Tremendous Response: Some 160 orchestras and ensembles registered.
Deutscher Harmonika-Verband e. V. (DHV), Press release December 4, 2024
Innsbruck will become the international stage for the accordion and diatonic world:
The World Music Festival 2025 meets Harmonica Day From May 29 to June 1, 2025, the Congress and Messe Innsbruck (CMI) will become the stage for an extraordinary music event: The World Music Festival (WMF), the largest accordion and diatonic festival in the world, is celebrating its 14th edition and this year for the first time will meet the Harmonica (Diatonic) Day (TdH) of the HVÖ Harmonikaverband Österreichs (Austria). This combination of two renowned events offers a unique program that will delight players, music lovers and families alike.
With around 160 registered orchestras and ensembles from all over the world, the interest in this festival is overwhelming. “This response shows how much the international accordion scene is looking for exchange and making music together after the difficult years of the pandemic,” says Georg Hettmann, 1st Vice President of the German Harmonica Association (DHV) and experienced member of the WMF organization team. The registration deadline for the World Music Festival expired at the end of November, registration for Harmonica Day is still possible until March 11, 2025.
Competitions and concerts at the highest level The audience can look forward to top-class competitions in various categories for accordion, Styrian harmonica, harmonica and other instruments. From soloists to ensembles and large orchestras, the entire range of accordion and diatonic music will be on offer. At the same time, the evening program promises concerts on all three days with top international artists, making the festival the cultural highlight of the year.
The opening event on Thursday, May 29th will be the “Tyrolean Evening”, which will take the festival audience on a musical journey through the Alpine region. The opening evening on Friday, May 30th will begin with »Accordion in the Square« and the Hohner Accordion Orchestra Reilingen, the winners of the WMF 2019, under the direction of Johannes Grebencikov. They will be heard together with the Federal Accordion Orchestra (BuAkkO), which will impress with both classical pieces and modern works under the direction of federal conductor Silke D’Inka.
The Quinteto Beltango, which will delight the audience with its tango sounds and invite them to dance, and the Concertino Accordion Band, which is known for rousing accordion music from the Republic of Moldova, will provide a varied program. On Saturday, May 31, there will be other impressive artists to hear as part of the Evening of Nations, including the concert by Vladimir Stupnikov, the 1st prize winner of the »Accordion Without Borders 2024« competition, as well as students from all over Europe. At the same time, the band Vangardion featuring Matthias Matzke and the Münsinger Alb accordion orchestra present a powerful interplay of accordion and symphonic rock.
All fans of brilliant orchestral and big band sound will get their money’s worth at the concert of the Hohnerklang orchestra and the A-Train accordion big band. For lovers of the Styrian harmonica, the concert evening will be rounded off with “Diatonic Expeditions”, an innovative concert format that explores new musical paths with traditional sounds. The concert evening is kindly supported by Kärcher. The festival culminates in the closing event on Sunday, June 1st. Together, the participants will be looking forward to the announcement of the competition results this morning and celebrating the winners of the World Music Festival 2025.
A festival for the whole family The festival’s diverse offering makes the weekend an experience for all generations. In addition to the competitions and concerts, the event offers numerous opportunities to discover the world of accordion and harmonica music interactively. Whether as an active participant or as an enthusiastic audience – the World Music Festival and Harmonica (Diatonic) Day 2025 invite you to experience the musical diversity of bellows instruments in all its fullness.
Tickets and further information
Advance sales for concert and festival tickets began at the beginning of December. Tickets are available at ticket.dhv-ev.de. A visit to the festival is not only an ideal gift for music enthusiasts, but also offers the opportunity to be enchanted by the unique atmosphere and the magic of diatonic and accordion music for yourself.
Further information on the program and the artists who will be performing at the World Music Festival can be found on the official DHV website at www.dhv-ev.de.
Information on Harmonica Day can be found at www.harmonikaverband.at.
Photos from the festival
Motive: Evening of Nations with A-Train
Motif: World Music Festival competition
Photos can be used free of charge provided the image rights are mentioned: Thomas Ahrend, Studio157
DHV Online
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