Jazzfestival Saalfelden #46

August 20–23, 2026
Four Musical Days of Pure Magic. The highlights…

Leogan Mountains

In the heart of the Pinzgau region, Jazzfestival Saalfelden—the most important jazz festival in Austria—once again took place at the end of August 2026, celebrating its 46th edition.

Jazzfestival Saalfelden was founded in 1978 in this historic Celtic town. It was first held in a horse stable and later moved to a large tent, where major names from the Austrian and international jazz scenes gathered to perform against the backdrop of the majestic Alpine mountains of Leogang and the Saalfelden Steinernes Meer plateau. In 2025, Jazzfestival Saalfelden received the Adventurous Programming Award from the Europe Jazz Network.

Mario Steidl

More than four decades after its foundation, Jazzfestival Saalfelden remains a remarkable musical adventure, curated for many years by its artistic director, Mario Steidl*. It is a stunning festival setting surrounded by Alpine mountains, forests, and lakes. This year, 56 concerts took place, more than half of them free of charge, attracting approximately 29,000 local and international visitors. The 46th Jazzfestival Saalfelden featured 175 musicians from 26 different countries.

Jazz lovers from Austria and abroad mingled with joyful Saalfelden residents of all ages. Together, they enjoyed four fabulous days of music and countless unexpected musical encounters at diverse locations throughout the town and its surroundings.

The festival’s venues included the Main Stage at Congress Saalfelden, Kunsthaus Nexus, the Otto-Gruberhalle, Ritzensee—a beautiful lake framed by idyllic Alpine scenery—the Stadtpark, Kollingwald forest, the tower of the village church, a museum, and two mountain meadows.

The four-day programme of Jazzfestival Saalfelden is highly versatile, with a particular focus on avant-garde and experimental music for seasoned jazz enthusiasts and adventurous listeners. At the same time, the festival offers an accessible selection of musical projects ranging from so-called world music to rock-jazz crossovers. Many of these concerts take place on the Stadtpark stage, where the audience can enjoy the open space, dance freely, and let the music carry them away.

*The interview I had at Congress Saalfelden with Mario Steidl, artistic director of Jazz Festival Saalfelden is available in Jazz’halo’s interviews section

Day One: Thursday, August 20

As every year, the first concert took place early in the morning on a mountain overlooking the Saalfelden plateau. Lukas Kranzelbinder from Austria once again led the hike with his double bass for the “We Hike Jazz Naturkino” open-air concert.

He was joined by four outstanding musicians: Camila Nebbia from Argentina on saxophone, Aymeric Avice from France on trumpet, and Sun-Mi Hong from South Korea on drums.

In the afternoon, I saw two wonderful concerts at the Stadtpark, where I had the opportunity to witness the joy and love for music felt by the local community. Grandmothers danced alongside delighted children, creating an atmosphere of warmth and celebration.

The first performance was given by the Italian female quintet La Cumbinate from Apulia. The group consists of Rossella Di Donna on vocals and ukulele, Federica Guido on saxophone, Sabrina De Mitri on saxophone, Lucia Chezza on guitar, Maria Cristina Tanzi on bass, and Marta Chiara Maggioni on percussion.

They performed music from South America and Italy in Spanish, Portuguese, and an Italian dialect from their homeland.

La Cumbinate

The Jamaican reggae singer Italee followed with her octet from Jamaica, Austria and Czech Republic (Italee on voice, Vitus Denifl on saxophone and percussion, David Saudek on trumpet and flugelhorn, Raphael Schwarzacher on vocals and guitar, Florian Fürhapter on guitar, Martin Forster on bass, David Ronacher on keys and organ and Thomas Mantl on drums), and soon had the entire audience dancing. Children in particular leapt onto the stage and sang along with the charismatic singer, who also invited Rossella Di Donna of La Cumbinate to join her. It was pure conviviality and communion—the magic of Jazzfestival Saalfelden’s popular approach, with free concerts open to everyone at the Stadtpark.

Italee

Another characteristic feature of Jazzfestival Saalfelden is the Shortcuts series: outstanding concerts presented on the stage of the magnificent Kunsthaus Nexus. There, I saw a remarkable performance by DaughterDaughter, a quartet assembled especially for the festival’s 46th edition.

   
DaughterDaughter

The group brought together four talented female musicians from Denmark, Argentina, South Korea, and Germany: saxophonists Amalie Dahl and Camila Nebbia, drummer Sun-Mi Hong, and cellist Elisabeth Coudoux. All four are highly accomplished improvisers, and their performance was both adventurous and compelling.


In the evening, a powerful concert took place on the open-air stage of the Otto-Gruberhalle. The female trio Mel*E delivered an energetic performance centered on the groovy and astonishing music from their debut album, ‘Proud’, in front of a captivated audience.

Mel*E

Viola Hammer on keyboards and synthesizers, Judith Ferstl on acoustic bass and bass synthesizer, and Judith Schwarz on extended drums created a fascinating sound supported with a great light experience.

