1. International Piano Improvisation Festival

The 1st International Piano Improvisation Festival brings four renowned concert artists and professors to the heart of the Salzkammergut in Bad Ischl: John Mortensen (USA), Laurens Patzlaff (Freiburg), Javier Liébana (Spain), and Georg Thoma (Munich). Over two festival days, the art of piano improvisation will be directly audible and experienceable through lessons and concerts. A highlight is the symphonic concert on Friday, February 27, 2026, in the Great Hall of the Theaterhaus Bad Ischl: In an innovative concert format, symphonic works by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy will be performed, accompanied by improvisations on the concert grand that respond directly to the orchestra's playing. Additionally, on Friday and Saturday, publicly accessible short concerts will take place, where the four artists will exclusively improvise for the audience. For students and advanced piano learners, the festival offers masterclasses with individual instruction from all four participating professors, covering different styles of improvisation. Registration for the masterclass should be sent via email to seiwald.music@gmail.com by February 15, 2026.