical engineer. When did you realize that you wanted to make music your profession?
It was a long road. At first, music was always just a hobby, it was just fun. I only started playing the guitar at the age of 22. After a concert at the Kaufleuten in Zurich, director Rob Lewis told me he needed my voice for his documentary about the moon landing - he wanted me to come to New York. As an opportunist and spontaneous person, I thought that was great and agreed. A new world opened up to me in New York. That was a turning point for me.
What had happened?
Up until then, I had been making music to have a good time. After the film premiere at the Museum of Natural History, we had dinner with Neil deGrasse Tyson and Charles Duke, one of the Apollo astronauts. Then we went back to the museum: there was a huge 3D animation of the moon. There, "Charlie" Duke told us how he walked on the moon in 1972 and what he experienced up there. For half an hour! That's when I realized: Experiencing such moments and encounters as a musician is the greatest job in the world.
What plans do you have for the future?
After "Art on Ice", I want to release a lot more music in the summer and fall and work on my content. Social media and image are very important in the music industry today. And the next thing would be a singer-songwriter tour of Australia. My fiancée Jasmine and I could imagine living there for a few years. I have an Australian passport as well as a Swiss one.
Back to "Art on Ice": What are you looking forward to the most?
On the one hand, the show itself, and on the other, the team. It's mostly the same people in the production again. Some of the ice art stars from 2023 are also back. We had a really great time together last time. Because: Oh yes, they can party too! The ice skating stars also showed me that you can easily lead this kind of circus life, traveling around the world from show to show - even as a family with children. That inspires me a lot for my own future.
Elegance and acrobatics embedded in an exciting show - that's what "Art on Ice" offers. In addition to top musicians, some of the best figure skating stars will also be taking part in February 2025.
"Art on Ice": always an experience with live music, figure skating highlights and first-class multimedia stage technology.
Switzerland's 2023 European Championship bronze medallists Kimmy Repond and Lukas Britschgi will be performing on the ice, as will four-time Swiss champion Alexia Paganini. The international line-up on the ice will be led by world champion Ilia Malinin from the USA. The Italian 2024 European champions Lucrezia Beccari and Matteo Guarise, the Belgian European champion Loena Hendrickx, the two-time French European champion Adam Siao Him Fa and the German pair skaters Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin will also be there.
Marius Bear is just one of four major music stars who will join forces as the main acts for a show full of surprises. They will be joined by the live band and dancers.
