Birds against Hurricanes
Image Credits: Lex Karelly
April 12 | 7 pm
Please RSVP here.
Join us for a concert evening by the Austrian trio “Birds against Hurricanes” and dive into world/folk music and more with the voices of guitars/baritone guitar/ukulele, piano and accordion.
About the Event
“Birds against Hurricanes” is a very special body of sound, diving into world/folk music and more with the voices of guitars/baritone guitar/ukulele, piano and accordion. The Austrian musicians Alex Pinter, Viola Hammer and Christian Bakanic complement each other in a symbiotic way, giving space where needed and filling the void musically tasteful. A blend of original music, folk songs and even a slight taste of the Great American Songbook lead to an experience with a special flavor to it, given the uncommon setting of the trio. Consisting of 3 harmonic instruments without drums, bass or horns, a unique body of sound is created, which presents its own challenges for the players as well as the composer and arranger, everybody has to play rhythm, melody, accompaniment and improvisation in equal parts. The sound of the trio is characterized by strong melodies, the awareness of space, to give the sound the room that is needed. “Birds against Hurricanes” have performed on national and international stages and continue to do so. A new album is currently being planned!
About the Musicians
Alex Pinter is an Austrian guitarist. He studied Jazz Guitar Performance & Composition at the VMI in Vienna and Berklee College of Music on a scholarship in Boston. Among his teachers were Mick Goodrick, Jon Damian, Hal Crook, Tim Miller, to name but a few. Alex has performed on national and international stages, like Jazzfest Wien, Jazzfestival Saalfelden, Cairo Jazz Festival, and played concerts with various bands in the USA, Sweden, Croatia, Russia, Morocco, Egypt and Spain. He started the trio “Birds against Hurricanes” in 2016 to form a special body of sound. As Alex approach to music is always keen on strong melodies and composition, there are no boundaries between different styles of music blending together.
Viola Hammer is an Austrian pianist, composer, and arranger. She studied jazz piano as well as composition and arrangement at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz. She has led projects such as her trio and the 11-piece small big band formation Heartbeat Project, in which she combines chamber music-oriented, lyrical compositions with elements from minimal and electronic music. Currently, she is presenting the program of her solo piano debut CD “Places,” which was released in February 2020 on the Ö1-Edition Contemporary Jazz. In addition, Viola Hammer works as a sideman in various jazz and world music projects. The award-winning musician received the Andrzej Dobrowolski Composition Scholarship from the state of Styria and was recognized for her strong, independent voice in the Austrian and international jazz scene.
Christian Bakanic is an Austrian accordionist and composer. He graduated from the Music High School Dreihackengasse in 1999, and studied at the Johann-Joseph-Fux Conservatory, where he received a diploma in “Teacher for Folk Music Instruments.” He studied accordion with Prof. Janne Rättyä, Prof. James Crabb, and Prof. Geir Draugsvoll at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz. He has won numerous first prizes at accordion competitions (Steir. Harmonikawettbewerb Grazer Messe, Austrian competitions “Tag der Harmonika,” etc.). He was a first-prize winner at the regional competition “Prima la Musica” (1997 and 1999) for classical accordion and has given numerous concerts as a soloist and in ensembles (Folksmilch, Beefolk, Trio Infernal, Mala Junta, Marie Spaemann and Christian Bakanic, Temmel & Bakanic, Kahiba, Marina & the Kats, Scurdia, Rusanda Panfili & friends, Plattform K&K Vienna, …) in Europe, Japan, Argentina, China, Iceland, and elsewhere.