Jazz Festival Saalfelden (17-20.8.)

Saalfelden, in the midst of the magnificent Pinzgau mountains, remains an authority on the European festival calendar. Finely organized atmospheric venues invite you there when musicians from five continents unleash their creativity in an experimental way.

Artists in Residence are the Japanese koto player Michiyo Yagi and the Swiss singer Andreas Schaerer, each in a series of different constellations.

Voice phenomenon Schaerer shines among others as Stellar Stutter with American bassist Tim Lefebvre, Swiss drummer Julian Sartorius (Sophie Hunger, Matthew Herbert) and Serbian professorial electronic musician Svetlana Maraš: a real star hour. The rock and avant-pop experienced Michiyo Yagi (John Zorn, Peter Brötzmann) on the many-stringed imperial court instrument from Japan resides three times, including with electric guitarist Eivind Aarset. Highlights from the USA also include trumpeter Dave Douglas in the New Quintet - with Polish pianist Marta Warelis and drummer Joey Baron, among others - and, following in the footsteps of Albert Ayler and John Coltrane, the young tenor Zoh Amba (The New York Times: "Free jazz is her gospel") in the formation Bhakti.