On today's Trail Lunchbox, Tommy welcomed two beloved Missoulians deeply connected to the International Choral Festival: Saxon Holbrook, president of the festival and longtime choral singer, and Jürgen Knöller, brewmaster at Bayern Brewing and early festival supporter.

They swap stories about the very first festival in 1987, flipping burgers for Carson, seeing Frank Zappa in Germany, and what makes Missoula’s global celebration of voices so unique. Saxon walks us through what to expect at this year’s festival — from the Choir Crawl to the finale at the Adams Center — while Jürgen shares how Missoula might be brewing up a cross-continental beer collaboration with a sister choral fest in Bavaria.

 🎤 Saxon Holbrook first sang in the festival as a Hellgate High grad in '87 and never looked back. These days he serves as president of the festival board and as technical director for Montana Public Radio and MontanaPBS.

🍺 Jürgen Knöller, originally from Füssen, Bavaria (yes — near the Neuschwanstein Castle), moved to Missoula in 1987 to become brewmaster at Bayern Brewing. He’s been crafting lagers and championing the choral fest ever since.

✨ Whether you’re a lifelong choir nerd or just looking for a great event with international flavor and hometown heart, this one’s for you.

More info and full schedule: choralfestival.org

🎟️ Free events + festival buttons available now!


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🌲 The Trail Listening Post is a podcast series that archives the real-time radio moments that make Missoula, Missoula - live, local, and straight from the airwaves of Trail 103.3, a station as unique as the community we serve.