Concertante appropriation – a musical cheekiness

Cheekily stolen masterpieces for tuba and piano including droll poems from Hofmeir’s “Hundsgemeiner Instrumentenkunde”

Every musical instrument is proud of its best solo works. And rightly so. Tubists know this in particular, because they hardly have any. So the most famous of all tuba players, Andreas Martin Hofmeir, accompanied by pianist Barbara Schmelz, steals the best from the competition. An outrageous concertante appropriation! And that’s not all: with diatribes from his brand-new “Hundsgemeine Instrumentenkunde”, he also gives them a linguistic beating. Look forward to a special evening for the laugh muscles and the demanding ear canal.

What the Critics Say

“A delicate balancing act between genius and grotesque. (…) What sounds like an ironic footnote in music education turns out to be a literary and musical fireworks display – somewhere amusingly situated between a Dadaist music dictionary and cultural polemics. (…) As entertaining as the satire is, so virtuosic is the playing. (…) The audience goes wild – barely realizing how deeply they have become part of a musical-literary tightrope walk. (…) [Hofmeir] reveals himself (…) above all as what has become rare in the classical world: a humanist of humor. His art has backbone, but no stick up its back. His tuba is queen – and at the same time, court jester. (…) An evening that shows how grand music can be when you don’t take it too seriously – and how intelligent cabaret can sound when it delves deep enough.”
Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger

“Andreas Hofmeir impressed (…) with Bavarian charm, witty intelligence, and remarkable musical quality. (…) An exceptional concert experience that defies categorization.”
Oberhessische Zeitung

“A tremendous delight.”
Rheinische Post

Eine tiefe Nachtmusik (A deep night music)

The programme “Eine tiefe Nachtmusik” from the serious soirees series consists exclusively of songs that the day does not need. The audience can expect a generously frequented sound therapy with Nonnberg Abbey organist Barbara Schmelz on the piano and ECHO Klassik prize-winner and cabaret artist Andreas Martin Hofmeir on the tuba, supplemented with all sorts of forgettable things from the mouth of the latter. Waste valuable time and let your worst dreams become reality on this evening!

What the Critics Say

“It seems as if nothing is safe from him. Baroque light-footedness, classical elegance, romantic melancholy: he has it all in his repertoire. Be it a flute fantasy by Telemann, Bach’s famous “Air”, lyrical pieces by Grieg, pieces for French horn or even violin: Hofmeir makes his tuba bounce and sing – brilliantly and gracefully accompanied by Barbara Schmelz – and thus gives all these compositions a completely unheard-of, deeply gentle sound aesthetic. A devil’s tuba player! That is as impressive as it is cheeky.”
Süddeutsche Zeitung

“The audience loved it and the two artists were celebrated with standing ovations.”
inFranken

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• Booking: office@andreas-martin-hofmeir.com

Andreas Martin Hofmeir, one of the finest and most versatile instrumentalists of our time, is at home in many different musical genres. The tuba player is a professor at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, was a founding member of the Bavarian cult band LaBrassBanda, and has received numerous awards both as a cabaret artist and a classical tuba player. Hofmeir is a respected soloist and chamber musician, and has been invited to lead master classes and workshops throughout the world. He is also an author and showmaster.

Andreas Martin Hofmeir grew up playing in various brass and wind ensembles, where he discovered his love for the tuba. He still enjoys performing with brass and wind bands and passing on his knowledge to non-professional brass players. He has performed with the Sächsische Bläserphilharmonie, the Deutsche Bläserphilharmonie, the Akademisches Blasorchester München, the Bläserphilharmonie Salzburg, and the Upper Austrian Military Orchestra, as well as with countless local wind bands and music societies.

Hofmeir’s extensive repertoire includes a tuba concerto composed especially for him by Jörg Duda and another one composed for him by Stephen Melillo.

