From 9 to 12 October, Schwarzenberg once again became a resonant space for music, art, and encounters. The :alpenarte 2025 captivated audiences with a diverse programme that brought together classical, crossover, and contemporary music in a special way. A heartfelt thank-you goes to the entire :alpenarte team, all supporters, patrons, and sponsors – they make it possible for the festival to take place with this level of quality year after year.

On Thursday morning, the v.töne, together with Katarina Simic, visited three schools in Vorarlberg. These school visits were not just about making music, but also about showing young people the professional paths available in the field of music. The musicians shared how their ensemble was founded, talked about their everyday life as professional musicians – and of course, music was not to be missed. On Friday morning, the v.töne thrilled audiences with their school concerts. Nearly 800 children and teenagers experienced a concert format designed especially for them in the Angelika Kauffmann Hall – a successful prelude before the festival was officially opened that evening.

In the pre-concert, the v.töne could be heard once again before the Hanke Brothers brought the Angelika Kauffmann Hall to life with their program “Express Yourself”. With their mixture of classical, pop and jazz, they delighted the audience and ensured an energetic start to the festival weekend.

On Saturday morning, the Hanke Brothers enchanted children and parents alike at the family concert in the old indoor swimming pool in Feldkirch. This was followed in the evening by the Grand Concert with the Amelio Trio, Miriam Kutrowatz (soprano) and Anja Mittermüller (mezzo-soprano). The concert ranged from Brahms to Dvořák and culminated in the world premiere of a work composed especially for :alpenarte by the young Georgian composer Tsotne Zedginidze.

A pre-concert in the foyer with Larissa Schwärzler (vocals, piano), Vincent Rein (bass) and Daniel Fleps (backing vocals, piano) provided an atmospheric start to the evening. Throughout the festival, the exhibition “KONTRASTE – Ein Spiel der Gegensätze” by Hittisau artist Elena Schertler accompanied the events in the foyer.

Sunday was all about dialog and farewells. The talk “Do you understand art?” with Thomas Hirtenfelder and Anna Maria Honeck took place outdoors in glorious autumn weather. The festive finale was the concert “Alles Walzer”, a tribute to Johann Strauss II on the occasion of his 200th birthday. Lara Kusztrich (violin), David Kessler (violin), Christoph Hammer (viola), Benedikt Sinko (cello), Anna Gruchmann (double bass) and Miriam Kutrowatz (soprano) performed – a cheerful and touching finale.

A special moment was thanking Jakob Greber, who retired as Chairman of the Friends of :alpenarte in the summer. He had been closely associated with the festival from the very beginning. His successor as chairman is Ulrike Naumann, a music school teacher in the Bregenzerwald.

The :alpenarte 2025 came to an end with an enthusiastic audience, inspiring conversations, diverse music and a late summer atmosphere – a weekend full of sound, art and encounters.

We look forward to the next edition of :alpenarte from October 15 to 18, 2026!