Masterly playing on the cusp between folk music traditions and innovative ideas is the trademark of the “Gläuffig” ensemble. Rather like circus artistes for whom gravity does not seem to exist, Gläuffig juggles with Alpine folk music, familiar patterns and common clichés. Sometimes the results are light-footed and playful, at other times down-to-earth, indeed almost earthy, but always with lots of musicality and a sheer joy in performing.

Mathias Landtwing (clarinet), Fränggi Gehrig (accordion), Lukas Gernet (piano) and Pirmin Huber (double bass) came together in 2008 to form Gläuffig. They all have their musical roots in folk music, though they completed their music studies at the Lucerne University of Arts in different fields (folk music, jazz, classical music and composition) and have all developed into virtuoso instrumentalists. They are also all aware of their origins, and while they want to give traditional music a new substance and a new interpretative guise, they still want to treat folk music culture with the respect that it deserves. The ensemble’s repertoire ranges from traditional ländler music in the style of the legendary band “Heirassa” to modern, more advanced folk music.

Gläuffig regularly performs at concerts and renowned festivals. It has been a guest at the Zurich Tonhalle Festival for new folk music entitled “Stubete am See” (“folk jam session by the lake”), at the Jazz Night and the Accordion Festival in Zug, at the Alpenklang Festival at the Paul Klee Centre in Bern, at the Alpentöne Festival in Altdorf, and at the Suisse Diagonales Jazz Festival in Lucerne. The ensemble also plays at entertainment evenings and at traditional “Stubete” jam sessions.

The anniversary programme “Momentum” will also be released as an album. The music for this programme follows on seamlessly from Gläuffig’s earlier programme entitled “Gesellenwanderung” (“A journeyman’s wanderings”). This latter programme enjoyed great success at over 40 concerts and folk-music festivals at home and abroad, including in Altdorf, Lenzburg and Carinthia.

Gläuffig:
Mathias Landtwing, clarinet
Fränggi Gehrig, accordion
Pirmin Huber, double bass
Lukas V. Gernet, piano