Videos

Repertoire

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• Booking: office@andreas-martin-hofmeir.com

It was a magnificent comeback when in the spring of 2013 Andreas Martin Hofmeir once again put a foot – or rather, his backside – on a cabaret stage. He already had a number of awards on his mantle (Bronzener Koggenzieher, Kleines ScharfrichterBeil, Goldene Weißwurscht, etc.), thanks to his days with the music cabaret troop “Star Fours” and the theater group “Die Qualkommission”, but after a few years in the diaspora of classical propriety he was drawn once again to the world of humor. Since then – celebrated by critics and adored by audiences – he has been sharing tragi-comic tales of his experiences as a tuba player and world traveler, presented in his dry, trademark style.

In “Kein Aufwand! Teil 2 – Die letzten Jahre” (“No Effort! Part 2 – My Last Years”), Hofmeir goes one step further: this time, he brings not only “Fanny”, his tuba, but also Franz the trumpet and Frau Griesmeier the trombone. In the distinguished tradition of Gerhard Polt or Karl Valentin, Hofmeir tells odd but true stories from his life: world record attempts in taking breaks or tossing objects into the tuba, a unique duet made up of a porn actress and a tuba, the downfall of an entire legion due to the actions of a pianist drafted into military service, and tales of his time with LaBrassBanda.

A book and audio book documenting the reading were released in February 2016 by btb and Hörverlag.

Official trailer (german only):

What the Critics Say

“An exceptional combination!”

Generalanzeiger Bonn

“Andreas Martin Hofmeir nonchalantly reads excepts from his book, and his idiosyncratic take on the world is right on target. The audience loves his dry, tongue-in-cheek delivery, chuckling and laughing out loud.”
Kölner Stadtanzeiger/Bonner Rundschau

“These two magicians conjure snappy bossa nova duets from their instruments. A virtuoso tangle of sound like nothing you’ve ever heard. Groovy, delicate, and heavy on the bass. Druggy! And to top it off, Hofmeir is seriously funny – black humor from Bavaria with an atomic dose of irony. A most excellent evening!”
Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten

“Absolutely unbelievable, but also unbelievably funny.”
Donaukurier

“The audience laughed till their sides hurt.”
Augsburger Allgemeine

“Music and cabaret – a formula for success that delights audiences both north and south of the White Sausage Line.”
Braunschweiger Zeitung

“Hofmeir is one of those personalities that can completely fill a stage, no matter how big it is. He radiates self-confidence tempered by a healthy sense of self-mockery, without a trace of arrogance.”
Augsburger Allgemeine

“People laugh so hard they nearly fall off their chairs even before Hofmeir begins his antics on the tuba. How does he do it?”
Badische Neueste Nachrichten

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• Booking: office@andreas-martin-hofmeir.com

During the crossover boom of recent years, audiences have witnessed contrived crossover, forced crossover, economically motivated crossover and, in rare and happy cases, crossover from artists who truly feel at home in different genres and fields. Andreas Martin Hofmeir is such an artist. He is a successful cabaret performer, author, moderator, and founding member of the cult pop band LaBrassBanda, as well as a virtuoso tuba soloist who has been awarded the ECHO Klassik prize. With Hofmeir, refined classical music meets Brazilian jazz, Funk meets Baroque, music meets cabaret, and the tuba is at the center of it all. Together with the members of his jazz band and a large orchestra, Hofmeir effortlessly brings together seemingly incompatible worlds. At the end of the evening, audiences have been coaxed into giving up many of their prejudices and preconceptions, not only about the tuba.

The crossover project All About That Bass is available for booking by orchestras.

What the Critics Say

“Standing ovations for all the musicians who made this evening such a wonderful experience, but especially for Hofmeir. With a combination of virtuosity and humor, he succeeded in his quest to be the Don Quixote of the tuba.” Trierer Volksfreund

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• Booking: office@andreas-martin-hofmeir.com

Andreas Martin Hofmeir & Band is a most unusual combination, with a tuba as the lead instrument of a jazz combo. Hofmeir (ECHO prizewinner, Mozarteum professor, founding member of LaBrassBanda, quick-witted cabaret artist, bestselling author, and “musician without borders”) teams up with three of southern Germany’s finest jazz musicians: André Schwager on piano, Johannes Jahn on drums, and Andreas Kurz on bass. Together, they create a unique musical experience. Their current program, “Brazilian Night”, takes the audience on a romantic and humorous journey to South America. Andreas Martin Hofmeir & Band have performed throughout Germany in places such as the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Philharmonie in Munich, and the Jewish Museum in Berlin.

