SALZKAMMERGUT 2024

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Capital of Culture Region

During the summer of 2024 Hubert von Goisern sparked acoustic attacks in the Capital of Culture region, Salzkammergut 2024. He appeared in each municipality with changing lineups and when the weather was dry the artists marched forth and played for about an hour at chosen locations in the region. In a number of towns, there were also summer evening concerts in small venues. Details for each of the events were released at short notice on Hubert's social media as well as on Freies Radio Salzkammergut.

The following artists took part in the project – HvG Culture Award winners, long-term band member and old musical friends from the USA:

The journey through the Salzkammergut took Hubert von Goisern and his guest musicians from lake shores to town squares and church grounds. One day they would play to a crowd in the heart of towns beloved by tourists, another date would find them in an old quarry, only accessible by boat. When the Hubert von Goisern Culture Award winners – Anna Buchegger, Claudia Schwab & Trio Hupsala, Christoph Sietzen, Kimyan Law, Marcus Hinterberger and Zelda Weber – joined the project, they collaborated with Hubert on a number of songs, but the focus was firmly on these up-and-coming artists. With the arrival of Bob Bernstein (Federn Tour 2015-16, Album Zeiten & Zeichen) and Enrique Martinez (Zeiten & Zeichen) from the USA, country, bluegrass and Latin American flavour came to the Salzkammergut. The finale of the street music tour brought St. Wolfgang into the fold – the one municipality not to participate in the Capital of Culture year – complete with a gentle sideswipe in the form of a silent rendition of Heast as nit.  

The street music tour

Summer evening concerts

The summer draws to a close

The last of the 24 street music concerts took place on 29 August in St. Wolfgang, in the municipality that rejected the Capital of Culture community. But it was the express wish of Director Elisabeth Schweeger to include the little town on the shore of Lake Wolfgang nonetheless. And I was in complete agreement with her. St. Wolfgang is part of the Salzkammergut, just as Great Britain is part of Europe, whether they like it or not.

Given these circumstances, it was then a special kind of concert. But weren't they all? Yes, without exception. And just when summer seemed to be ahead of me, it is now coming to an end. Bluesy melancholy mixes with the anticipation of a glowing orange autumn. However, I confess to being happy that the street music chapter is now finished. Originally intended as a relaxed finger exercise, I had rather underestimated it in all its dimensions. Admittedly, I always do that.

I hadn't planned on contributing a great to the Capital of Culture, aside from being prepared to be involved with the committee and to serve as an in-house ambassador. When I disbanded my group last autumn and announced that I would be stepping away from the stage in order to take a long break, I certainly didn't foresee playing more concerts than in the "concert year" of 2023.

However, Elisabeth Schweeger caught me off guard, as they say, and since I'm no fan of doing things by halves, one thing led to another.

No half measures. And I regret nothing – neither the involvement in the opening ceremony with the "Choir of One Thousand" at the start of the Capital of Culture year, nor the 24 street music concerts and numerous other summer evening concerts, nor the benefit concert for St. Florian.

I didn't want to miss the experiences I had along the way. Not the encounters with people and certainly not the playing of music in so many different lineups, in so many beautiful places in my homeland.

The open air season is now at an end. Come November there will be seven concerts with the Lungau Big Band, all in concert halls. But then, after forty concerts and a number of public appearances, I'm really ready to get away from it all, that is, away from the public eye. I want to turn my back on the noise of the stage world and face my inner unrest. That's hardly an uncomplicated challenge, but one for which I need to take stock. And one that only works (for me at least) when the spotlight goes out and the stage smoke no longer meaningfully envelops me.

I imagine it'll take two years. But then again, I thought the same thing thirty years ago, when I disbanded the Alpinkatzen. Two years became seven before I stepped back on stage. So it's a cautious and at the same time daring forecast. I still allow myself to dream of giving concerts again in 2027.

With that, I close the chapter of summer fairytale of street music with gratitude and I look forward to meeting the daughters of memory, the muses.

