40th International Jazz Festival Saalfelden exceeded all expectations

The festival was completely revamped for its anniversary. The organisers worked feverishly for over a year on the further development of the festival and implemented their visionary ideas with great passion.  Over 80 concerts, 60 of which were free to attend, delighted several thousand visitors. Numerous new stages were created. A festival centre was built on the town square in front of the Congress with its own concert stage and a young and attractive catering concept. Another new feature was the stage in Saalfelden town park - a meeting place in the middle of the countryside. Artists in residence projects by Maja Osojnik and Lukas König were staged in an old, empty district court as well as in the Fuchs bookbindery. Other highlights were the numerous flash mobs in unusual locations, for which the artist Lukas Kranzelbinder spontaneously joined forces with other musicians.

The Ranch, the place where it all began in 1978, was used again for the first time. The Sketchbook Quartet and Wolfgang Puschnig with "Fulsome X" performed here on Wednesday. The concert was completely sold out. Due to the heavy rain, the new concert tour with Lukas Kranzelbinder, Jim Black and other great musicians unfortunately had to be cut short. Instead, there were concerts in an intimate setting in the cable cars, followed by an invitation to the Alte Schmiede. 
 

The tried-and-tested stages such as the Mainstage, Almkonzerte, Shortcuts, Nexus+ and City Tracks were also a complete success once again.
 

Organiser Marco Pointner is delighted: "We broke the record this year and achieved over 25,000 concert visits. We are more than thrilled. The new stages have been wonderfully well received by the audience!"

 
The festival is traditionally opened by an Austrian artist who is commissioned to perform a project. This year, the choice fell on the young bassist Manu Mayr, who presented himself in a duo with Susanna Gartmayer. A real highlight was the 18-piece Orjazztra Vienna, founded by Christian Muthspiel. Numerous international artists also came to perform: Sylvie Courvoisier from the USA presented her new album with Ken Vandermark, Nate Wooley and Tom Rainey, as did saxophonist Anna Webber. France's vibrant jazz scene was presented by the unusual trio Abacaxi with guitarist Julien Deprez and the duo Theo Ceccaldi and Roberto Negro.  The energetic Mette Rasmussen brought the audience to boiling point during the short cuts. The exceptional saxophonist Joshua Redman, together with Ron Miles, Scott Colley and Dave King, ensured a successful finale on the main stage. Neon and the Deons, Buntspecht, Carney Villains and Shirley Davis & The Silverbacks got the crowd dancing. Lukas König and Maja Osojnik took the guests into the future and provided some WOW moments with the Artists in Residence projects.
 

Mario Steidl, Artistic Director: "We have managed to turn the jazz festival into a music festival for the whole city. With a unique flair, with great music to discover and with opportunities for numerous musicians to develop and meet. Saalfelden is at the forefront of the international jazz festival circus!"

 
Facts and figures about the 40th International Jazz Festival Saalfelden_
 

• A total of 230 artists from 19 nations (Austria, Germany, USA, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Finland, England, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Bhutan, Haiti, Denmark, Slovenia, Iran, Belgium, Poland, Turkey)
• A total of 250 journalists and organisers from 18 nations (Austria, Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, Israel, Finland, France, Norway, England, Turkey, Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, Serbia, Russia, Slovakia, USA)
• Approx. 25,000 concert visitors over five days
• 98% capacity utilisation on the Mainstage. ShortCuts and Ranch concert were completely sold out.
• 83 concerts at 15 venues, 60 of them with free admission
• Total added value: approx. 2.5 million euros

 
 
SAVE THE DATE: The 41st Saalfelden Jazz Festival will take place from 20 to 23 August 2020.