What the Critics Say

“Only one thing was missing on this evening – boredom! A very special occasion with marvelous music – eclectic, fascinating, informative, and funny.”
Burghauser Anzeiger

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• Booking: office@andreas-martin-hofmeir.com

European Tuba Power brings together four of the finest tuba players of our time around Andreas Martin Hofmeir (Salzburg). All four are sought-after soloists, professors at prestigious universities, and have won numerous awards at international competitions. With a shared love of virtuoso challenges and unconventional repertoire, the ensemble has toured throughout Europe and the USA – they were special guests at the Vienna Opera Ball and regularly play at the Munich Oktoberfest. Each of the players brings his own musical influences and background to the group: Hungarian gypsy music, Slavic folk songs, Mozart transcriptions, but also jazz arrangements (with drum set) of music by Duke Ellington or Charlie Chaplin, pop hits by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, sensational Tuba Techno numbers and heavy metal classics. All of these combine to create an unforgettable concert experience.

Video

What The Critics Say

“An unforgettable musical adventure showcasing the fascinating power of the low brass.”
Veithöchsheim Blog

“Wow, what virtuosity – the name says it all.”
Schwäbische Zeitung

“You can’t get more tuba than this.”
Reutlinger General-Anzeiger

“With Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Michael Bublé and Latin music, most of the audience couldn’t stay in their seats.”
Landshuter Zeitung

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• Booking: office@andreas-martin-hofmeir.com

An evening of music and cabaret by and with Andreas Martin Hofmeir

Andreas Martin Hofmeir’s eclectic variety show, “Who’s Gonna Blow It?” (“Wer dablost’s?”) has become am essential destination in the performing arts scene. No one – not even Germany’s biggest names – has to be asked twice when the ECHO prizewinner and tuba virtuoso calls with an invitation to Ingolstadt’s Halle Neun. Prominent guests have included Olaf Schubert, Gregor Gysi, Hans Well, Katie Freudenschuss, Matthias Egersdörfer, Maxi Schafroth, Michael Altinger, Wolfgang Krebs, and Marcus H. Rosenmüller.

All types of variety acts, deep and humorously philosophical conversations far beyond mainstream talk show fare, as well as seasonal projects such as making Christmas cookies or guessing the ingredients of various detox juices, keep the host and his guests on their toes. At the center of it all is Rosalinde, an old, broken-down, and foul-smelling tuba upon which every guest is required to play a tune, accompanied by the show’s house band, the SchutterNEUN Jazz Orchestra.

With an entertaining alternation of lively music, timely cabaret, skilled variety acts, conversations both serious and amusing, as well as interaction with the audience, the result in a show that is engaging and entertaining. “Who’s Gonna Blow It?” takes place four times a year in Ingolstadt’s Halle Neun.

Videos

More videos on kanal-neun YouTube channel !

What the Critics Say

“The barefoot tuba professor is a delightfully humorous and subversive free spirit whose spontaneous flashes of insight and delightfully sharp tongue make his talk show concept so engaging.”
Donaukurier

“This show is destined to become a cult classic!”
Donaukurier

“As a host, Hofmeir is not slickly buttoned down or harmlessly polite. He is able to find a perfect balance of curiosity, humor, and bluntness without ever becoming rude. His show concept is right on target: Halle Neun is nearly always sold out.”
Donaukurier

“A successful balance of casual entertainment, intelligent cabaret, and slapstick, but with serious moments as well. Hofmeir took a stand for cultural diversity in a musical sense: at three points in the evening, young men from Eritrea, Syria, and Senegal sang – to enthusiastic applause – songs from their homelands. According to Hofmeir, he wanted to show that people forced to become refugees ‘are not only looking for a roof over their heads, but are bringing us things of value as well.'”
Donaukurier

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