Augustinus Franz Kropfreiter

Augustinus Franz Kropfreiter (1936–2003) was member of the Austrian Augustiner-Chorherren, composer and organist. Born in Hargelsberg, Kropfreiter spent his school years from 1948 at the Catholic Bischöfliches Gymnasium Petrinum, where he received his first basic musical education. Immediately after the Matura he entered the Augustiner-Chorherrenstift St. Florian in 1953, where he was initially taught music theory by Johann Krichbaum. From 1955 to 1960, he studied composition and organ at the Linz Anton Bruckner Private University and at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. After completing his studies, he worked as an organist in Sankt Florian. Along the way, he was also a teacher of the St. Florian Boys' Choir and, from 1966, director of the monastery choir (Regens Chori). Kropfreiter created an extensive organ oeuvre and is thus one of the most important Austrian organ composers of the 20th century. He composed organ concertos and different organ pieces (among others Toccata francese, Signum, and numerous chorale arrangements of varying degrees of difficulty), with which he achieved fame not only in Austria. Other works by him include 3 symphonies, masses, choral and chamber music. In his compositions, he attached great importance to polytonality and hindemithian counterpoint.