The Ostrava Days Festival is one of the world’s premier festivals of contemporary classical music. This year’s edition, happening from August 24 – September 2, will feature a selection of works from some of Austria’s most highly-regarded composers. 2023 marks the 12th edition of the biennial Ostrava Days Festival, and as usual, the organizers have thought big: in August, over 200 performers and composers from all over the world will descend on the city for an “institute” matching young musicians with their elders. The institute will culminate in a 10-day festival, encompassing 10 venues and ab ..read more

By Tonica Hunter It’s no surprise that Bex is the unapologetic rapper that she is. She hails from a solid foundation of matriarchal figures who have undoubtedly shaped her and her music. Now, together with a clique of FLINTA* artists, she’s reshaping the Vienna music scene. “The universe owes me a beautiful adulthood.” Bex was raised by her foster grandmother – the mother of her Austrian stepfather – in the little Salzburg village of Pongau. It was a stark contrast to Busua, Ghana, where she was born and lived until she was 9 years old. Such discrepancies and transitions meant her childhood wa ..read more

Karl Ratzer played with Chaka Khan, Chet Baker, Joe Chambers, Lee Konitz, Clark Terry, and a slew of other jazz legends – and became one himself in the process. He played the opening concert at the Vienna institution Porgy & Bess, and the club has been a second home for him ever since. He’s reached an age where most people slow down, and his life story is notoriously dramatic, but he’s still going strong, as two recent records (a compilation titled “Organic Stew” and a duo album with Ed Neumister called “Alone Together”) and a well-deserved Amadeus Award for his life’s work attest. Markus ..read more

The Jazzfestival Saalfelden is a cornucopia of musicians, styles, and stages. It can be hard to know where to start, how to decide which artists you absolutely cannot miss. We get it – and we’re here for you. Allow us to suggest an itinerary for your visit to the annual Alpine jazz mecca: how about concentrating on Saalfelden’s stellar roster of Austrian artists? Look no further: here is the complete listing of Austrian artists at Jazzfestival Saalfelden 2023! Artists playing multiple times are listed first, followed by all other Austrian acts in chronological order. Events marked with an ast ..read more

For three decades, Christian Fennesz has been on a tireless quest to unearth novel sounds and possibilities in electronic music. He creates shimmering, complex electronic soundscapes, buries and mutilates audio signals until they’re reborn as something new. The famously Vienna-shy musician is playing a rare Vienna show at Popfest Wien on July 28th at Karlsplatz – a short break from working on his next solo album, like this conversation with Sylvia Wendrock. You play all over the world, but rarely in Austria. Still, your studio is in Vienna’s 7th District, and you’re able to work there in peace ..read more

Viennese electronic virtuoso Dorian Concept has made a name for himself internationally with his ever-developing sound and his virtuosic improvised solo shows; he’s also co-curating this year’s Popfest Wien, the annual music extravaganza taking place from July 27 – 30 in the heart of the city. As a foretaste, he’s put together a playlist of new electronic music from Vienna – a sampling of the artists that will be echoing, crackling, and glitching across Karlsplatz in just a couple of days. The selection is as wide-ranging as Dorian Concept himself: Koenig has one foot in hip-hop and one in con ..read more

In 2019, a new contemporary music ensemble took flight for the first time. Maria Mogas Gensana (accordion), Audrey G. Perreault (flutes), Hannes Schöggl (percussion), and Elīna Viļuma-Helling (voice) – collectively known as between feathers – are dedicated to exploring the possibilities of their unique instrumentation; Michael Franz Woels spoke to them recently about their ongoing search for repertoire, the challenges of interdisciplinary projects, and soap bubbles. Your most recent project, Seems like a portal, is very intense, very immersive. How did you feel about it personally – what did y ..read more

Now in its eighth year, the Impuls Festival – an annual contemporary music festival in Graz – has quickly risen to become one of Mitteleuropa’s premiere events. The 2023 edition, taking place from July 23 – August 8, will feature the mixture of internationally acclaimed ensembles and up-and-coming artists that contemporary music lovers in Austria have come to expect. Over time, contemporary music events have become more adventurous with their programming. In the attempt to attract a broader (and likely younger) audience, many festivals have taken to staging concerts and other events at locatio ..read more

FM4, Austrian Music Export, and Waves Vienna are proud to announce the nominees for this year’s XA Export Award. Since 2017, in preparation for the Waves Vienna Festival, Radio FM4, Austrian Music Export, and the festival get together to nominate up-and-coming Austrian acts for the XA Export Award, with the aim of supporting Austrian artists in launching an international career. The nominees will perform during the festival – on Thursday and Friday, September 7th and 8th – and a five-member international jury will select the best performance. The winner will receive a cash prize of €3,500 (don ..read more

Hot town, summer in the city! The music never stops…but at some point, your loyal correspondent will need a break from slaving over a hot computer in the concrete jungle of Vienna-Neubau. With that in mind: behold, your Austrian Music Highlights for July and August, 2023. Cinematic Let’s start off with something different: we deal more with music than with film around here, but occasionally a happy coincidence allows us to do both. The upcoming film Vienna Calling, from director Philipp Jedicke (Shut Up and Play the Piano), is just such an opportunity. Jedicke got the idea for his documentary ..read more