Above all, the new slogan of the city of Wolfratshausen stands: “Mighty in the river”. And the motto fits both literally and figuratively, especially for the “prestige object”, as the city’s event manager Andreas Kutter calls the river festival. The festival, which has been attracting audiences every two years since 2013 with a stage on the Loisach and a grandstand under the “Opera Tent”, will, in Kutter’s words, offer “highlights” in the coming year of both the tried and tested and the new: theater, cabaret , concerts with stars from the region like the Bananafishbones to international greats like the Cuban septet Yarima Blanco and son Latino.
Kutter activated the program online on Wednesday and presented it at a press conference together with Second Mayor Günther Eibl (CSU). Eibl highlighted one of Wolfratshausen’s own productions from the wealth of offerings: The Loisachtal farmer’s stage On two days there will be the comedy “A Munich man in heaven and in hell” by Alfons Schweiggert, based on the famous angel Aloisius by Ludwig Thoma. “The Alois is, I think, top,” said Eibl, who would have preferred to recommend the entire festival program, for which the city is spending 250,000 euros.
“Local Heroes”: the Bananafishbones (here in 2023 in the Tölzer Kurhaus). (Photo: Manfred Neubauer)
Johannes Buxbaum conducts the Isura Madrigal Choir. (Photo: Manfred Neubauer)
“Cool,” says Andreas Kutter: Claudia Koreck opens the river festival. (Photo: Johannes Simon)
Some artists are coming to the Loisach for the second time: In addition to the “Local Heroes” (Kutter) from the Bananafishbones These include the cabaret artist Michael Altinger with his program “The Last Cup of Testosterone” or the Cirque du Soleil artist Solomon Solgit with a spectacular acrobatic show. The event manager was particularly pleased about the program opening with the Bavarian singer-songwriter Claudia Koreck, whom he simply described as “cool”. Kutter is proud that he has chosen Bodo Wartke, a recently crowned recipient of the Bavarian Cabaret Prize. But the established cabaret artist and multi-impersonator Wolfgang Krebs is also coming to the river stage in Wolfratshausen. Krebs is famous for being able to move from Stoiber to Aiwanger to Söder and back at breathtaking speed. Even in his new program “Bavaria first!” he is alone on stage and yet there are many of them.
The Wolfratshausen Music School will be presenting itself at the festival with a Sunday matinee. The Isura-Madrigal-Chor there is the Carmina Burana, and the Waldram dance music plays “traditional sounds with stirring lightness”. Kutter said he had already sparked cheers with one event: The Musical Duo shooting star, which was already there in 2017, is coming back by popular demand with “The cow that wants to go to the cinema”.
Also appearing: the Franconian cabaret artist Michl Müller with “Limbo of Life”; the Bavarian songwriter Christoph Weiherer and Jamaram with reggae and rock’n’roll. Another in-house production is the evening with the street music all stars. Kutter put them together himself. To do this, he made a selection from those musicians who, at his invitation, have played on Saturday afternoons between Schwankl-Eck, Marienplatz and the town hall courtyard over the past two years. The event manager promises “a great musical spectacle” – and presents a surprise. The Geretsried guitarist, singer and Reinhard Mey fan Willi Sommerwerk, who announced his last big gig in Geretsried in the summer, is there again. But when Sommerwerk declared in August: “I am now in my 76th year and think that it is best to stop when it is at its best,” many people had hoped that he was not entirely serious about it. And Andreas Kutter, as Günther Eibl said appreciatively, “has a lucky hand”.
What role does community involvement play in the planning and execution of the Riverwave festival in Wolfratshausen?
1. Could you tell me more about the Riverwave festival in Wolfratshausen and its significance to the local community?
2. What was the selection process like for choosing the artists who will perform at the festival this year?
3. What types of performances can visitors expect to see at the festival besides music, such as cabaret, theater, or other forms of entertainment?
4. How has the festival evolved over the years since its inception, and what changes or additions have been made to attract more people to attend?
5. As someone who has been involved in organizing the festival for several years, what do you consider to be some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced and how have you overcome them?
6. What are some of your favorite memories from past festivals, and how do you ensure that the atmosphere remains welcoming and inclusive for all attendees?
7. As an event manager, how do you balance including both established and emerging artists in the festival lineup, and what criteria do you use to determine who to invite?
8. How do you think the festival contributes to the cultural scene in Wolfratshausen and the surrounding area, and what impact do you hope it will have in the future?
