Ausklang III

Maxi Pongratz Trio
Sväng
Anna Prohaska
Musicbanda Franui
Shake Stew

Ausklang, the autumn festival of the Tiroler Festspiele Erl, which has opened every season since 2024, will enter its third edition in 2026. Curator Andreas Schett once again brings together artists from a wide range of musical genres for theFinish in Erl: classical music meets folk music, jazz, pop, world music and more. The resulting moments of surprise through unexpected musical sequences are intentional.

On the third day, the singer, songwriter and accordion player Maxi Pongratz with a new trio; he is also known as the former frontman of the Bavarian cult group Kofelgschroa. In partnership on stage with the Finnish harmonica quartet Sväng is a highly exciting experience. The soprano Anna Prohaska which is at home on the world's great stages, is coming to Erl. And the award-winning jazz formation Shake Stew by bassist Lukas Kranzelbinder closes the festival as a septet in folk music disposition: two basses and two percussion instruments as a foundation, with trumpet and two saxophones in three voices above.

Always involved in the interaction is the Musicbanda Franui. Together with their creative head Andreas Schett, the "local heroes" will once again take on the role of musical hosts.

Team

Sväng

Founded in 2003, the Sväng ensemble has set new standards in harmonica music with its wide-ranging repertoire and its unconventional approach to the instruments. Although three of its members are graduates of the Sibelius Academy, Sväng is anything but an academic ensemble. Its music blends artistic ambition with offbeat humor à la Kaurismäki. The original compositions by the quartet—composed of Eero Grundström, Eero Turkka, Jouko Kyhälä, and Tapani Varis—impress with their virtuosity and entertainment value. Slavic melancholy is underpinned by a rousing groove that reveals the band’s love for all kinds of music. Sväng also regularly collaborates with other musicians, including accordionist Otto Lechner. In addition to performances in its home country, Sväng has performed at renowned festivals as well as in concert halls and opera houses in countries including France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, China, Austria, Italy, and Turkey.

Anna Prohaska

The Austrian-English soprano Anna Prohaska made her debut at the age of 18 at the Komische Oper Berlin. At age 23, she became a member of the ensemble at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin. Since then, her extraordinary career has taken her to the world’s most prestigious opera houses and leading orchestras. She has made guest appearances at venues including the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, the Opéra national de Paris, the Hamburg State Opera, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, the Theater an der Wien, the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and the Salzburg Festival, where she has appeared as Vitellia (La clemenza di Tito), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Despina (Così fan tutte), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) and Cordelia (Reimann's Lear). As a concert soloist, she has performed with, among others, the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Musicbanda Franui

Franui ist der Name einer Almwiese im Osttiroler Dorf Innervillgraten, in dem der Großteil der Musiker:innen der gleichnamigen Musicbanda aufgewachsen ist. Franui spielt seit 1993 in nahezu unveränderter Besetzung und ist bei vielen Festivals und Veranstaltern zu Gast, u. a. im Wiener Konzerthaus, am Burgtheater, bei den Salzburger und Bregenzer Festspielen, an der Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, bei den Münchner Opernfestspielen, in der Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, der Philharmonie de Paris und am Schauspielhaus Zürich. Mit seinen Neuinterpretationen der Lieder von Schubert, Schumann, Brahms und Mahler wurde das Ensemble weitum bekannt. Es versteht sich als „Umspannwerk zwischen Klassik, Volksmusik, Jazz und zeitgenössischer Kammermusik“. Die Musiker:innen arbeiten häufig mit herausragenden Bühnenpartner:innen zusammen, u. a. mit dem Bassbariton Florian Boesch, dem Puppenspieler Nikolaus Habjan, dem Wienerlied-Duo Die Strottern und dem Kabarett-Duo Maschek.

Shake Stew

Since their performance at the 2016 Saalfelden Jazz Festival and the subsequent release of their debut album The Golden Fang, the Austrian band Shake Stew has enjoyed great success throughout Europe with their energetic blend of hypnotic soundscapes and Kraut-jazz grooves. Led by bassist Lukas Kranzelbinder, the band quickly became one of the most sought-after live acts on the scene. They toured Canada, Mexico, and Morocco and performed at renowned festivals, including those in Montreal, Rochester, and Rotterdam. With its unusual lineup—two drummers, two bassists, and three horn players—Shake Stew thrills audiences of all ages at a wide variety of venues, from clubs to classical concert halls. The band’s third studio album, Gris Gris, was awarded the German Record Critics’ Prize in 2020. In 2021, Shake Stew was honored with the German Jazz Prize in the “International Band of the Year” category, and in 2023, they received the Amadeus Austrian Music Award.