Philipp Hochmair inspires students with electrifying ballad rave!

Philipp Hochmair inspires students with electrifying ballad rave!

Philipp Hochmair, the Austrian actor known from productions such as “Blindly Investigated” and “The Wannsee Conference”, offered a captivating performance on June 4, 2025 in the Wangener Stadthalle. He is currently playing the lead role in “Everyman” at the Salzburg Festival, where all performances are sold out. Invited by teacher Heidi Schubkegel, Hochmair presented his innovative performance, the “Schiller Ballad Rave,” to around 300 students in eighth to tenth grades. This event was made possible through the support of the Ravensburg District Community Foundation and the RNG Support Association.

The “Schiller Ballad Rave” is a cross-genre music theater format that Hochmair developed together with his artist collective. This collective consists of talented musicians, including Tobias Herzz Hallbauer, Jörg Schittkowski, Bastien Eiffler and Rajko Gohlke, as well as sound designer Hanns Clasen. The performances combine classical language from the 19th century with modern electronic sounds and emotional performances. Hochmair is often described as a “construction worker at Schiller's word quarry”, who shapes the rhythms intensively and celebrates the creative power of the language while the beats rise pulsatingly.

An energetic experience

At the performance in Wangen, Schiller's works “The Glove”, “The Diver”, “The Bürgschaft” and Goethe's “The Erlkönig” were presented with a lot of energy and dynamism. Hochmair improvised and spontaneously adapted his performance to the mood of the audience. Supported by the band “Die Elektrohand Gottes” with drums and electric guitar, he created a euphoric atmosphere that carried the audience away.

A special interaction took place when Hochmair actively involved the audience and answered questions at the end. His use of a megaphone and an improvised broom dance added to the lively atmosphere, which the students found to be a unique experience. This type of performance allows Hochmair to convey classic literature in a modern and accessible way.

Support and appreciation

The event was not only an artistic performance, but also an important event for the students in attendance. To represent the appreciation of this initiative, thanks were given to the sponsors, such as the Ravensburg District Community Foundation and the RNG Support Association, who provided the financial basis for the event. With their concept, Hochmair and his team manage to combine tried-and-tested literature with modern expression and at the same time get a younger generation excited about the classics. It shows that art and education can go hand in hand to create unforgettable experiences.