Elevate Opening

–> Get your tickets here

The 21st edition of the Elevate Festival kicks off at the Grazer Orpheum, hosted by US-performance artist Lori Baldwin. Alongside a short address by synthesizer pioneer Suzanne Ciani, festival founder Bernhard Steirer and discourse curator Irina Nalis will guide the audience through the festival program. Political greetings will be delivered by Regional Councillor Karlheinz Kornhäusl, Mayor Elke Kahr, and City Councillor Günter Riegler.

Following the opening remarks, the premiere of Bounce takes center stage. In this immersive performance, the duo Navaridas & Deutinger, together with electronic musician Manuel Riegler, harpist Eduardo Raon, violinist Matteo Haitzmann, and dancer Bruna Diniz, celebrate a ritual of togetherness, exertion, and transformation. The production blends sound, dance, and movement on a microphone-rigged metal structure, dissolving the boundaries between music and dance.

The evening concludes with a concert by C.O.R.N.!, the Graz-based duo featuring drummer Patrick Wurzwallner and electronic artist Nick Acorne, joined by multi-instrumentalist Vincent Pongracz, a recent recipient of the Austrian Jazz Prize. Their humorous and untamed improvisational magic offers the perfect gateway into an eventful festival week.

Meanwhile, the Orpheum foyer transforms into a cozy hangout as musician, producer, and DJ Monique Fessl contrasts sophisticated sounds with kitsch and surprises with unexpected journeys through music history.

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Show starts at 8:00 p.m.