The Early Years

A visionary and pioneer in his field, Franz Hackl Sr. dedicated his life to music. A child prodigy, he set the course of his life’s work at a very early age and embarked on a journey that would forever empower the trumpet soloist.
1966, Franz Hackl Sr. and his childhood sweetheart and wife, welcomed home Franz Hackl Jr. - Franzi was born. Like his father, Franzi developed a love for music at a very early age. And, whether it was nature or, nurture, his technical abilities and his passion for his father’s instrument was distinct and unmistakeable. At the tender age of 11, Franzi was an accomplished soloist and began performing at the age of 14 with the world-renowned Austrian brass band, Original Tiroler Kaiserjägermusik. And, at the age of 15, Franzi kicked-off his first international tour.

Later in Life

Franzi explored multiple music genres and became captivated with the sounds of an American original – Jazz. The complexities, the rhythms, the conversation. It was, as Franzi realized, a dialogue among fellow performers – for all the world to witness and bask in. Franzi proceeded to become an alumnus of the Conservatory of the City of Vienna. In 1990, Franzi decided to further pursue his jazz soloist ambitions and he moved to New York to play and study. He received an M.S. degree from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with trumpet legend, Lew Soloff. And, in 2002, after moving to his new home in Harlem – he realized his dream to be in the heart of the cultural and music capital of New York.

After frequent collaborations with leading international artists in the field of Jazz, he began to focus on composition and leading his own projects. His stylistic versatility grew to include works for full orchestra, chamber groups, choral works, and multi-media events. He was commissioned to write original music for the “Year of the Mountains” launch event at the United Nations in New York, Trialog @ Hangar 7 (Red Bull), the opening of the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York, as well as composing for numerous international festivals and ensembles such as Tiroler Festspiele, Europ. Forum Alpbach, Klangspuren, Festival der Regionen, and the Absolute Ensemble.

Franz is a Col Legno Artist, a leading record label in the contemporary music field. Today, Franzi leads the Franz Hackl Outreach Orchetra and the Franz Hackl IDO Quartet with Mino Cinelu on percussion, Mark Egan on bass, and Adam Holzman on piano. IDO stands for ‘dialect for everyone’ and bridges Tyrolean Folk tunes, the music he grew up with, to the world stage by developing a unique international musical language leveraging the sounds of Jazz, world grooves, and electronics. Franzi also leads the Franz Hackl Outreach Orchestra in Austria. He co-leads B3+ with Dave Taylor on bass trombone and John Clark on French horn, Franz Hackl & Mino Cinelu Duo, and Franz Hackl & Michael Wolff Duo. Franzi also collaborates with Composers Concordance, is a member of Sound Liberation with Gene Pritsker, and groups led by trombone legend, Craig Harris.

Outreach Music Festival

In 1993 Franzi founded Outreach Music, a trendsetting annual three-day music festival and year round academy that inspires musicians of all levels to expand their artistic vision, in his hometown of Schwaz, Austria. A celebration of music and the arts, the Outreach Music festival is hosted in picturesque surroundings, featuring world-renowned artists and performers. The academy achieved global appeal and is attended by patrons from around the world.
Each year, fifteen ensembles perform original compositions specifically written for the unique theme of each year’s festival. Every festival celebrates 15 world premieres and features leading virtuosos from around the globe, including Europe, USA, South America, and Asia. Rooted in jazz, performances bridge together artists from multiple genres, including, jazz, baroque, classical, contemporary classical, progressive rock, folk music, and world music.
The first and last concert of the festival combines music, visual arts, and the spoken word. The visual spoken word music concert serves as our opening speech.

The Academy

The Outreach Music Academy is the most comprehensive summer workshop offering in Austria. Two hundred classes are offered that cover a multitude of topics, including music theory and technical advancement. Thirty-five international teaching artists lead focus groups, covering multiple skill levels and age groups. Franzi leads the Master Class workshop series.

