Anton Bruckner - A son of the Danube - 200th anniversary

September 4, 2024 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Upper Austria's famous composer Anton Bruckner. His milestone birthday is a welcome occasion to jointly present Upper Austrian culture in all its diversity, which will be expressed in numerous projects related to Bruckner, in squares and places, in villages and towns, all over Upper Austria.

In Linz and the Danube region, Anton Bruckner's musical harmony shapes the way we live together. Daily exhibitions, performances and concerts in St. Florian Abbey, Linz and Ansfelden invite you to experience and celebrate Bruckner's language of harmony.

Upper Austria was Anton Bruckner's home. He was born in Ansfelden in 1824 and was musically socialized, encouraged and trained in the monastery in the neighbouring town of St. Florian. In Linz, he developed into an acclaimed organ improviser and a composer with an unmistakable musical language. The Brucknerhaus and the Bruckner Orchestra were named after him and allow his music to be heard today. Today, music, dance and drama can be studied at the Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz, which is also named after him.

Anton Bruckner was born in Ansfelden on September 4, 1824, the son of a schoolteacher and the first of eleven children. The family lived in the school building and the teachers of the time took on many musical duties in the town. Anton Bruckner's father played the organ, violin and piano. The son soon learns to play these instruments too, and his pronounced musical talent becomes apparent early on.

Bruckner comes from our country, which he never completely left, even when he spent the last decades of his life in the Danube metropolis of Vienna. Few world-class composers have their roots in a rural environment.

When Bruckner was able to return to St. Florian after his year of training in Linz and his time as a school assistant, he was overjoyed. In 1845, Bruckner took up the post of assistant teacher at the school. In addition to teaching, music became increasingly important to him and he perfected his organ playing. He became the monastery organist and private teacher of the Florian Boys' Choir. He spent the rest of his life in St. Florian, where he also found his final resting place under the abbey organ.

In Linz, he became a professional musician, organist and symphonist. In 1855, he was appointed cathedral organist and was responsible for the Old Cathedral and the city's parish church. He composes his first symphonies in Linz, which he revises time and again. In 1868, he moved to Vienna, where he became professor of music theory and organ playing at the conservatory and took up the post of court organist. He repeatedly returned to his roots in Upper Austria.

Who Bruckner really was will remain hidden forever. What remains is his music, which leaves us breathless, opens our hearts and touches us. Anton Bruckner chose the language of harmony in his symphonies and still inspires with it today. At a time when our interactions are often rougher, the tone also makes the music. A kind word or a friendly gesture often has a big impact. This is why the Linz region is not only celebrating the 200th anniversary of Anton Bruckner's birth in 2024, here the anTon also makes the music.

Bruckner's birthplace, the former school, is now a museum that tells of the composer's work and provides a variety of insights into his life.

Throughout his life, Bruckner was curious and inquisitive. If you want to delve deeper into his life, you can hike along the Symphony Trail. It connects the two important stages of his life, Ansfelden and St. Florian. You can learn more about his life at audio-visual stations. The approx. 9 km long hiking trail starts at Anton Bruckner's birthplace in Ansfelden and ends in St. Florian, where he was buried in the crypt of the monastery basilica.

The Bruckner Staircase and the organ can be admired in Linz Old Cathedral. The Bruckner organ in the Old Cathedral is without doubt one of the most important sound monuments in the country. During his time as cathedral organist (1855 to 1868), Bruckner had the organ slowly rebuilt according to his own ideas. The staircase in the north tower of the church, which led Anton Bruckner to his organ, was converted into a small museum in 2011. With various showcases and other small stations, the "Bruckner Staircase" leads up to the organ.

Where else is Anton Bruckner duly celebrated if not in "his" concert hall on the Danube? In addition to many concerts throughout the year, the performances of all eleven Bruckner symphonies with original instruments are unique. The highlight is the annual International Bruckner Festival, which this year takes place under the motto "Infinite expanses. Bruckner's work as a reach for the stars" from September 4 to October 11, 2024.

The University of Music, Dance and Drama in Linz is also named after Upper Austria's most famous musician. The concerts in the modern building are often an insider tip.