Concert: UnglauBlech

For two of them, the performance in the Appenzell region is a special homecoming: Sepp Zürcher and Markus Graf are both from Appenzell Innerrhoden. Now, together with their six fellow musicians, they’re bringing a program to the region that musically looks far beyond the hills of Appenzell.

Anyone who has ever tried to coax a note out of a brass instrument knows that the title says it all. Without expertise in handling this invisible medium, even the most beautiful instrument remains nothing more than a shiny piece of brass. With UnglauBlech, this expertise is a must: here, they breathe as if there were no air left tomorrow.

Stylistically, the group doesn’t take genre boundaries too seriously anyway. Instead of dutifully sticking to well-trodden paths, the ensemble travels across the musical landscape. Brazilian soul by Eli Soares stands alongside Bob Dylan’s folk, with soaring and powerful forays into the soundscapes of Ibrahim Maalouf finding their place in between. A detour into Disney’s *Hercules* is also a must. After all, an evening titled “Heroes of the Skies” calls for a bit of heroic pathos.

The fact that such a spirit of stylistic adventure doesn’t result in a musical patchwork is due to the meticulous work behind the scenes: the band members have arranged all the pieces themselves, tailoring them precisely to their own preferences.

New to the lineup on this tour is bass trombonist Domenico Catalano. Normally a member of the Basel Symphony Orchestra and an internationally sought-after lecturer and soloist, he slips into a colorful suit with UnglauBlech and showcases a completely different side of his artistry.

So anyone who wants to experience Sepp Zürcher, Markus Graf, and their fellow musicians in the region can look forward to an evening full of brass, the joy of playing, and surprising twists. The “Heroes of the Skies” take their music seriously—but fortunately, they don’t always take themselves too seriously.

Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.