It was an opportunity that Jo Aichinger had just been waiting for: When the city of Krems was approaching its 1000th birthday, there was a knock on the technician and cultural manager’s door: Would he like to organize an event for the anniversary? Aichinger, then head of technology at the Kremser Kunsthalle, took action – and took the opportunity to prove his talent as an organizer: The Styrian native created an accordion festival in 1995 that offered space for folk music as well as musical styles of completely different origins. This caused such a sensation that Aichinger was soon in demand as a festival organizer again: in 1997 he launched Glatt & Verkehrt in Krems – the concert series that has been attracting musicians from all corners of the world to Lower Austria year after year and also offers a stage for jazz.
