The grand Finale

Anton Bruckner 2024 and the Capital of Culture celebrated together

2024 was a cultural year in a class of its own. To top off this year full of highlights, the two major cultural formats of Kulturland Oberösterreich joined forces once again at the end of the year. Together, the OÖ KulturEXPO Anton Bruckner 2024 and the European Capital of Culture Bad Ischl Salzkammergut 2024 dared to make a new start. On Saturday, 30 November, a veritable kaleidoscope of events was on the programme at the ALFA Laakirchen papermaking museum and event centre, spanning a colourful arc to celebrate the power of culture and community. From musical acts, discursive moments, presentations and performances to culinary delights, there was definitely something for everyone.

„This day is an opportunity to celebrate the great year of culture once again and to recapitulate what inspired, surprised and drove us forward this year. When the two major cultural formats of the province of Upper Austria join forces, not only the highest quality but also the best entertainment is guaranteed,“ said Governor Thomas Stelzer.

A look back at the Bruckner programme

Alles Anton!

Theatre INNklusiv presented ‘Alles Anton!’ – a lively, musical-theatrical journey through 200 years of Bruckner. A whirlwind that tells the story of ‘Anton, Anton and Anton’, singing, dancing and laughing to the beat of the Innviertel. The performance was a colourful celebration for everyone, inviting them to join in the party and immerse themselves in the lively, lively world of the Antons. Theatre INNklusiv created a unifying experience!

außen.Vor!

A UNIversity welcomes people in all their diversity! This idea and the first ‘Music and Inclusion’ course at the Anton Bruckner Private University were the reason for the founding of the IMP Institute’s UNIverse ensemble in autumn 2022. UNIverse is a place where professional musicians, amateur musicians and music enthusiasts make music together under the direction of Petra Linecker and Andreas Huber. On 30 November 2024, they presented the piece ‘außen.Vor!’ together with the Spring String Quartet. An overture by Severin Trogbacher, based on themes from Bruckner’s 4th Symphony.

Brucknersticken

‘Brucknersticken’ is an art project by Cécile Belmont in which people in different places and situations in Upper Austria and beyond were each invited to embroider a fragment of Anton Bruckner’s score of the unfinished 9th Symphony. During the Bruckner Year, Brucknersticken created connections between people and made Bruckner’s work accessible through collective action. The participatory project promoted community and individuality by uniting art and dialogue in open, diverse gatherings. The completed project was presented at the finale on 30 November. A special highlight was the interlude by cellist Annekatrin Flick, who brilliantly set the embroidered score to music.

Trawöger whistles for Bruckner

Norbert Trawöger is Artistic Director of the Bruckner Orchester Linz and Artistic Director of the OÖ KulturEXPO Anton Bruckner 2024. At the finale, he played 13 ‚Bruckner Whistles‘ by Rudolf Jungwirth and read from the text ‘Anton Bruckner’ (1984) by Bodo Hell.

Klang und Farbe

Contribution of the five “’Klang und Farbe”‘ classes of the Upper Austrian State Music School to the Bruckner Year 2024: an exhibition presenting artistic encounters with the composer Anton Bruckner and his works. Pupils of all ages, including people with disabilities from the ‘Schön für Besondere Menschen’ institute (Kirchdorf/Micheldorf), creatively explored Bruckner’s music and works with great dedication.

Concert of the Bruckner Orchester Linz

The varied programme concluded with the Bruckner Orchester Linz under the direction of Katharina Wincor. Since her celebrated debut with the Bruckner Orchester Linz in 2021, the ambitious conductor has been delighting audiences. The audience was able to immerse themselves in Bruckner’s 6th Symphony (WAB 106) directly in the orchestra’s sound space.

Cultural education

‚Up and down – Papierlapapp‘ invited children aged 4 and above as well as adult guests to an exciting and free hands-on experience. Interactive stations allowed visitors to discover how artists in Bruckner’s time, characterised by the industrial era, used nature and the element of water for creative work. The programme was inspired by central themes of the OÖ KulturEXPO and the Capital of Culture. Participants learnt in a playful way how paper is made and experienced historical machines in action!

Let's go, Salzkammergut!

Further information on the final programme of the European Capital of Culture Bad Ischl Salzkammergut 2024 can be found here:

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