Herbischt.klong – Alpine Folk Music Festival

Herbischt.klong, Volksmusik reinvented in Dobbiaco

In the heart of the Upper Puster Valley, the Herbischt.klong festival brings Alpine folk music to the stage of the prestigious Gustav-Mahler-Saal, located within the Euregio Kulturzentrum Gustav Mahler in Dobbiaco/Toblach, every autumn. The event is organized by the Cultural Centre housed in the historic Grand Hotel where Gustav Mahler spent his final summer retreats, and it is part of the rich cultural calendar offered by the Municipality of Dobbiaco throughout the year.

A festival that rethinks tradition

The name, in the South Tyrolean dialect, evokes the sound of autumn: Herbischt.klong was born with the goal of demonstrating how Volksmusik, the folk music of the Alpine region, is still vital, creative, and capable of renewing itself without betraying its roots. It is not a nostalgic exercise, but an invitation to listen to tradition with fresh ears.

Typical program

The festival day is structured into two complementary moments:

• Tanzlmusig Workshop in the afternoon: a laboratory dedicated to traditional dance music, open to musicians who wish to play together and then perform in the evening concert.
• Evening Concert in the Gustav-Mahler-Saal, with doors opening around 7:30 PM and the participation of leading ensembles of the Alpine folk scene such as Postwirtmusi and Wüdara Musi.

The composition prize

Among the elements that distinguish Herbischt.klong is the composition competition dedicated to a new polka written for the classic dance music ensemble. The best pieces are awarded during the concert, and the winning composition is performed as a world premiere before the audience, with a cash prize for the composer. A concrete way to nourish the contemporary repertoire of the tradition.

Dobbiaco and the Upper Puster Valley

Located in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano/Bozen, in the Trentino-Alto Adige region, Dobbiaco is a gateway to the Sesto Dolomites and a cultural crossroads between the German and Italian-speaking areas. The festival is part of the autumn programming of the Cultural Centre, which also hosts the famous Gustav Mahler Music Weeks throughout the year, offering visitors an authentic opportunity to discover the musical soul of the territory.