Last summer’s Jazz Saalfelden Weekender taught us to stage live events while paying the utmost attention to our audience’s safety. Aware of the beneficial effects of music on the soul in times like these, we decided to not let January pass by unnoticed, but to face the future with confidence. Based on the current situation, we assume that the 3 Days of Jazz Festival will take place while we follow our rigorous safety protocol. Visitors can expect six concerts at Kunsthaus Nexus in Saalfelden and two concerts at the Mining and Gothic Museum in Leogang. In 2021, our January festival will foreground Austrian bands. After circumstances prevented the band Chuffdrone from presenting its new album last summer, it will get a chance to do so in January. Featuring Gerald Preinfalk, the GeoGeMa trio will also take to the stage as will the young band Victhamin. Two trios, Edi Nulz and The Great Harry Hillman, will perform in a powerful sextet as The True Harry Nulz project. The band AHL6 will present their album "Thinker Try to Dance". KUU will travel to the festival from Berlin and premiere songs from its new album, which will not be released until next summer. The band Gabbeh (Golnar Shahyar, Mona Matbou Riahi, and Manu Mayr) as well as the Akk:zent trio will give guest performances in the beautiful ambiance of the Mining and Gothic Museum. We are upbeat about the future and look forward to a beautiful and—in many ways—very special weekend of music in Saalfelden Leogang. Photo: KUU © Wolfgang_SIESING
After all artistic and cultural events were canceled for several months, we breathed a sigh of relief when COVID-19 measures were eased up at the end of May. We immediately decided to show the world that the Saalfelden Jazz Festival is alive and well. Heralding optimism and confidence, we set out to delight music enthusiasts with a weekend full of concerts. That’s how the idea for the Jazz Saalfelden Weekender was born. Even though our festival didn’t take its usual form with concerts occurring on the Congress Center’s main stage and on the big stage on the town square, we were still able to host happenings with music for everyone—from jazz to pop—from August 20-23, 2020. “After we were forced to cancel our original plans on April 17, we had to start from scratch at the end of May, after regulations related to COVID-19 were eased up,” states Wolfgang Hartl, Programming Saalfelden Jazz Festival. “Going back to the drawing board was easy, especially since the government of the province of Salzburg and the Federal Chancellor’s Office felt the need to support the cultural scene, which had already taken so many hits. After this long dry spell, we also wanted to offer live musical performances in Saalfelden Leogang again, with free admission. And besides, we could not have imagined a summer in Saalfelden without jazz.” The concerts took place in the city park, at Kunsthaus Nexus, at the Schloss Ritzen Museum and at the Ranch, on the roof terrace of the Congress Center and on mountain pastures, and at the legendary Fuchs bookbindery. For the first time in the festival’s history, the Saalfelden parish church also turned into a stage—with the kind permission of Father Alois Moser. Jazz greats such as Manu Delago and Lorenz Raab enchanted audiences at this special location. Additional highlights included musical walks on the sunny trails of Leogang’s Asitz mountain, where participants also enjoyed splendid views. On Friday and Saturday, Austrian musician Lukas Kranzelbinder—a regular at our festival—accompanied the hikes. Weekend guests included Mario Rom's Interzone; Training feat. Max Andrzejewski and Johnny Schleiermacher; Duo 4675 feat. Astrid & Beate Wiesinger; Fabian Rucker; Katharina Ernst; die Strottern & Blech; Voodoo Jürgens; Fuzzman; Mira Lu Kovacs; Cari Cari; Ankathie Koi; Neon and The Deons; and many more. Due to current travel restrictions, we were not able to bring musicians from all over the world to Saalfelden. “When designing the program for the Weekender, we wanted to be as inclusive as possible,” says Mario Steidl, the festival’s artistic director. “We wanted to spread joy and confidence at our festival and thus convey some sense of normalcy. Culture connects, and we are in dire need of connection right now. We therefore not only wanted to draw jazz fans, but also appeal to broader tastes and familiarize new audience members with jazz. That is why the stages at the Nexus and in the park featured jazz and pop artists in equal measure. Concerts at the bookbindery and the church clearly focused on jazz and improvised music, foregrounding musicians from Austria. In spite of the restrictions, we were able to invite some of the cream of the crop of the young Austrian jazz scene and provide a platform for them.” By spreading positivity, optimism, and joy through art, Saalfelden upheld its reputation as a city of music in the midst of the mountains in 2020. By imposing limits on audience numbers, the festival’s organizational team paid the utmost attention to safety protocols. “Together with our COVID-19 representative Markus Schwaiger from EcoService+ Consulting, we developed a comprehensive concept that guaranteed the highest degree of safety for visitors, artists, and employees at the performance venues,” explains Marco Pointner, the organizer of the Saalfelden Jazz Festival. “This year, we required visitors to register in advance for the concerts. We installed touchless scanning devices for tickets and required our visitors and employees to cover their mouths and noses with masks. We also followed a one-meter distance rule among other things. Our visitors were very understanding and grateful that we were able to organize such an inspiring festival in spite of all the restrictive measures.” The date for the 41st Saalfelden International Jazz Festival has also been set: it will take place from August 19 to 22, 2021. We look forward to welcoming you in one year!