The interview I had with Judith Schwarz and Judith Ferstl in Saalfelden after their concert is available in Jazz’halo’s interviews section

Day Two — Friday, August 21

On the second day of the Jazz Festival Saalfelden, Yvonne Moriel—a remarkable Austrian musician, composer, bandleader, and winner of the 2024 Austrian Jazz Prize in the Newcomer category—opened the festival’s Main Stage at Congress Saalfelden. Yvonne Moriel, who had already captivated Saalfelden audiences several years earlier, presented a commissioned concert with her sextet “Strange Motion”, created especially for Jazzfestival Saalfelden 2026.

Yvonne Moriel “Strange Motion"

She invited five outstanding musicians with whom she had never performed before: Antonis Anissegos on piano and keyboards, Miriam Adefris on harp, Manu Mayr on acoustic and electric bass, Toma Gouband on drums, and Max Andrzejewski on drums. Yvonne Moriel played saxophone.

The interview I had with Yvonne Moriel after their concert with her “Strange Motion” sextet is available in Jazz’halo’s interviews section

Hours before the Congress Saalfelden Main Stage opening, the tower of the local church was enveloped in a sonic enchantment. The audience could not see the sui generis French Breton bagpiper Erwan Keravec, whose instrument enchanted a mesmerized crowd gathered in the gardens surrounding the church.

This was one of the highly unique and conceptual concert settings that Jazzfestival Saalfelden offers its visitors. Performances sometimes take place in an old bookbindery, a museum, or an art gallery. There was also the annual concert on a rowing boat traveling around the romantic Ritzensee on Sunday morning, opening the concerts on the festival’s final day. Another concert took place among the majestic pine trees of the Kollingwald forest, while yet two more were held on a mountain pasture.

Another superb Shortcut concert at the Kunsthaus Nexus was presented by Christoph Cech & oenm „Satiesfaction“. The magnificent musicians were Valentina Cinquini on harp, Dušan Kranjc on trombone, Stefan Konzett on trombone, and Christoph Cech on piano and electronics. Christoph Cech, a virtuosic Austrian pianist, composer, conductor, and teacher, presented a wonderful programme of new compositions. It was a fantastic concert.

The interview I had with Christoph Cech after his concert with the oenm ensemble in Saalfelden after their concert is available in Jazz’halo’s interviews section

Day Three — Saturday, August 22

For me the day began with a Shortcut concert at the fabulous Kunsthaus Nexus. I witnessed a remarkable trio comprising musicians from Austria, the United States, and France. They had met for the first time only about an hour before their fascinating, completely improvised performance.

Using drums, electronic cymbals, trumpet, electronic keyboards, and a bagpipe, the trio amused and enthralled the audience. It was pure magic, with Lukas König on drums, cymbals, and cornet; Rob Mazurek on trumpet and electronic effects; and Erwan Keravec on bagpipe. It was an awesome performance.

The interview I had with Lukas König after his concert with Rob Mazurek and Erwan Keravec is available in Jazz’Halo’s interviews section.

Marta Sánchez

Later, at Kunsthaus Nexus, the second Shortcut concert of the day featured Spanish pianist Marta Sánchez, who is based in Brooklyn and had also performed with her band at the Main Stage the previous day. Seated at the Nexus grand piano, she presented music from her solo album, “For the Space You Left”. It was a very special performance featuring compelling and thought-provoking music.

Without a doubt, the highlight of the day—and likely of the entire 46th Jazzfestival Saalfelden—was the wonderful parade concert “The Big Shake — A Saalfelden Homecoming”, featuring Shake Stew and the local brass bands Bürgermusik Saalfelden and Eisenbahner Stadtkapelle.

Seventy musicians performed together, beginning at the Rathausplatz, where the parade started, and continuing to the stage in the popular Stadtpark. There, the parade culminated in an exuberant concert and an immense celebration led by the extraordinary septet Shake Stew: Lukas Kranzelbinder on bass, guembri and kalimba, Yvonne Moriel on saxophone and flute, Mario Rom on trumpet, Johannes Schleiermacher, saxophone and flute, Oliver Potratz on electric and acoustic bass, Nikolaus Dolp on drums and percussion and Herbert Pirker on drums and percussion.

Shake Stew is an Austrian ensemble that was formed exactly ten years ago for the opening concert of the Saalfelden Jazz Festival in 2016. This year, the group celebrated its tenth anniversary by performing with the local traditional music ensembles Bürgermusik Saalfelden, directed by Wolfgang Schwabl, and Eisenbahner Stadtkapelle, directed by Christian Hofer.

The interview I had with Lukas Kranzelbinder is available in Jazz’halo’s interviews section.

Later in the afternoon, the lights of the Main Stage at Congress Saalfelden came on for five outstanding musical projects.

First was the Danish-German-Serbian trio SDLW—Stefanovich, Lillinger, Westergaard—with Tamara Stefanovich on piano, Christian Lillinger on drums, and Jonas Westergaard on bass. They opened the stage with a powerful fusion of contemporary music, experimental music, and avant-garde jazz.

