Anton Bruckner

A world famous composer as lecturer

Not everyone who has a monument in the arcaded courtyard dedicated to them had a successful university career. One of them only made it to lecturer at Vienna University and even that in later life. Nevertheless he received an honorary doctorate. We are talking about the famous composer, organist and music teacher Anton Bruckner.

Bruckner was born in Upper Austria in 1824 and initially trained as a teacher. At the same time he was actively interested in Johann Sebastian Bach’s fugues as well as folk dances. In 1855 he went to Linz as cathedral organist, then to Vienna to deepen his musical knowledge under the tutelage of the Viennese counterpoint teacher Simon Sechter. Through his study of works by Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt and Hector Berlioz he gradually formed his own style of composing.

In 1868 Bruckner became Professor for Basso Continuo, Organ and Counterpoint at the Vienna Conservatory. In 1876, at the age of 52, he was offered a post at the University of Vienna as a lecturer on harmony and counterpoint.

Among Bruckner’s main works are ten symphonies, three large masses and various compositions for the organ. Although not recognised as a composer until later in life, he was one of the most important and innovative of his time. In 1891, Bruckner received an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Philosophy.