With the app you are well informed about the line-up and all venues. Discover this year’s artists while listening to the festival-playlist, mark your favorites and create your own timetable for the event. With the push-notifications you are always up-to-date and get informed about concert changes and weather conditions. You will also be notified via push-notifications when a concert is already full and where places are still available. The Jazz app is now available in all app stores of Apple (iOS) and Google (Android): Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.greencopper.jazzfestivalsaalfelden Apple: https://apps.apple.com/app/id1472556436 Jazz Saalfelden Weekender - Safety measures & ticket information This year's concerts can only take place with a limited number of visitors. It was therefore mandatory to register for the free concerts for a day pass. In the past few days, the last registrations for free day passes have been issued. The paid concerts are already sold out. If the situation changes, we will of course inform you immediately. Because of the venues’ different sizes, day passes do not automatically guarantee admission, which will be "FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED". We will hang on to our visitors’ personal data for 28 days after the event so that the authorities can track attendees rapidly in case any visitor has tested positive for COVID-19. Each day pass comes equipped with a QR code, which will be scanned directly at the entrances to the venues. Visitors therefore will not have to register at the ticket information booth prior to the event.
When the Austrian government announced on April 17 that it was canceling all cultural events until the end of August due to Covid-19, we were saddened to learn that our festival would be affected as well. A summer without cultural events and without the Saalfelden Jazz Festival seemed to us like a summer without flowers blooming, without birds chirping, and without picnics on green pastures. When it became clear by the end of May that events could take place again if organizers followed certain guidelines, we immediately met in our backyard, turned on the barbecue, and brainstormed ideas that led to concrete plans. That’s how we came up with the JAZZ SAALFELDEN WEEKENDER! Within just a few weeks, we created a music festival for all musical tastes to stand in for our annual jazz festival. Musical events will run the gamut from jazz to pop and will take place on a variety of stages—at the Ranch, the city park, Kunsthaus Nexus, Fuchs bookbindery, the Schloss Ritzen Museum, and on alpine pastures such as Forsthofalm and Stöcklalm. Thanks to Father Alois Moser, concerts will even take place at Saalfelden’s parish church—a first in the festival’s history! The evening concert at the Ranch on August 20 as well as the three music walks on August 21, 22, and 23 will require paid admission. All other concerts in the Saalfelden city center will be free of charge. Day passes for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are now on sale in our online shop: https://www.jazzsaalfelden.com/en/tickets/buy-tickets-online Saalfelden will once again reclaim its status as a music mecca in the middle of the mountains this year—and send out a message of confidence, optimism, and joy! While going forward with our exciting plans, we are also taking the current situation very seriously and will therefore allow only a limited number of guests to our free concerts. In cooperation with our COVID-19 expert, we have developed a comprehensive plan to safeguard the health and well-being of our visitors, artists, and employees at the different venues. Information about safety measures such as compulsory mask-wearing and social distancing can be found at: https://www.jazzsaalfelden.com/en/tickets/Ticket-Info This year, these safety measures require visitors to register for free day passes. Because of the venues’ different sizes, day passes do not automatically guarantee admission, which will be "FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED". We will hang on to our visitors’ personal data for 28 days after the event so that the authorities can track attendees rapidly in case any visitor has tested positive for COVID-19. Each day pass comes equipped with a QR code, which will be scanned directly at the entrances to the venues. Visitors therefore will not have to register at the ticket information booth prior to the event. Please register online: https://www.jazzsaalfelden.com/en/tickets/buy-tickets-online In spite of all these restrictions, we are confident that we can host a successful and—in many ways—very special musical weekend in Saalfelden.