Brass Instrument Design and Manufacture

Founded in 1965 by Franz Hackl Sr., one of Europe’s elite brass instrument design and manufacturers was born. Handcrafted using the finest materials, Hackl Music produces its instruments today using the same techniques developed over 50 years ago. Custom made, each instrument is hand molded and assembled to strict specifications and individually customized to each performer’s requirements. Using their combined knowledge and experience, Franz Sr. and Franzi continuously improve upon both the design and build of their product by leveraging from the latest technologies and, of course, their intimate knowledge of the horns that only a musician can fully appreciate and understand.

Composition

Orchestral Works Include
Ach Himmel A und Z
Im Schatten der Lunte
In Patua zu Manden
Hunt Erd

Chamber Works Include

Die Perle
Dahier
Herz Part 1
Herz Part 2
Bone to be wild
Bloetenflock
Der Gang zum Liebchen
Keep Cool Said the Stool
Der Panzer weint
Friendly Fire
Die Mauern von Jericho
Money is overrated
Parfumare -to smoke through
Plantaincoof
Polka Face
Polkafast
Solomente in W
The thinking waltz
Almost and knocked out
Larche Noah
Loheninn
Musik ist Stumpf
Pack die Wunderjahre
Unrechts Marsch

Jazz Works Include

Heavy Duty Free
KSKG
PZLE
Relax said the ax
USH
Ski Anthem
Rhythm Diandle

Notable Television and Radio Performances

1980 - ORF (ORF – Austrian Broadcast Corporation – main TV station in Austria) ‘Guten Abend am Samstag’ TV Show with Heinz Conrads. Performed as soloist with the Studentenmusikkapelle Paulinum Schwaz. This was Franzi’s first TV performance as a soloist.
1983 – ‘Wie die Alten Sungen’ TV Show with Schruns Tschagguns as a trumpet soloist
Starting in 1999 through today, the annual Outreach Music Festival is recorded and broadcast by ORF Ö1, nationwide radio coverage in Germany and Austria through WDR and ORF and all major daily newspapers in Austria and southern Germany
2009 - TV News Report ‘Freiheit – Brennende Liebe‘ Dogana Innsbruck concert – soloist with moderntimes_1800 & Tobias Moretti
2009 – TV News Report covering the concert of Franzi’s IDO Quartet in front of the Innsbrucker Dom (Austria)
2015 - ORF OBERÖSTERREICH HEUTE-Beitrag Konzert im Linzer Brucknerhaus
2015: ORF ‘Eco’ TV Show – segment about NYC Wallstreet

2019 - ‘Heimatleuchten‘ Servus TV
2019 - ‘Grenzgänger‘ TV Show on Bayerischer Rundfunk

Notable Recordings

‘Uncommon Sense’ B3+ ( with Dave Taylor- bass trombone , John Clark – french horn) Label: Col Legno
‘Tiroler Volksweisen’ Duo woth VFranz Hackl sen. Label: Pao Records
‘Hepcaolin‘ musical director for Paul Zauner’s ITSLY : Pao Records
Conrad Schrenk Extravaganza ‘Save The Robots’

Awards & Accolades

Ganz Woche Preisträger Award received as a young artist
Verdienstkreuz Land Tirol Award received from the state of Tirol and is one of the highest honors that an artist can receive for their contributions to the performing arts

Education

1985-1987 Journeyman’s Certificate Brass Instrument Maker Franz Hackl Musikinstrumente (Schwaz/Austria)
1987-1990 Music Conservatory of the City of Vienna (Austria) Concert Diploma

1990-93 Manhattan School of Music 1990-1993: Masters of Music - Jazz and Commercial under Lew Soloff

Ensembles

Franz Hackl Outreach Orchestra
Franz Hackl IDO Quartet
B3+
Franz Hackl & Mino Cinelu Duo
Franz Hackl, Michael Wolff Duo
Collaborations with Composers Concordance, is a member of Sound Liberation with Gene Pritsker, and groups led by trombone legend, Craig Harris.

