Alpine melodies set to jazz and heavy metal

The Swiss group Stimmhorn is one of over a dozen Alpine groups playing at the Festival Keystone

This year's International Festival of Alpine Sounds is a melting pot of old and new tunes, where alphorn melodies are fused with jazz, rock, rap and experimental music.

Creative, amusing, daring and traditional – this is the eclectic musical mix on offer at this year’s International Festival of Alpine Sounds in Altdorf, canton Uri.

Drawing together over a dozen groups, the festival also features bands from other Alpine countries, including Germany, France, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia.

Some of the star attractions include the Austrian saxophonist, Max Nagl, and the Bavarian group Edelschwarz, a heavy metal group playing Bavarian folk songs.

The Swiss group, Stimmhorn, will showcase their first film, “In Land”, an adaption of which they will also be performing on stage in Altdorf.

It will also be the Swiss premiere of a new composition by Jean-Christophe Cholet and Mathias Rüegg entitled Alpine Suite, which will played by the French big band ODEJY.

Aside from bands, visitors can also listen to a one-off ‘sound structure’, composed of unusual Alpine instruments, or visit an exhibition of Alpine art at the Altdorf Art Gallery.

swissinfo with agencies