Abendkonzert – Musikkapelle Katharinaberg (Kurzras)

The evening concert by the Monte Santa Caterina band

The Abendkonzert of the Musikkapelle Katharinaberg is a highlight of the summer musical calendar in Val Senales (known as Schnalstal in German), the side valley that stretches from the Burgraviato region up to the glacier, within the municipality of Senales (Schnals) in the autonomous province of Bolzano, Trentino-Alto Adige. On summer evenings, the Monte Santa Caterina (Katharinaberg) brass band travels to the village of Maso Corto (Kurzras), located at the far end of the valley at an altitude of approximately 2,000 meters at the foot of the Val Senales glacier, to offer residents and guests a free open-air concert.

A band with over seventy years of history

The Musikkapelle Katharinaberg was founded on June 21, 1953, on St. Aloysius' Day, at the initiative of brothers Alois and Johann Gorfer. It began with a core group of twelve musicians who personally funded their own instruments and traditional costumes. Since its founding year, the band has been an integral part of the community's life; as early as Christmas Eve 1953, the melody of Stille Nacht rang out from the bell tower. In 1966, the group joined the Verband Südtiroler Musikkapellen (the South Tyrolean band association), and in 2003, for its fiftieth anniversary, a new banner was blessed. Today, the band is also deeply committed to the musical education of young people.

South Tyrolean brass music under the stars

As is customary for bands in South Tyrol, the evening concert features a varied and convivial program designed for a summer audience: South Tyrolean and Central European marches, overtures, concert pieces for brass band, traditional polkas and waltzes, and arrangements of popular melodies. It follows the classic alpine open-air concert format, where Blasmusik meets stage repertoire in a familiar atmosphere, made unique by the stunning scenery of the glacier and the peaks of Val Senales.

Maso Corto and Val Senales

The village of Maso Corto sits at the head of Val Senales in a high-altitude basin surrounded by the peaks of the Ötztal Alps, a valley also famous for the discovery of the Iceman (Ötzi). The band's concert is a wonderful opportunity to combine an evening of live music with the discovery of one of the most evocative and authentic corners of Trentino-Alto Adige.

Practical information

• Where: Maso Corto (Kurzras), Val Senales, Municipality of Senales, Bolzano province
• When: On a summer evening (scheduled for July 24, 2026)
• Admission: Free, no reservation required
• Organization: Musikkapelle Katharinaberg