Music Ensemble for the 40 Year Anniversary Event
We are very happy to be able to introduce the musicians that will be providing the musical entertainment at our 40 Year Anniversary event.
Coming to us from Appenzell is the Fässler family.
Fässler Family
Erika Fässler
Born 1988 in Appenzell and living actually in Gossau (Canton of St.Gallen)
After compulsory local schools she made a bachelor degree in banking, marketing and tourism, followed by a master degree in marketing. She works actually as the head of marketing at the Appenzeller Bahnen.
Erika started to play the accordion at the age of seven and played a few years later with an uncle and an aunt as a family ensemble. At the age of 15 she joint the “Kapelle Edelstee” and won with them in 2004 the Swiss Young Musicians Folklore Competition. Since 2014 she is also regularly playing with the famous Hackbrett-Solist Nicolas Senn, as well as with her brothers in the Ensemble “Geschwister Fässler”.
Martin Fässler
Born 1993 in Appenzell and living with his parents in Jakobsbad.
After compulsory schools he made an apprenticeship as an electrician. Actually he is working as a service technician for household machinery and gets additional training as a sales engineer.
Martin started to play the Hackbrett at the age of nine and soon joint his sister for performing traditional Appenzell folkmusic. In 2007 he took also lesson on the double bass.
In 2009 he won with the Trio Fässler-Kölbener (two Hackbretts and Piano) the Swiss Young Musicians Folklore Competition.
In 2010 the “Kapelle Holdrioo” was launched, in which Martin plays the Hackbrett as well as the double bass. Often he plays the double bass also with the ensemble of Nicolas Senn.
However, the Hackbrett is definitely Martin’s main instrument for solo performances, not only playing Appenzell folkmusic, but also internationally known standard titles. He enjoys to play them together with his sister Erika and his brother Daniel.
Daniel Fässler
Born 1996 in Appenzell and living with his parents in Jakobsbad.
After compulsory schools he made an apprenticeship as a stove builder. Actually he is working with a local building company, mainly for masons and tile work.
Daniel became interested in music, because he heard his brother and sister practicing at home. In addition he participated in a junior folklore dancing group throughout his school years.
He studied the piano first as an autodidact and took lessons later, mainly to accompany traditional folk music. He was already the pianist when “Fässler-Kölbener” won the Swiss Young Musicians Folklore Competition in 2009 and again when the “Kapelle Weissbad” won it in 2013.
Recently he plays mainly with his sister and his brother as the ensemble “Geschwister Fässler”.
Joining them will be…
Keiko Ito
We last had the pleasure to hear Ms. Ito on September 27, 2017.
Ms. Ito’s interpretation of our traditional Swiss music rivals that of many musicians from Switzerland. Ms. Ito performs solo, as well as with various ensembles, including the AMSLE Quantett.
We look forward to their joint performance. Please come and join us on September 14, 2019.