Linz: A Poignant Homecoming

It was a special day at Brucknerhaus for Cleveland Orchestra Music Director Franz Welser-Möst. The performance was a celebration and a fond farewell as he led The Cleveland Orchestra in his hometown of Linz for a final time. 

To mark the occasion, Upper Austria Governor Thomas Stelzer awarded Welser-Möst the Grand Decoration of Honor in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria on behalf of President Alexander Van der Bellen. It is one of the highest honors awarded by the country. 

“A great conductor does more than just keep time. He brings people together and creates something magnificent from many individual voices. Franz Welser-Möst masters this art like few others. Through his music, he connects people across countries and borders. This high honor is a well-deserved tribute to his extraordinary life’s work,” Stelzer said. 

Welser-Möst’s appearances at Brucknerhaus always draw a crowd. This particular concert, scheduled for the 130th anniversary of Anton Bruckner’s death, has been sold out for months. The audience showed their appreciation for Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra with a standing ovation and long applause. 

Before the concert, Welser-Möst did an interview with ORF, Austria’s public television network. He shared with them memories of Brucknerhaus, including a January 1979 performance by Claudio Abbado and the Vienna Philharmonic.

“That’s unforgettable for me, I remember it exactly,” Welser-Möst told the reporter. He described it as a rebirth at the time.