The history of MIMF began in 2006 when Zane Zalis, through a series of coincidences, first came to Murau to give a concert with his choir.

Initially, the organizer of the concert tour at that time had ended up in Murau by chance. On a trip he was taking he had in fact taken a different route than planned and then had to spend the night in Murau. He took a liking to the small-town charm of this upper Styrian brewery village. So he suggested to Zane that he perform here and Zane promptly agreed. Following the concert, there was a series of personal conversations that led Zane to return again in the same year to hold a choral workshop with the youth of the region. The final concert was performed in a still very modest framework as part of the street concert “Gasseln”, a Murau village festival.

In subsequent years, the festival continued to grow. For several years now, the Murau Cultural Association has hosted the opening concert which traditionally takes place in the Brauhaus Hotel. In addition, there has been an open air concert on the main square for a number of years; for a voluntary donation the public can expect a surprise program which is at the same time a sample of what they can expect at the final concert. For the first time in 2013 an orchestra workshop for string instruments was held in which the participants were able to learn about classical orchestral work as well as improvisation and free play.

Thus MIMF has grown over the years, becoming a significant festival which attracted nearly 600 guests to the final concert in 2013. This positive development is due not least to the generous financial and organizational support from the municipality of Murau under Mayor Thomas Kalcher. In addition, the MIMF has also received generous cultural funding by the State of Styria for the years 2013, 2014 and 2015.