Shanghai & Switzerland

The evening opened with Giorgi Gigashvili. ECHO Rising Star, BBC New Generation Artist—and one of the finest pianists of his generation. That night, he played the Steinway & Sons Noé, one of only 88 such instruments in the world. Classical, then boogie, then jazz, and back again. Everything interpreted in his own style, much of it improvised. A journey through time and genres. And as he played, he sang. The response spoke for itself.

The evening was hosted by Uli Maybach, a Seazen contributor from the very beginning. He traveled in from San Francisco just for the occasion—an honor for us. He emceed with charm and humor, had the right anecdote for every topic, and kept drawing smiles from the audience.

The first talk: Shanghai. Dr. Thomas Hauer, journalist and Asia expert, packs more knowledge into a single sentence than some manage in an entire paragraph. He spoke of a city of contrasts. Pudong, still rice paddies 35 years ago, today a skyline of some 3,000 high-rises. Then the old Shikumen lanes, the promenade along the Bund, the food. And his visit to the AP House there. A city that astonishes, indulges, and amuses.

The second talk: Switzerland. Andrin Willi, Swiss hotel tester, and Laurence Rochat, Olympic bronze medalist and now at home in the Vallée de Joux—the same valley as Audemars Piguet. The two spoke about their perspectives on the country: hospitality, nature, mountains. Two points of view, one Switzerland.

A big thank-you to Musik Hug for the musical opening. To tourasia, our partner and Swiss Asia specialists—without whom this evening would not have been the same. And to Audemars Piguet and the entire team: attentive hosts, from the first moment to the last. It was an honor for us to celebrate the Seazen Travel Talks together with AP.

Thank you to everyone who made this evening possible: Giorgi Gigashvili, Alexandre Berthelot, Uli Maybach, Dr. Thomas Hauer, Laurence Rochat, Andrin Willi, Farrah Mettler, Karim M’Rad, Patricia Meier Woster, Roddy Salazar, Sandra Beda, Sophie Sattore, Lou Marguet, Hannes Quaderer, and Ela Dollinger