Kastelruther Spatzen reclaimed the sound and spirit of traditional German music for the modern era. Walter Mauroner, Valentin Silbernagl, and Karl Schieder co-founded the group in 1983, deriving their name from the South Tyrol city they called home. Although frontman Norbert Rier, Mauroner, and Silbernagl remained fixtures for decades, lineup changes would become a signature element of Kastelruther Spatzen's long and winding history. In the spring of 1998, the group made tabloid headlines when manager Karlheinz Gross was brutally murdered. The band recorded a tribute hit and established a large cash reward for information leading to the assailant, but the crime remained unsolved. ~ Jason Ankeny