by Georg Predota , Interlude The music of Anton Bruckner , born as the son of a schoolmaster and church organist in Ansfelden near Linz on 4 September 1824, still strongly resonates today. Yet he was more than just an artist, he was a visionary. One of the most innovative and creative figures in the second half of the 19th century, Brucker is primarily remembered for his symphonies and sacred compositions. Anton Bruckner © Ludwig Grillich His compositions, relying on a highly idiosyncratic and expansive musical style, helped to define contemporary musical radicalism. A solitary man, preferring the rural surroundings of Upper Austria to the urban environments of Linz and Vienna, Anton Bruckner remains an enigma, even as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birthday. Ancestry and Study The Bruckner family lived in a small, isolated farming community for over four centuries. His grandfather was a broom-maker, and just like Schubert, Anton was a schoolmaster’s son. H...