RSI, the Swiss Italian national broadcaster has confirmed to ESCToday.com that it will select its 3 candidates for the 2015 Swiss National Selection via an internal selection  by a special jury consisiting of professionals from the music industry.  Hence using the same mechanism and method the broadcaster used in 2014.

RSI, has opened the song submission period for artists, musicians and composers to submit their entries for the 2015 Swiss Italian Eurovision selection.  The deadline for applicants to submit their entries is 15 October.  Once all entries are received RSI will evaluate all the songs and shorlist them.  Hereafter a special panel of expert jury members composed of professionals from the music industry ( singers, composers, producers, etc) will select 3 candidates for the SECOND PHASE of the 2015 Swiss Eurovision National Selection.

Hence RSI will not organize a televised regional semifinal or a radio regional final, it will select its 3 candidates via an internal selection by an expert jury.

During the 2nd Phase of the selection a total of 18 acts will audition live in front of a special jury and pannel of judges ( 9 acts selected by SRF/RTR, 3 by RSI and 6 by  RTS). After an exhaustive evaluation and deliberation the expert jury will shorlist a total of 6 candidates who will compete for the golden ticket to Austria at the 2015 Swiss Eurovision national final on 31 January in Kreuzlingen. ( 3 acts from RTR/SRF, 1 act from RSI, 2 acts from RTS).

Artists and candidates wishing to send in their entries for the 2o15 Swiss Italian Eurovision selection can do by sending their entries and material to :

Eurovision Song Contest

RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera di lingua italiana

CP

6903 Lugano

The 2015 Swiss Eurovision entry and representative will selected via a 50/50 jury- public televoting deliberation.

Sebalter won the 2014 Swiss Eurovision national final last February and  represented Switzerland at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest with his entry Hunters of stars. Switzerland achieving a 13th place in the grand final in Copenhagen.

Switzerland is one of the founder members of the Eurovision Song Contest, having hosted the very first edition in Lugano in 1956 and winning the very first grand prix with Lys Assia‘s Refrain on home ground. The Helvetic nation has won the event 2 times in 1956 with Lys Assia and in 1988 with Celine Dion’s Ne partez pas sans moi.

Stay tuned to ESCToday.com for the latest news on Switzerland and the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest.