From August 6th to 9th, 2026, when the boundary between the topography of the Bregenzerwald and contemporary soundscapes dissolves, Bezau transforms into the stage for a musical experiment. For the 19th time, long-time collaborators and discoverers will gather here to explore the unpredictable, far removed from established concert hall conventions. In this way, the market town once again becomes the epicenter of creative, improvised music and an intimate space for artistic autonomy.
Venues with their own resonance
The carefully chosen dramaturgy is evident from the outset in the selection of venues, each possessing its own historical identity. The entire town of Bezau thus becomes a decentralized stage, where both locations and program are curated with equal care. Whether in the robust engine shed of the Wälderbähnle railway, the handcrafted setting of the Figer blacksmith's workshop, the intimate acoustics of the church in Reuthe, or on the exposed summit plateau of the Baumgarten panoramic restaurant, each location tells its own story. Even the journeys between concerts become part of the overall experience. This proximity creates a familial, focused atmosphere where music unites people through shared listening.
Improvisation as a structural principle
Bezau Beatz sees itself as a plea for the fleeting moment. The musical arc ranges from concentrated solo miniatures to free sonic excursions and complexly layered ensemble formations. Each work emerges in dialogue with the space and the presence of the audience, captured solely in the present moment.
The nuanced ways in which this premise is implemented are demonstrated by Valentin Gerhardus , who weaves familiar instrumental sounds and found everyday noises into a new aesthetic in his solo program. A fascinating counterpoint is provided by the quartet Hilde , which moves with sleepwalking certainty between abstract sound research and traditional formal grace. The uncompromising density of interdisciplinary dialogues, on the other hand, is palpable in the trio VANISH , in which Shelley Hirsch, Christian Weber, and Alfred Vogel intertwine their diverse musical biographies. While José Lencastre, João Hasselberg, and Kresten Osgood explore the elasticity of free improvisation at the Figer art collective, the duo Narrsteidle constructs a finely balanced, almost telepathic network of interaction.
Guitarist Teis Semey , for example, brings a fresh perspective towards popular music, blending elements of free jazz, indie pop, and post-rock with his quintet. WOBBLE8, on the other hand, layers analog and digital sound components into a high-energy, widescreen sound. Camila Nebbia's project "The Hanged One" and Edward Perraud's "Sauvages Paradis" evoke more associative soundscapes, while the group Kalle Kalima DETOURS , featuring Leo Genovese and Christian Lillinger, expands the spectrum with further dense facets. Vera Morais and EUPNEA provide the poetic finale to this top-notch series in the Remise.
The live experiences are complemented by interdisciplinary workshops, and Luisa Muhr's singing class as well as the dance and improvisation project "HEAR AND NOW" by Evi Filippou and Naïma Mazic open up their own small universes that flow directly into the event.
Bezau Beatz invites you to take your time: for sounds that linger. For encounters that have a lasting impact. For moments that can only be found here.
Website: www.bezaubeatz.at
Photo (c)BB
