The Jazzfestival Saalfelden is an Austrian jazz institution. Now in its 44th year, it consistently balances big names with artists deserving of wider recognition and crowd-pleasing pop acts with more esoteric projects. This year’s festival will be happening from August 22 – 25, and today, we offer you a first look at what awaits jazz fans in the mountains above Salzburg this summer…
Opening concert: Mona Matbou Riahi’s Nebulift
It’s a longstanding tradition for the Jazzfestival Saalfelden to commission an Austrian artist with the opening concert, which often serves as a sort of coming-out party for the artists – in 2016 it was the starting shot for Shake Stew’s meteoric rise; more recently, the responsibility has passed to Fabian Rucker, Manu Mayr, and Lukas König. This year, the multifaceted clarinetist Mona Matbou Riahi will be taking the lead, with a project she’s called “Nebulift”. Together with a small but scintillating cohort – Dorian Concept on synth and electronics, Manu Mayr on bass and effects, and Lou Zon providing the visual element – she aims to create “spacey, atmospheric, experimental, dreamy” soundscape, a one-hour improvisational odyssey with “different textures and stations, like…lucid dreamscapes”.
…And much, much more
The “eclectoacoustic” trio, spearheaded by Judith Schwarz, includes Jul Dillier on prepared piano and Arthur Fussy on modular synthesizer, and will be exploring the terra incognita between free improvisation and club music.
These are just two of the many Austrian acts who will be performing at the festival – and do we even need to mention the torrent of high-profile international acts coming in? Cellist and MacArther Fellow Tomeka Reid, the Dutch powerhouse Brainteaser Orchestra, the Indian/NYC avant-garde fusion of Amirtha Kidambi’s Elder Ones, and so much more – we can’t wait.
Curious? Announcements of new acts will be ongoing into the summer; you can always take a look at Saalfelden’s news page for the latest. Also, we’ll be running a full-on rundown of all the Austrian acts at the festival, including times and dates – so get your tickets now, and stay tuned! It’s going to be one for the books…