50 years of the Brucknerhaus

Former artistic director with a nasty dig at politics

Presenter Teresa Vogl (right) with Franz Gasselsberger and Maria Mayr, head of the Fussl fashion company.(Bild: Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)

The Brucknerhaus offers much more than classical music. Here are some of the anecdotes that the celebrities were able to recall on the occasion of the celebratory act, who once started as a doorman there and what made the former "head of the house" really famous.

Celebrate the festivities as they fall! True words. Anton Bruckner would have loved this evening. And most of the guests were also full of anticipation and excitement for the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Zubin Mehta. Most of them - mind you! "I'm looking forward to the end of the event, because it lasts too long," said Wolfgang Winkler, former director of the Brucknerhaus. He was referring exclusively to the politicians' speeches. How does he feel about the past? "Do you know how quickly you become famous when you cancel something? The Klangwolke, for example," Winkler nodded. "That wasn't so funny. A lonely decision. But that's how you suddenly become famous."

Former director Wolfgang Winkler with Brigitte Zierhut-Bösch (Marketing).(Bild: Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)

Thomas Ziegler (Design Center) and wife Petra as regular guests of the house.(Bild: Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)

Linz AG General Director Erich Haider came with his wife Maria.(Bild: Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)

From doorman to businessman

Design Center boss Thomas Ziegler also shares a really interesting past with this establishment. "I started here as a doorman. And that's how I got into the event business," laughed Ziegler. He was here with his wife Petra at the police ball just around a month ago. "We took a special dance course for it. It paid off," said his wife.

Different memories of the building

For Linz AG CEO Erich Haider, the Brucknerhaus is associated with "great balls, beautiful concerts and cultural life in Linz". While Oberbank CEO Franz Gasselsberger thinks of Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. Maria Mayr was not quite so classical. "I was often here as a child. There were always performances with choirs before Christmas, it was wonderful and I'll always remember it," says the head of the Fussl fashion company.

Also spotted: Heinrich Schaller (Raiffeisen Landesbank), Andreas Winkelhofer (Upper Austrian Tourism) and Peter Augendopler (Backaldrin).