Hubert von Goisern
Salzburg, on the last day of August

The finale in St. Wolfgang with Marcus Hinterberger

Hubert von Goisern presents Marcus Hinterberger in St. Wolfgang

Foto: © Tina Tanzer

Hubert von Goisern präsentiert Marcus Hinterberger in St. Wolfgang

Foto: © Tina Tanzer

Hubert von Goisern präsentiert Marcus Hinterberger in St. Wolfgang

Foto: © Tina Tanzer

Hubert von Goisern präsentiert Marcus Hinterberger in St. Wolfgang

Foto: © Tina Tanzer

Hubert von Goisern präsentiert Marcus Hinterberger in St. Wolfgang

Foto: © Tina Tanzer

Hubert von Goisern präsentiert Marcus Hinterberger in St. Wolfgang

Foto: © Tina Tanzer

Hubert von Goisern präsentiert Marcus Hinterberger in St. Wolfgang

Foto: © Tina Tanzer

Hubert von Goisern präsentiert Marcus Hinterberger in St. Wolfgang

Foto: © Tina Tanzer

HvG presents Zelda Weber in Altmünster

The previous day they had sung the rain away in Bad Mitterndorf, but in Altmünster the sun shone brightly when Hubert von Goisern presented Zelda Weber & The Rosettes on the penultimate stop of his street music tour. On the shore of the Traunsee HvG Culture Award winner treated the audience to a selection of songs from her album Crude. There were also musical collaborations with Hubert von Goisern, including a four-voice rendition of Amazing Grace and the Styrian Iawaramoi accompanied by Magdalena Platter on the keyboard.

Hubert von Goisern presents Zelda Weber in Altmünster

Photo: © Sarah Marchant

Hubert von Goisern presents Zelda Weber in Altmünster

Hubert von Goisern presents Zelda Weber in Altmünster

Photo: © Sarah Marchant

Hubert von Goisern presents Zelda Weber in Altmünster

Photo: © Sarah Marchant

Hubert von Goisern presents Zelda Weber in Altmünster

Photo: © Sarah Marchant

Hubert von Goisern presents Zelda Weber in Altmünster

Photo: © Sarah Marchant

Hubert von Goisern presents Zelda Weber in Altmünster

Photo: © Sarah Marchant

Hubert von Goisern presents Zelda Weber in Altmünster

Photo: © Sarah Marchant

Hubert von Goisern presents Zelda Weber in Altmünster

Photo: © Sarah Marchant

Hubert von Goisern presents Zelda Weber in Altmünster

Photo: © Sarah Marchant

Hubert von Goisern presents Zelda Weber in Altmünster

Photo: © Sarah Marchant

Hubert von Goisern presents Zelda Weber in Altmünster

Photo: © Sarah Marchant

Hubert von Goisern and the Danube Pirates in Obertraun

More photos at www.facebook.com

"Acoustic attacks" from Hubert von Goisern

Bad Goisern. Having already made "acoustic attacks of a special kind" in Lauffen, Ebensee, Gosau and Bad Aussee, last Thursday Hubert von Goisern gave a summer evening cocncert together with the percussionist and marimba player Christoph Sietzen in the Stephaneum. Although just 31 years old, Luxembourger Christoph Sietzen (born in Salzburg) is already a marimba lecturer and percussion at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.

Together they mastered a very diverse programme in the Stephaneum. Aside from his accordion, Hubert also played instruments including a theremin, an electronic instrument that is played without touching it and can be heard in songs such as the Beach Boysclassic Good Vibrations. As befit the evening, there was yodelling and the audience confidently sang along to Hinter meiner Stadltür, Sietzen performed a lute suite by Johann Sebastian Bach on the marimba, and Hubert even had fun striking up his hit Brenna tuats guat from an improvisation. The audience thanked them with frenetic applause.

The hall at the Stephaneum has great significance for the soon-to-be 72-year-old (who doesn't look his age), especially since, as he said during the performance, he gave his first solo concert here - "my initiation and a turning point".

