Little Sister, Big Sounds: „3 Days of Jazz Saalfelden Leogang“ Kicks Off the Musical Year 2026

“3 Days of Jazz Saalfelden Leogang”, the compact and curated winter edition of the renowned Jazzfestival Saalfelden, will once again transform the mountain region into a vibrant laboratory for contemporary jazz. From intimate piano-cello duos to Icelandic sonic experiments, the festival showcases at unique venues just how exciting, multi-layered, and surprising jazz can sound in the here and now.

Thursday, 22 January – Festival Opening with a Jazz Documentary
On Thursday, 22 January, a free film evening at Kunsthaus Nexus will mark the festival’s official start. The ORF documentary “Jazz in Austria – From Liberation to a New Beginning” will be screened. Presented in German language, the film chronicles how jazz became a symbol of social renewal and cultural freedom in Austria after 1945.

Friday, 23 January – Resonant Contrasts
The City Parish Church of Saalfelden provides an atmospheric setting for a rare, intimate opening. The duo of Swiss pianist Colin Vallon and French cellist Vincent Courtois will present their profound album “A Simple Fall”. Their minimalist, lyrical pieces are a moving exploration of loss and the unspeakable, revealing a rare, penetrating depth.
After the church performance, the festival moves to nearby Kunsthaus Nexus. Here, French trombonist, composer, and arranger Robinson Khoury takes the stage with his trio MŸA. Khoury, a sought-after sideman for artists such as Quincy Jones and Ibrahim Maalouf, combines electroacoustic soundscapes rooted in Middle Eastern scales, oscillating between world jazz, oriental post-rock, and experimental electronics. Together with Anissa Nehari (percussion, voice) and Léo Jassef (piano, synthesizer, voice), he creates an open, multi-layered band sound that is rhythmically precise and atmospherically rich.
Following this, the Jazz Orchestra Vorarlberg, under the direction of Martin Eberle and Benny Omerzell, celebrates its 20th anniversary with “Sonus Variegate”. This impressive musical journey combines electronic beats with the warm fullness of brass and woodwind, shifting between sacred silence and powerful, earthy eruptions.

Saturday, 24 January – Dance and Sonic Adventures
Saturday begins with an unconventional, danceable, and free concert at AsitzBräu, where the rockabilly trio The Wango Tangos will kick off the early afternoon with classics by Elvis, Dolly Parton, and Johnny Cash, creating an exhilarating live atmosphere.
At Kunsthaus Nexus, a contrasting programme follows: the Joanna Duda Trio presents “Delighted”, merging driving grooves, intricate textures, and improvisational freedom into a fluid, highly distinctive sound. Immediately afterwards, the Sélène Saint-Aimé String Trio transports the audience to the musical worlds of Louisiana, the Antilles, and La Réunion – an elegant, jazzy reinterpretation of cultural identity. The evening concludes with the Icelandic band ADHD, whose music oscillates between jazz, rock, ambient, and folk. The four musicians have been playing together for almost two decades, creating a captivating and virtuosic sonic cosmos full of emotional intensity.

Sunday, 25 January – Sonic Poetry and a Multifaceted Finale
Festival Sunday is dedicated to chamber music and historical soundscapes at the Mining and Gothic Museum Leogang. At 11:00 am, the duo Sofia Labropoulou and Christian Reiner opens with an intimate dialogue that combines improvised sounds with poetic recitation, creating narrative depth. In the afternoon, Vienna-based artist Jelena Popržan closes the festival. Using viola, voice, looper, jaw harp, and glass harp, she unfolds a stylistic kaleidoscope spanning contemporary music, jazz, world, folk, and cabaret. Her solo performance promises songs full of humour, surprises, and unforgettable moments, taking the audience on a unique and unmistakable sonic journey.

A Musical Year Kick-Off Full of Curiosity and Discovery
“3 Days of Jazz Saalfelden Leogang” offers a weekend of music that touches both heart and mind. Between intimate moments and eruptive energy, the festival highlights the full diversity of the contemporary jazz scene: European, international, vibrant, and always in search of the new.
In line with sustainability principles, “3 Days of Jazz Saalfelden Leogang” is organised as a GREEN EVENT SALZBURG. This means the event is designed to be especially eco-friendly – from regional food and beverages to minimising waste.

Image: Joanna Duda Trio by Alexandra Mieczko