As a 24-year-old university student in Graz, Austria, he made his major-label debut in 2009 with the single "So Liab Hob I Di" on Koch Universal Music. The second-place runner-up in the Austrian finals for the 2009 Grand Prix der Volksmusik, "So Liab Hob I Di" was a Top 20 hit in Austria. The full-length album Da Komm' Ich Her followed a month later and reached the Top Five of the Austrian albums chart. Highly acclaimed upon its release, Da Komm' Ich Her earned Gabalier three Amadeus award nominations, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year (for "So Liab Hob I Di"). His follow-up album Herzwerk (2010) continued to develop his mix of schlager ballads and fine accordion work and reached number one on the Austrian charts. 2011's Volks-Rock'n'Roller amped up his sound and Gabalier capitalized on its success with a 2012 concert album Volks-Rock'n'Roller: Live. Later that year, he released his fourth studio effort, Home Sweet Home, which again shot to number one in Austria and reached the Top Ten in Germany and Switzerland as well becoming his most successful record to date. ~ Jason Birchmeier & Timothy Monger