The organisers of the Saalfelden Jazz Festival can be delighted - their poster series for the 40th anniversary, which took place in August 2019, won the 34th T.A.I. WERBE GRAND PRIX 2020 in the ‘Special Jury Prize’ category. The T.A.I. ADVERTISING GRAND PRIX is held annually in the categories of print (posters, catalogues, brochures), TV and radio commercials, websites, online & digital marketing campaigns and social media campaigns. Judging is carried out both by a specialist jury chaired by advertising expert Stefan Schmertzing (Wunderknaben agency) and - and this is what makes the T.A.I. WERBE GRAND PRIX unique - by the public. Submissions that are particularly outstanding in individual areas are honoured by the expert jury with a ‘special prize’. The idea behind the lead subject: interaction and 40th anniversary The theme of the 2019 Saalfelden Jazz Festival, which was developed by the Rahofer advertising agency as in previous years, was ‘Interaction’ in the anniversary year 2019. The story of the sound creatures RRRG, ZOXX, PHNU and NNMA, which emerged from the Sounds of Saalfelden in 2017, reached its dramatic climax last year. After their creation in 2017 and their encounter in 2018, the sound creatures finally began to interact with each other - creating new worlds of sound that manifested themselves in surprising ways. A metaphor for the joy of experimentation and innovation that has characterised the Saalfelden Jazz Festival for over 40 years.
After we learned that COVID-19 restrictions pertaining to artistic and cultural events were easing up, we immediately decided to show the world that the Saalfelden Jazz Festival is alive and well. That’s when the idea for the Jazz Saalfelden Weekender was born. Heralding optimism and confidence, this series of weekend concerts aims to delight music enthusiasts. Even though we won’t be able to follow our usual routine and host concerts on the Mainstage at the Congress Center’s and the town square’s big stages, we will be able to organize a musical happening from August 20 to 23, 2020 with a concert for every taste, from jazz to pop. Concerts will take place in the city park, at Kunsthaus Nexus, on alpine pastures, in the Schloss Ritzen Museum, at the “ranch,” on the roof terrace of the Congress and in the popular Fuchs bookbindery. Additional highlights will include guided hikes with musical accompaniment through the surrounding mountain scenery. Musical acts will include Mario Rom’s Interzone, Krokofant feat. Ingebrigt Haker Flaten & Stale Storlokken, „Training“ feat. Max Andrzejewski & Johnny Schleiermacher, Duo 4675 Astrid & Beate Wiesinger, Fabian Rucker, Katharina Ernst, Lukas Kranzelbinder, the Strottern & Blech, Voodoo Jürgens, Fuzzman, Mira Lu Kovacs, My Ugly Clementine, and many more.
We have all been affected by the events of the past few weeks and months. In Austria, due to Covid19, all events are officially prohibited until August 31, 2020. We too have to accept the developments and decisions of the federal government and announce with a heavy heart that the Jazz Festival Saalfelden 2020 will be canceled. We see it as our responsibility to offer visitors and artists the greatest possible security, this is why we decided not to postpone the jazz festival to another date. We are looking forward to seeing you again in Saalfelden in August 2021. Let's stay positive, we are looking forward to a great festival next year - August 19th-22nd, 2021. But more importantly at the moment: stay healthy!
It is a time-honored tradition for the artistic management to commission an Austrian musician with opening the festival. This year, the Austrian Fabian Rucker has received this distinction. Fabian Rucker and his eponymous quintet will open the festival with a performance on the Main Stage. RUCKER Fabian Rucker – saxophones, synth Philipp Nykrin – piano, synth Mike Gamble – guitars Kurt Kotheimer – bass, synth Peter Kronreif – drums First Highlights Saalfelden is proud to present a selection of bands from the very diverse Austrian jazz scene this summer. While Christoph Cech will open the Short Cuts series with his 16-member ensemble on Thursday, the bands Chuffdrone and Mario Rom’s Interzone will present their newly released albums on the Mainstage. We are pleased to welcome drummer Katharina Ernst—who will present several of her projects—as Saalfelden’s 2020 artist-in-residence. We can also look forward to performances by Astrid and Beate Wiesinger—aka „Duo 4675“. As well by Georg Vogel and his band Dsilton, and by „GeoGeMa“ (Georg Vogel, Gerald Preinfalk, and Matheus Jardim). Last but not least, the Orwah Saleh Band and Karl Ritter will showcase their exceptional artistic vision on the City Stage.