Two shows in in Bad Ischl

On Saturday, 27 July, "HvG" presents a summer evening concert with Kimyan Law at the Lehártheater, curtain up at 21:00 hrs. This concert was postponed from 8 June. Previously purchased tickets remain valid. This concert is already sold out though. But there's another chance: on Sunday, 4 August, Hubert von Goisern and the Donau-Piraten can be seen at the Pfarrsaal in Bad Ischl, 20:00 hrs.

Hubert von Goisern and the Transatlantic Friendship

Hubert von Goisern - Street concert in Karbach

Austria's world musician, singer-songwriter and book author had a special idea for the Capital of Culture year: he's spoiling his numerous fans in all 23 Upper Austrian and Styrian Capital of Culture municipalities with street concerts.

On 10 July the Austro rocker played in a special little place: Karbach, on the east shore of Lake Traunsee, fulfilling one of his own wishes. There are places he's always wanted to play, including Karbach or the Toplitzsee for example. Number one was attained today and it was an unforgettable evening at Lake Traunsee, Hubert von Goisern noted after his concert at the foot of the Traunstein.

Of course the audience was thrilled too. It's not every day that you can take a refreshing dip in Lake Traunsee during a concert, and enjoy music in a unique landscape.

More photos at www.salzkammergut-rundblick.at

The Transatlantic Friendship plays at the Seewiese

The street music tour through the Salzkammergut continues under the motto of the "Transatlantic Friendship". At the invitation of Hubert von Goisern, old friends Bob Bernstein (Federn Tour 2015-16, Zeiten & Zeichen album) and Enrique Martinez (Zeiten & Zeichen) have been reunited with the band: Severin Trogbacher, Alex Pohn and Helmut Schartlmüller. This leg of the tour has thus far led the musicians – now with pedal steel and piano accordion on board – into streets at the heart of the Capital of Culture region, across crystal clear lakes, into green meadows and to the centre of a renowned UNESCO World Heritage site. On 8 July they were to be heard at the Seewiese on the shore of Lake Altaussee, to where around 200 people also made the pilgrimage to experience a special kind of concert.

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Hubert von Goisern

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Hubert von Goisern

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Hans Ortner

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Hans Ortner

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Horst Viertbauer

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Hans Ortner

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Hans Ortner

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Hans Ortner

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Hans Ortner

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Horst Viertbauer

Trio Hupsala in Steinbach and Marcus Hinterberger in Altaussee

Street music concert thrills a spontaneous crowd of 150 in Steinbach

Steinbach am Attersee: Rumours kept circling and then on 25 June it happened: Hubert von Goisern played a spontaneous street music concert with Claudia Schwab and Trio Hupsala at the boat pier in Steinbach.

Unannounced and with changing lineups. That's how the spontaneous concerts with Hubert von Goisern as a street musician will be taking place in each of the 23 Capital of Culture municipalities this year. Steinbach am Attersee, one of the 23 municipalities, had the pleasure of this spectacle on Tuesday afternoon. On the spur of the moment 150 people found their way to the landing point in Steinbach am Attersee and enjoyed the concert from Hubert von Goisern with Claudia Schwab and Trio Hupsala in bright sunshine. The acoustic attacks in public spaces are being announced at deliberately short notice and will be different each time due to the changing lineups.

Hubert von Goisern at Vogelfrei

Street music with Hubert von Goisern in Vorchdorf

More photos at www.vorchdorfer.at

The first stops in the Salzkammergut

The street music tour through the Salzkammergut has begun! Did you catch Hubert von Goisern, Maria Moling and Alex Trebo in Vorchdorf, Scharnstein, Grünau, Roitham or Kirchham? Here and in the Insta and Facebook Stories you'll discover (at short notice) the next street music stops and bands ...

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Stefan Schröder

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Felicitas Fuchs

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Hans Ortner / Stefan Schröder

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Felicitas Fuchs

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Hans Ortner / Stefan Schröder

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Felicitas Fuchs

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Felicitas Fuchs

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Hans Ortner / Stefan Schröder

Hubert von Goisern: Street music in the Salzkammergut

Photo: © Hans Ortner / Stefan Schröder