In Saalfelden Leogang, jazz is brought out of smoky basement pubs and into the light and fresh mountain air. At the jazz festival at the end of August, concerts are not only held indoors, but also outside in the town and up on the mountain pastures in the middle of the mountains. At these unusual venues, the performances by international musicians always have a very special sound.
International artists, different styles, unusual combinations
The Saalfelden International Jazz Festival is taking place for the 39th time this year and has become as much a part of Saalfelden as the Steinerne Meer. It is no longer just a festival for die-hard jazz fans. From 23 to 26 August, several stages vibrate at once. Even jazz amateurs, who sometimes enjoy a performance by chance, are enthusiastic about the concerts. Mario Steidl, director of the festival for 14 years, focuses on a varied programme every year: "Jazz is always interpreted very openly and is known for its diversity. We want to give this enough space in our festival programme. The sounds range from soft, sonorous tones and flowing synth solos to sharp, raw melodies. The international artists we invite explore a wide variety of styles and surprise the audience year after year with new, unusual compositions."
Half of the performances are free of charge, including the legendary Almkonzerte concerts
Over 40 concerts take place during the Saalfelden International Jazz Festival. Of these - and this is truly exceptional - 21 are free of charge. However, the Almkonzerte concerts are certainly something special: cool sounds in the middle of the mountains on the terrace of a rustic mountain pasture and free of charge for everyone. Anyone hiking or driving to the three "Jazz-Almen" can see the Austrian band Fainschmitz on 25 August from 11 am. The four musicians have dedicated themselves to the driving rhythms of gypsy swing, but create their very own modern mix. The Berggasthof Huggenberg, where Fainschmitz give their concert, is situated at 1,120 metres, high above Saalfelden. The Austrian-Polish-Brazilian band "Dobrek Bistro" will be playing at the Vorderkühbühelhof on 26 August, also at 11 am, while the Austrian duo "Die Strottern" will be performing their programme "Waundsd Woadsd" at the Stöcklalm at the middle station of the Asitzbahn in Leogang at the same time.
City Stage, Main Stage and children's concert
The four-day festival traditionally begins on Thursday evening with the "City Stage Concerts", which take place directly on the town hall square - in the centre of town - and are also free of charge. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the "Main Stage" in the Congress Haus hosts jazz music at its finest, with a total of 15 concerts. Extracts from these Main Stage concerts will take place in the Kunsthaus Nexus. Here, the six so-called "Shortcuts" will be a little more experimental. There will also be a children's concert at Kunsthaus Nexus and other free concerts on the "Nexus+" stage. Two new stages will also be opened up in 2018: Museum Schloss Ritzen and the Wirthmiller bookshop.
Download:
pm_saalfeldenleogang_jazzfestival-und-almkonzerte.pdf
