Herbert Könighofer – Contra-alto Clarinet, Slide- & other Saxophones, Flutes, Vocals, Loops
Get ready for a one-of-a-kind musical journey where boundaries disappear! Austrian multi-instrumentalist Herbert Könighofer and Taiwan’s celebrated countertenor and lute master Cheng-Ying Chuang come together to break the mold. Fusing avant-garde jazz, European and Chinese classical, electronic vibes, rock and ba-roque, they create something completely new and electrifying!
Their instruments are just as unique as their sound. Herbert on contra-alto clarinet, slide- and other saxophones, vocals, piano, and live looping; Cheng-Ying on the traditional Chinese lute and soaring falsetto vocals. Expect a genre-defying performance that promises to transport you to new sonic dimensions.
With over a decade of friendship and collaboration, these two artists have toured across Asia and Europe, constantly reimagining and reshaping their music in spontaneous, living performances. Together, they push the boundaries of sound, unlocking the magic of the present moment.
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MOON ON HIGH is the collaboration of renown Taiwanese counter-tenor and lutist, Cheng-Ying Chuang with Austrian multi-instrumentalist Herbert Könighofer and pianist Hannah Eisendle. In the trio-formation, the artists explore the ranges between New Music and Jazz, between European and Asian classics and electronics, between free improvisation and composition, rock and baroque.
As manifold as the musical styles the trio elaborates on, is the very special instrumentation: Herbert Könighofer on contra alto-clarinet, tenor- and soprano saxophone, vocals, piano, guitar and electronic looper, Hannah Eisendle with her vocals, piano and organ and Cheng-Ying Chuang on Liuqin- und Zhongruan-lutes and as a counter-tenor/ vocalist.
The 3 musicians gather in order to transcend boundaries: they extract music out of its original context and reshape, combine and interpret it according to their individual conceptions. On various instruments, they explore the sounds of the very moments of their performances and always include the spheres created by the places of performance and the different audiences.
SCREAM Records, S.Rec033, LC 04836
The debut album of the Austrian-Taiwanese trio project captures the encounter of 3 musicians not only deriving from different cultural backgrounds, but also from completely different genres. While Hannah Eisendle is a classic composer and pianist, Cheng-Ying Chuang contributes his expertise and virtuosityboth as a classical European baroque countertenor and traditional Chinese lutist, while Herbert Könighofer adds his experiences as a Jazz musician. By means of improvisation they capture the very moment of their encounters and transcend stylistic boundaries. order/ download the album on > amazon, > itunes or directly via booking@marmota-agentur.com!
Tours: They have toured Austria together in June 2018 as the premiere of the ambitious project and continued the collaboration with a tour in Taiwan in October 2019. With an extensive tour-schedule with 10 concerts and 2 workshops within eleven days, the musicians had the chance to perform at various exciting locations and to meet various local and international artists. They performed at: Jiang Shan Yi Gai Suo / Hsinchu, Charity Tea & Music event Boksulao / Tamsui, Lin’s culture / Taipei, Forum Music / Taipei, 182 artspace / Tainan, Sound102 / Tainan, at National Taiwan’s University Centre for the Arts / Taipei, Dadong Culture and Art Center / Kaohsiung, Fo Guang University / Yilan and at Blue Note, Taipei.
The trio is available for concerts, impro-workshops, collaborations with local artists across genres, and much more – throughout the year upon request. Please contact booking@marmota-agentur.com.
TV Studio-Session at Salzburg’s FS1 (interviews in German):