   
Sheen Trio

The second concert of the afternoon featured Sheen Trio, a fabulous international ensemble based in Berlin. Founded by Iranian musician and composer Shabnam Parvaresh, the trio also features Ula Martyn-Ellis, an Australian guitarist and Philipp Buck, a German drummer. Together, they delivered a marvelous performance featuring music from their debut album “Transitory”. It was a delightful concert.

The interview I had with Shabnam Parvaresh after her concert with Sheen Trio is available in Jazz’halo’s interviews section.

Every year, Jazzfestival Saalfelden brings outstanding musicians from across the Atlantic to its Main Stage. This third day was no exception.

Darius Jones/Otomo Yoshihide Quintet

The first of these performances was by Brooklyn-based alto saxophonist Darius Jones/Otomo Yoshihide Quintet, featuring two drummers. The ensemble consisted of Darius Jones on alto saxophone, Yokohama's guitarist Otomo Yoshihide, Nick Dunston on double bass, Gerald Cleaver on drums, and Yasuhiro Yoshigaki on drums.
It was a delightful performance in the spirit of Sun Ra.

The final concert of the evening on the Main Stage was a magnificent performance by the Chicago Underground Duo, which provided a perfect conclusion to the night’s concert lineup. After eleven years of silence, trumpeter, electronic musician, and composer Rob Mazurek and drummer, percussionist, and composer Chad Taylor returned with a new album, “Hyperglyph”.

Chicago Underground Duo

The duo delivered an extraordinary fusion of African rhythms and highly fluid improvisation in a remarkable concert before a full house.

The concerts by the Darius Jones and Otomo Yoshihide Quintet and the Chicago Underground Duo were broadcasted live from Congress Saalfelden during a radio program hosted by musicologist Andreas Felber on Ö1, Austria’s most important FM radio station.

Day Four — Sunday, August 23

The day began early in the middle of the romantic Ritzensee, facing the Leogang Mountains and the Kollingwald forest. Following an already well-established Jazzfestival Saalfelden tradition, a rowing boat carrying Breton bagpiper Erwan Keravec traveled across the lake. From the surface of the water, his bagpipes sent ethereal sounds toward the campers, swimmers, and audience gathered around the lake. The romantic scenery was slightly disrupted by the ambulance boat following Keravec’s rowing boat around the lake. It was a repeat performance of the music heard near the church on the festival’s second day.

A couple of hours later, magic arrived among the pine trees surrounding the stage in the Kollingwald forest. It was probably the most intense musical moment of the day —one that will remain in the hearts and memories of those who were present.

Distant soundscapes emerged from an invisible source in every direction: baffling sounds full of mystery and enchantment, including whistles, birdlike voices, percussive sounds made on the trees, and an indescribable tap-tap produced by an unseen instrument.

   
Almut Kühne

Then the curtain of suspense lifted. From three different directions among the trees, three remarkable artists from Germany and Austria approached the stage: Almut Kühne on voice, Lukas Kranzelbinder on acoustic bass and guembri, and Max Andrzejewski on drums and percussions.

   
Max Andrzejewski & Lukas Kranzelbinder

Slowly, they reached the stage and continued their magic with a breathtaking performance—a pure and beautiful improvisation created with voice, guembri, acoustic bass, drums, and percussion.

The interview I had with Lukas Kranzelbinder, in which he describes the details of this extraordinary spontaneous performance in the Kollingwald fores is available in Jazz’halo’s interviews section.

On Sunday night, the Jazzfestival Saalfelden came to an end with a well-established tradition: a free jam session at Kunsthaus Nexus. For its 46th edition, Jazzfestival Saalfelden presented the “Spiritual Unity Session”, led by Lukas Kranzelbinder.

   
Lukas Kranzelbinder & Niki Dolp

Many outstanding musicians performed, including Lukas Kranzelbinder on acoustic bass and kalimba; Sofia Salvo on saxophone; Johannes Schleiermacher on tenor saxophone; Cuong Vu on trumpet; Jonathan Goldberger on electric guitar; Sun-Mi Hong on drums; Niki Dolp on drums; Yvonne Moriel on saxophone; Lukas König on drums; Herbert Pirker on drums; Dan Peter Sundland on voice, Valentin Schuster on drums, along with many other musicians and singers.

As every year, the session took place in the café-bar at Nexus. The concert is so popular that it is almost impossible to find a standing place without arriving several hours in advance. The musicians played in a state of musical frenzy throughout the long night, divided into several sets. When I left, the concert was still in full swing—it was already two o’clock in the morning.

It was an absolutely fabulous night of improvisation.

Text & photos © Federico Garcia

As you can tell, I really enjoyed this year's Jazzfestival Saalfelden 46.
See you perhaps next year at Jazzfestival Saalfelden 47, August 19–22, 2027.

https://www.jazzsaalfelden.com/en