When Gustav Kuhn founded the Tyrolean Festival Erl in 1997 he finally fulfilled his lifelong dream of staging his own music festival. The Festival is also an expression of his mission to inspire, support and promote young musicians and to keep the love for music alive. Since its beginnings in 1998, the Tyrolean Festival Erl has developed into an internationally recognized event, drawing music lovers from across Europe as well as the USA and Japan. The Tyrolean Festival Erl is not just another music festival – and how could it be with Gustav Kuhn as artistic director? 
What Maestro Kuhn is striving for is a “festival of controversies and involvement”. As director, Gustav Kuhn is constantly challenging old traditions. His goal is to free compositions from the restraints of long-established interpretations and to make space for new, fresh ideas. When Maestro Kuhn stands on the podium, the musical substance of a composition is brought to the fore. 

Being named a “rebel”, Kuhn has been working on and for his vision of music and music theater unswervingly since 1998. Spectacular projects such as his “Ring in 24 Hours” (2005) are considered the highlights of Kuhn’s remarkable career.
If music is self-determination, the Tyrolean Festival Erl is freedom. “The freedom to something” and not “from something" as Maestro Kuhn likes to emphasize. The freedom to work with passion and honesty. “Because anything else would be inconsistent with the Festival’s philosophy.”