Giving Back To Our Communities

In NYC Franz served for 5 years as a board member of the Manhattan New Music Project and as artistic co-director of the International Street Cannibals. Franz is also an advisor to the Austrian Cultural Forum.
In addition to teaching 15 Master Classes per year – using his own developed ‘standing airwave’ technique and improvisation system, Franzi developed and implemented an on-line music teaching program for the State of Tirol, in Austria.
In Austria, he serves on the Advisory Board of the professional Ice Hockey team HC TWK Innsbruck Haie. A team which very successfully competes in the EBEL League.

Reviews

Franzi premiered 2 orchestral works at the Theater an der Wien, where many of Beethoven’s works were premiered, to rave reviews:
....mit zwei Uraufführungen des Trompeters und Komponisten Franz Hackl. Der Tiroler Musiker, leider viel zu selten in Wien zu Gast, brachte eine faszinierende Mischung aus brillanten Trompetentönen, butterweichen Flügelhornklängen, elektronischen Live-Samples und orchestralen Partien auf die Bühne.
(Die Presse)

Einen spannenden Kontrapunkt setzte übrigens der in New York lebende Tiroler Jazztrompeter Franz Hackl. Da wird mitreißend gegroovt.
(Kronen Zeitung)

Franz Hackl sorgte für das improvisierende Gegengewicht zu Tobias Moretti. Der Jazztrompeter gab dem Abend klangliche Balance – auch mit der Uraufführung zweier eigener Werke
(Wiener Zeitung)

Ironie ist hörbar ........ in der Musik von Franz Hackl, der die inbrünstigen Märsche in Antonio Salieris Sinfonia „Der Tyroler Landsturm“ (eine Wiederentdeckung der Morettis!) überzeichnend aufgreift, aber auch wunderbar zarte Kompositionen beisteuert.
(Westdeutsche Zeitung)

Der grandiose Franz Hackl mischte sich mit Trompeten-Zitaten ein und hatte auch zwei Werke für sich und das überzeugende "moderntimes_1800"-Ensemble unter Ilia Korol und Julia Moretti komponiert.
(Tiroler Tageszeitung)

Fein aber auch zwei Uraufführungen ("Im Schatten der Lunte" und "Ach Himmel A und Z"), in die sich der Komponist Franz Hackl auch solistisch mit seiner Trompete einbrachte.
(Kurier)

Performance Venues

Franzi performs at world renowned venues, including Jazz Standard (as a leader), Blue Note, Birdland, and Sweet Basil, to name a few. For the past 30 years he has toured the international festival circuit and a multitude of concert halls, including performances in Portugal, France, Austria, Germany, Italy, Indonesia, Tunisia, Brazil, USA, Denmark, Romania, Poland, Switzerland, Finland, and Estonia.

Franzi is a great proponent of cross-over projects. One of the most successful and influential projects included ‘The Spoken Word & Musical Collage production “Freiheit-brennende Liebe“, featuring one of Europe’s leading actors, Tobias Moretti and the baroque orchestra „modern_times 1800“. Franzi composed two orchestral works for these concerts, which premiered at the Theater an der Wien, in Vienna, Austria and additional performances were given at major venues, including Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Germany and at Dogana, in Innsbruck, Austria.

Today, Franzi continues to lead cross-over projects with members of the Vienna Philharmonic, combining traditional Austrian brass music with jazz, classical and contemporary classical music, film music, and show tunes.

Patents

Franzi owns a U.S. patent for a brass instrument mouthpiece system. The mouthpiece assembly includes an internal thread, which engages an external thread of a leadpipe of a brass musical instrument. The internal thread can be placed on the Stem of the mouthpiece or on an extension to the leadpipe into which the stem frictionally engages. In either case, the radial gap between the mouthpiece and the leadpipe is substantially eliminated. Additionally, the diameter of the air passageway can be configured to be Substantially free of discontinuities. The various pieces of the mouthpiece assembly can be interchanged to vary Some characteristics of the mouthpiece, while keeping other characteristics constant.

Franzi invented and developed a production model of the Hybrass trumpet - a revolutionary trumpet concept, which combines the best acoustic qualities of wood, brass, and steel.