100 × J(A)ZZ! | DAVID HELBOCK AUSTRIAN SYNDICATE

The BMC and Austrian Cultural Forum's j(A)zz! concert series, which has been showcasing the diverse world of Austrian jazz and generations of artists at the Opus Jazz Club since 2013, has reached its 100th concert. To mark the occasion, the club's returning guest, pianist David Helbock, will be on stage this time with his Austrian Syndicate, an emblematic Austrian jazz ensemble in both its membership and musical approach. The name clearly evokes the figure of Joe Zawinul, but David Helbock's love project is much more than a tribute to his compatriot: it returns to his fusion jazz roots in an original style, with a wealth of keyboard and percussion instruments.

Helbock has repeatedly won the biggest competition for jazz pianists in Montreux, and as a bandleader he has recorded more than 20 albums, six of which were released by ACT. Alongside his former teacher and mentor, the American Peter Madsen - who has played alongside Stan Getz, Benny Golson, Chris Potter, Joe Lovano, Dewey Redman and Fred Wesley in a career spanning more than 40 years - he was joined by some of the most prominent young names on the Austrian jazz scene in the formation of the Austrian Syndicate, which released its first album on ACT in mid-2023.