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Focus on Jazz

A conversation with Helga Plankensteiner and Micheal Lösch

Whenever the subject of jazz in South Tyrol comes up, the two names that immediately spring to mind are Helga Plankensteiner and Michael Lösch. Few people represent a musical genre with such power and clarity as the saxophonist, singer, and teacher from Falzes, now living in Lana, and the pianist and composer originally from Lana. For decades, these two award-winning and multifaceted musicians have decisively shaped the local jazz scene, inspiring entire generations of musicians and enthusiasts. It’s safe to say that without their commitment, the South Tyrolean music scene would be considerably more muted and boring.

Helga, Michael, since when has music been a part of your life?
Helga Plankensteiner: Music has always played an important role in my life. My parents were very musical, and already at the age of four, I told anyone who would listen that I would be a singer one day. I was also in the parish choir and played clarinet in the marching band but unfortunately, over time, that self-confidence waned, and for a while I stopped making music. Then, thanks to friends, I rediscovered this passion and studied classical singing and clarinet at the Innsbruck Conservatory followed by the saxophone. Later, meeting saxophonist Florian Bramböck, who taught there, was crucial.
Michael Lösch: I came to it somewhat by chance. My parents sent me to music school, where I sat in front of a piano for the first time and where my passion for the instrument was born. Since I didn't have one at home, I often practiced at the homes of friends. In high school, I formed my first band; we played a fusion of gospel and blues. Eventually, I studied architecture in Innsbruck and Venice.

What fascinates you about jazz?
ML: What intrigues me about jazz is that it's not strictly based on notes, but that you can construct a piece by ear. I really like that, because I've always found classical studies a bit boring. When I was young, there wasn't a real jazz scene in South Tyrol so if you wanted to buy records or go to concerts, you had to go to Munich or Milan and obviously, there wasn't any opportunity for a jazz education here. So, I studied jazz in Milan with the modern jazz composer and pianist Franco D'Andrea, then in Graz, and finally at the Trento Conservatory.

HP: My “revelation” moment was when I first heard Sarah Vaughan's Lullaby of Birdland and from that moment, I was almost “infected” by this type of music. Then, when I met Michael at a jam session in Bressanone, I also decided to study jazz in Trento. I'm a free spirit, and this genre allows me to experience freedom, to experiment, and to express myself how I like. The important thing is to play well. I love the unpredictability of jazz: the development of a piece depends on the musicians on stage. When there is no improvisation, as far as I’m concerned, it's no longer jazz.

“Lana meets Jazz,” the festival you created, is now one of the most important musical events in the area. Did you expect such success?
HP: When we started the festival, our goal was to give music school students the opportunity to play alongside professional musicians in front of an audience. We also wanted to show the locals how jazz really works. The response was immediate, very positive, and even the mayor at the time, Christoph Gufler, enthusiastically supported our idea from the start.

ML: Over time, the monthly festival has become an annual festival, and “Lana meets Jazz” has now been held every June for the last 14 years. We spend six months preparing and under our artistic direction, regional, national and international jazz musicians perform at various venues in Lana and Monte San Vigilio as well as emerging talents. We try to invite as many female musicians as possible, but unfortunately, we don't always succeed as much as we’d like, not least because the industry is still very male-dominated. During the festival, we also offer a platform for young jazz students and the big band from the Lana Music School.

HP: We don't like musical boundaries. Our program is always very diverse, from traditional jazz to free jazz, and audiences are always highly enthusiastic about this diversity: each concert draws between 100 and 200 people. To go back to the original question, we didn't expect such lasting success, but we've clearly hit the right note. It's still really satisfying for us to introduce Lana and its residents to the music we love.

How important is the training of young musicians for you?
HP: I think I can speak for both of us when I say that promoting jazz is extremely important to us, which is why we founded the Sweet Alps cultural association in 2007, through which we organize concerts, produce CDs, and support musical projects in the Alpine region. This naturally includes training young musicians in schools and workshops. Also, since 2012, I've been leading the South Tyrol Youth Big Band, which brings together musicians aged 18 to 25 from across South Tyrol to perform original works by composers from the Euregio region. Passing on my knowledge and seeing how passionately it's received and put into practice is a great joy.

Besides “Lana meets Jazz”?
ML: We've founded several groups with which we perform at irregular intervals. For example, with the band Revensch we play klezmer and Balkan music, as well as Dixieland, funk, and chansons from the 1920s, while with the band Jelly Roll, we rework compositions by American jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton. Another project is the Plankton group, with which we've adapted seven pieces from Schubert's Winterreise into jazz arrangements for piano and vocals. In addition to these, we perform regularly with our own projects.

HP: Over time, in addition to music, we've developed other joint projects. We host the weekly radio show Abenteuer Jazz on RAI Südtirol and organize the All that Jazz live music evenings at the Parkhotel Laurin in Bolzano. In the summer, I also host the music program for Lana23°°, which takes place on long Thursday evenings in the center of Lana.

What do you particularly appreciate about Lana?
ML: Lana is home to numerous artists and cultural figures, and there's a wealth of culture and art on offer here. In addition to Lana Meets Jazz, other festivals are held such as the interdisciplinary LanaLive festival, while we closely follow the work of the Bücherwürmer, a cultural association whose literary commitment has meant that its fame reaches far beyond Lana. Throughout the year, it organizes numerous readings, literary days, and awards a literary prize and thanks to its invitations, a number of Nobel Literature Award winners such as Herta Müller and Peter Handke have visited here during the Literatur Lana festival.