Anton Webern

Austrian composer and conductor. He studied musicology between 1902 – 1906 at the Vienna University with Guido Adler, and between 1904 – 1908 he was the pupil of Arnold Schönberg. Up to 1913 he held conducting posts at different opera (operetta) stages accross the monarchy (Vienna, Teplice, Gdańsk, Sczeczyn), spending year 1917 in Prague. After returning to Vienna he joined Schönberg in Verein für musikalische Privataufführungen. Between 1922 – 1934 he led the Worker's Choir as well. Besides giving private lessons and guest appearances as conductor, he was engaged in the Austrian Radio as a conductor and patron of contemporary music. During the Nazi era in Austria Webern had to lead a very modest life, for his artistic views were incompatible with the official policy, banning him from all public activity. He earned his living by giving private lessons (K. A. Hartmann, H. Searle, P. Stadlen, F. Wildgans were among his most important pupils) and by doing routine jobs at the Universal Edition. In 1945, shortly after the war, he was killed by a stray bullet fired by an American soldier.

x