For the first time, all three days of the festival were completely sold out. A total of nine concerts were played on three different stages. On Friday and Saturday, three concerts each took place at the Kunsthaus Nexus, one at the Stöcklalm in Leogang (free of charge) and on Sunday two more at the Mining and Gothic Museum, also in Leogang. In contrast to the Saalfelden Summer Festival, the ‘3 Days of Jazz’ is a smaller festival organised in winter in the heart of Salzburg's Innergebirge mountains. The festival was organised jointly by the Saalfelden Tourist Board and the Centre for Contemporary Music Association. Well-known names from the European jazz scene and Austrian jazz formations On Thursday, the festival opened with a film. ‘Brüder Kühn - Zwei Musiker spielen sich frei’ - a documentary portrait of the two German jazz musicians Rolf (born in 1929) and Joachim Kühn (born in 1944), who have achieved world fame independently of each other and continue to perform despite their advanced age. On Friday, the ‘3 Days of Jazz’ were officially opened at Kunsthaus Nexus. As every year, the artistic director, Mario Steidl, has awarded the opening project to an Austrian musician - this year the Austrian trumpeter Lorenz Raab was invited to perform. The Lorenz Raab Septet followed in the footsteps of Miles Davis and took the piece ‘In a Silent Way’ by Joe Zawinul as the starting point for a musical expedition of this legendary recording. International musicians from France, the USA, Germany, Hungary and Italy were represented. These included French jazz saxophonist Émile Parisien, who presented his latest album ‘Double Screening’ with his quartet. Another well-known name in the programme was Ken Vandermark, who joined forces with the musicians from Grencsó Collective Special 5 and performed the closing concert on Friday. Klaus Paier, Asja Valcic, Gerald Preinfalk and Patrice Héral set new standards in exploring the not quite everyday combination of their instruments and invited the audience to the concert on Saturday evening at Kunsthaus Nexus. Other highlights included the French trio Aïrés and the Italian band Ghost Horse, who performed with the exceptional American artist Dan Kinzelman. Sunday at the Leogang Mining and Gothic Museum was all about Austrian musicians. The exceptional young musician Clemens Sainitzer gave a cello solo in the newly opened Thurnhaus, followed by a performance by Gerald Preinfalk with Klaus Paier, who have been making music together for more than 20 years. On Saturday afternoon, the Salzburg blues/rock band Brother Buffalo gave a free concert at the Stöcklalm on the Asitz. The musicians set the mood with powerful riffs, soulful voices and groovy beats.
Unlike the Saalfelden Summer Festival, “3 Days of Jazz” is a smaller event that takes place in the snow-clad mountainscape of the Salzburg Alps. The 2020 festival will welcome giants of the European jazz scene as well as young Austrian formations. 9 Concerts on 3 Stages On Friday and Saturday, three concerts will take place at Kunsthaus Nexus in Saalfelden and two at the Mining and Gothic Museum; and there will be one free event at the Stöcklalm in Leogang. Visitors who arrive one day early on Thursday for a short winter vacation in Saalfelden Leogang can also catch an evening performance of Brüder Kühn - Zwei Musiker spielen sich frei at Kunsthaus Nexus. This documentary tells the story of German jazz musicians Rolf and Joachim Kühn. Born in 1929 and 1944, respectively, each one of the two brothers has struck out on his own to achieve worldwide fame. In spite of their advanced age, they are still very present on the stage. Together with Klaus Paier, Asja Valcic, and Patrice Héral, Rolf Kühn will perform at Kunsthaus Nexus on Saturday. At 90, he is the oldest musician to perform at the 2020 “3 Days of Jazz” Festival. Austrian trumpeter Lorenz Raab will officially open the “3 Days of Jazz” Festival on Friday. Taking cues from Joe Zawinul’s track “In a Silent Way,” his septet strikes out on a musical expedition to create some seriously rocky grooves with their electrified instruments. Musicians from France, the United States, Germany, Hungary, and Italy will participate in the winter festival, among them French jazz saxophonist Émile Parisien, who will present his newest album “Double Screening” with his quartet. Another headliner is Ken Vandermark, who will be joining forces with the Grencsó Collective Special 5 to perform in the closing act on Friday. Other highlights include the French trio Aïrés and the Italian band Ghost Horse, which has teamed up with the exceptional American artist Dan Kinzelman. The Sunday performance at the Leogang Mining and Gothic Museum will showcase Austrian musicians. Clemens Sainitzer will perform a cello solo concert in this intimate setting. Perfectly attuned to each other for the past 20 years, Gerald Preinfalk and Klaus Paier will also perform at this venue. In addition to the concerts at Kunsthaus Nexus and the Mining and Gothic Museum, a free concert will take place at the Stöcklalm in Leogang’s Asitz ski region on Saturday afternoon, when Brother Buffalo serves up some sharp rock songs. Tickets: Friday: € 30 (advance sale), € 35 (at the door, Nexus) Saturday: € 30 (advance sale), € 35 (at the door, Nexus) Sunday: € 45 (advance sale), € 55 (at the door, Museum) Student rates: up to the age of 26: 50% reduction on all tickets (upon presentation of a student ID) In 2020, Ö1 members will again receive a 15% reduction on regular ticket prices. Tickets are available at the Saalfelden Tourism Board: phone: +43 (0)6582 70660 | fax: +43 (0)6582 70660 -99 e-mail: monika.seer@saalfelden-leogang.at, martina.ellmauer@saalfelden-leogang.at
