(Joseph) Anton Bruckner (b. Ansfelden, nr. Linz, 1824; d. Vienna, 1896)

The fame Anton Bruckner’s symphonies achieved has overshadowed his importance as a church musician. He was the son of a schoolmaster and organist and spent much of his career in the same capacity. A deeply devout man, Bruckner wrote some of his most beautiful music for the church. He began his career as schoolmaster-organist for the monastery of St Florian and moved on to Linz, where he accepted the post of cathedral organist at Olomouc. Bruckner’s last years were marked by belated recognition of his symphonies, as shown by the increasing number of performances and the publication of most of them.