MATTIGHOFEN. “I wanted my compatriots and the New Yorkers to meet – on a musical level,” says organizer Gernot Bernroider about the origin of the New York City Music Marathon Festival. From August 17th to 21st it will take place for the eleventh time and again in Mattighofen. According to the organizer, visitors can expect a complete package of interdisciplinary program items.
These encounters between New Yorkers and compatriots and encounters in general take place at the festival on many different levels. Because not only music will play a role, the architecture will also be reflected in the form of an exhibition and discussions with the renowned architects Peter Zöch and David Birgmann. For example, Zöch designed the 9/11 memorial in New York and the opera in Oslo. Birgmann took part in the KTM Motohall. The panel discussions “will be about sustainability and aesthetics,” says Bernroider. Music and architecture are mixed. This mixture of music and architecture can be experienced right at the beginning of the festival.
Between blues and dance music
Nevertheless, the music plays the central role. Thursday 18 August will be dedicated to the blues. Kai Strauss will be a guest with “The Electric Blues Allstars”. Kai Strauss is “one of the most authentic blues singers currently”, says Bernroider about him. On Saturday, August 20th there will be “Music to Dance” with Chanca Rule and The Sweet Emma Band.
Workshops for music enthusiasts
Music enthusiasts also have the opportunity to put their skills to the test and learn new skills at the festival. Having fun and making music together is the focus. “Children get a feeling for making music” at this festival, says Bernroider. The most diverse workshops for jazz and popular music will take place from August 17 to August 21 from 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. and will be led by lecturers from Austria and New York. During the jam sessions from 10 p.m., lecturers and artists will play music together in the Jamaica bar in a relaxed atmosphere.
In general, the entire program takes place in the park of the state music school in Mattighofen. In bad weather, it will be moved to the town hall. “We want to do something for the local audience. It is important to us that the local audience is enthusiastic,” concludes Bernroider.
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