HOCH KULTUR FESTIVAL

Nicholas Ofczarek & Musicbanda Franui
HOLZFÄLLEN (Woodcutters)
Based on the novel by Thomas Bernhard

The Vienna Burgtheater production “Holzfällen,” which has been successfully performed more than fifty times on major stages across the German-speaking world, comes to East Tyrol. Nicholas Ofczarek, renowned stage and film actor, and Musicbanda Franui present their very own, very unique approach to Thomas Bernhard’s scandalous novel.
The production was praised as “An enchanting irritation” by daily newspaper Kurier, as “Beautifully grumpy,” by the Süddeutsche Zeitung, while the Austrian Press Agency commented: “It took only three names to fill the Burgtheater to the last seat: Thomas Bernhard, Nicholas Ofczarek and Musicbanda Franui.”
This extraordinary music-theater event will be the first to be presented at the Festival Tent, a circus tent in the center of Innervillgraten proper, which will also serve as an alternative venue in case of bad weather during the other festival days.

Musicbanda Franui
Christiane Karg, soprano
Simply Quartet, string quartet
Áron Horváth, cimbalom
Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin, zen-funk quartet

With the first item on the open-air program, a long-held wish of Musicbanda Franui will finally come true: a joint performance with soprano Christiane Karg, internationally acclaimed opera and concert singer, presenting songs by Schubert and Mahler as well as — another premiere for Franui — several songs by Richard Strauss.
Next will be the award-winning Simply Quartet, loved by audiences in many musical capitals for their amazing stylistic range.
The cimbalom, the Eastern European variant of the hammered dulcimer, is played by few with the virtuosity demonstrated by the young Hungarian Áron Horváth, a “rising star” frequently invited to concert halls throughout Europe. His music moves between folk traditions, Béla Bartók and jazz (and back again).
The first concert day is rounded off by Ronin, the ensemble masterminded by Swiss pianist and producer Nik Bärtsch. The quartet’s hypnotic music merges funk, groove, classical influences and elements of Japanese Zen into something entirely new.

The Erlkings, folk-art-song quartet
Viviane Chassot, accordion
Johanna Summer, jazz piano
Elektro Guzzi, acoustic techno band
Musicbanda Franui

No one can transform a traditional Kunstlied (art song) into a contemporary song as playfully as the US-American/Viennese singer Bryan Benner and his ensemble The Erlkings, who make their East Tyrol debut at Unterstaller Alm.
Between the songs, Swiss accordionist Viviane Chassot will perform several classical piano sonatas beautifully arranged for accordion.
Next, the legendary acoustic techno band Elektro Guzzi will take over the stage on the alpine meadow with their electric guitar, bass and drums. Between their floating tracks, outstanding pianist Johanna Summer will improvise at the piano. She is one of the rising stars of the European jazz scene and already delighted listeners at the first Hoch Kultur Festival in 2023.
To conclude the concert day, Franui will present a compilation of favorite pieces from their musical cabinet, a collection they started to assemble 33 years ago, when the East Tyrolean Musicbanda first got together. No one knows exactly what will happen. Only three things are certain: there will be something by Schubert, a funeral march will definitely be played, and heartfelt singing will be heard.

Vox Clamantis, vocal ensemble (conductor: Jaan-Eik Tulve) Wolfgang Muthspiel, guitar
Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano
Florian Boesch, baritone
Musicbanda Franui

The 12-member Estonian vocal ensemble Vox Clamantis are famous for their unique sound and for their passion both for early Western polyphony and for contemporary choral music. Their recordings of compositions by Arvo Pärt have won them a Grammy Award.
Amid this vocal splendor one of Austria’s most famous jazz musicians, guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel, will take a seat and perform his “Études.”
Then one of the greatest musicians of our time will take the stage: French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard. Many important composers have written works for him, and he is a regular guest at major international festivals and concert series and performs with renowned orchestras. Now he has added the Unterstaller Alm to his tour schedule — out of his friendship with Musicbanda Franui and bass-baritone Florian Boesch. As the finale of the alpine meadow festival, Franui and Boesch will perform their acclaimed version of Franz Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin.