Musikmesse Festival will offer Musikmesse 2017 visitors and exhibitors, not to mention all music aficionados, a multifarious programme of events from April 5 to 8.
“Music brings people together. And this dynamism is to be seen not only at Musikmesse with its exhibitors, trade visitors and musicians from all over the world but also at Musikmesse Festival, where the city, organisers, partners and initiatives join forces with exceptional musicians to celebrate the variety and fascination of music-making for four days”, says Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH.
Musikmesse Festival is organised by Weyand Entertainment Consulting GmbH on behalf of Messe Frankfurt. “The Festival brings first-class entertainment to the city – and simultaneously underscores the lively nature of the musical and creative scene in Frankfurt”, says organiser Wolfgang Weyand. “Last year’s integration of Musikmesse Festival into the concept of the fair was a success and we are delighted to continue this ambitious project with over 50 events at 30 locations. From shooting stars to musical legends, there are no limits to the spectrum appearing at Musikmesse Festival.”
Concert highlights from classic to punk
International German Piano Award
Works by Beethoven, Brahms and Rachmaninov – played by out-standing talents on the piano with the ‘Staatskapelle Halle’ orchestra: the Grand Finale of the 7th International German Piano Award on 5 April is also the official opening concert of Musikmesse. It will be held in the ‘Grosser Saal’ of the ‘Alte Oper’ concert house and promises to be a classical-music experience meeting the highest expectations.
Oleta Adams & the hr-Bigband
An extraordinary musical encounter awaits visitors to the Musikmesse Festival at 20.00 hrs on Saturday, 8 April, when soul, jazz, and gospel singer and pianist Oleta Adams meets the hr-Bigband conducted by Jörg Achim Keller. The US artist first came to the attention of a wider audience through her work with ‘Tears for Fears’ in the late eighties. Many of her solo singles, including ‘Get Here’ and ‘Window of Hope’ made it into the international charts. The concert will be held as the closing event of Musikmesse in the Congress Centre Messe Frankfurt.
David Garrett (presentation of the Frankfurt Music Prize)
Internationally renowned star violinist David Garrett is to be honoured with the Frankfurt Music Prize 2017. David Garrett will be presented with the award in the ‘Paulskirche’, Frankfurt, on 7 April and give a brief demonstration of his talent live on stage. A limited contingent of tickets for the ceremony will be available to the general public for the first time. However, the tickets will not be sold – fans of the musician can win them in a raffle. Further details can be found on the Musikmesse Festival website. The raffle campaign begins on 9 March.
Till Brönner
Germanys best-known jazz musician is not only a brilliant trumpeter but also a singer-songwriter with a great band. In 2016, he appeared in the White House during the International Jazz Day – at the invitation of former President Barack Obama. Fans of this multi-talented musician will be able to hear the unmistakable Brönner Sound at a concert in the Congress Centre Messe Frankfurt on 6 April.
Pietro Lombardi & Kayef
In 2011, he won the talent show ‘Deutschland sucht den Superstar’, and, within a week his winning single, ‘Call my Name’, had sold 300,000 copies, achieved platinum status and was topping the charts in the entire German-speaking region. During the Musikmesse Festival, he will appear with a unique acoustic show at the St. Peter Youth Culture Church on Saturday, 8 April. On the same evening, YouTube star Kayef will be on stage. The rap and pop singer’s YouTube channel has around 450,000 subscribers and his album ‘Chaos’ went straight to fourth place on the German album chart.
Steve Stevens & Band (Special Guest: Gus G.)
Grammy winner, guitarist, songwriter and composer Steve Stevens will be the focal point of an unforgettable evening in Frankfurt during his European tour. Steve Stevens is primarily known from his 30-year musical partnership with Billy Idol, his work on Michael Jackson’s ‘Dirty Diana’ song and the award of a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for his solo playing in the title anthem of the Top Gun movie. Together with his band and Special Guest Gus G. – guitarist of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne – he will appear on the stage of the Batschkapp concert venue on 7 April. Tickets at: http://bit.ly/2fZ67pb
Branford Marsalis Quartet & Kurt Elling
Saxophonist Branford Marsalis and baritone vocalist Kurt Elling will hold a special jazz evening at the ‘Alte Oper’ on 6 April. Marsalis has not only released numerous successful albums but also secured a place for himself in music history through his collaborations with artists such as James Taylor and Tina Turner. Elling has delighted jazz fans worldwide with his versatile voice and has been awarded a Grammy in the ‘Best Vocal Album’ category. Together, the musicians will perform renowned standards from the Great American Songbook.
Extrabreit
Founded long before acclaimed German bands, such as ‘Tote Hosen’ and ‘Die Ärzte’, this German group discovered the beauty of the three-minute guitar hymn with snotty, subversive texts and stormed the charts with songs such as ‘Hurra die Schule brennt…’ (Hurray the school is burning). Extrabreit from Hagen are the fathers of German punk and they will be appearing within the framework of the Musikmesse Festival at Frankfurt’s ‘Das Bett’ club on 6 April.
As well, the first Backstage Club Award will be presented during the Musikmesse Festival. Initiated in cooperation with associations and clubs, as well as musicians’ organisations, the award honours venues that offer artists optimum conditions and support – the choice will be made by the musicians themselves and the presentation made in the ‘Milchsackfabrik’ in Frankfurt on 5 April 2017.
Free Festival ticket for all Musikmesse visitors
There will be a special Musikmesse Festival ticket giving reduced price or even free admission to the events. Musikmesse visitors can obtain one free of charge at the entrances to the fair. Additionally, it can also be purchased online for € 15 at the Musikmesse Festival website (plus advance-booking charges).
Full details about the Musikmesse Festival at www.musikmesse-festival.com.
Further information about Musikmesse at www.musikmesse.com.
Photo: Oleta Adams
