The Anton Bruckner private university is deeply affected by the death of its founding rector Reinhart von Gutzeit, who died on July 11, 2025 in the 79th year.
With the conversion of the Bruckner Conservatory to the Anton Bruckner Private University, Reinhart von Gutzeit has been leading one of the most formative phases of the Bruckner University and the decisive course of the course of this artistic training institution is responsible for trend-setting. On the occasion of the celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the University of the Abu in November 2024, the enthusiastic music teacher and music broker was still personally present among the guests.
From Gutzeit was born in Berlin in 1947 and studied at the Musikhochschule Cologne and at the Universities of Cologne, Düsseldorf and Freiburg. In addition to his passion for the violin, viola and conducting, he devoted himself to both the educator and as a music school director in particular the musical youth promotion, which in many forms was a concern of the heart. After stations as a music school director in Rheinbach and Bochum, his path led him in 1995 as director of the Bruckner Conservatory to Linz. During these years, Reinhart von Gutzeit took the necessary democratization steps for the conversion of the structures into a private university and habilitated in 2004 as part of the accreditation of the Bruckner Conservatory to the private university to the university professor of music education and music placement. In the same year he became her rector before moving to the University of Mozarteum Salzburg in 2006.
Rector Martin Rummel on the death of Reinhart von Gutzzeit: “Our founding principal Reinhart von Gutzeit assembled artistic and pedagogical excellence with a university -political foresight and human warmth – properties that have made it a formative figure of the European Music University education.“
Multiple awards honor its high commitment for a sustainable development of the Upper Austrian educational and research landscape. So he was the sponsor of the golden honorary sign of the state of Upper Austria and was appointed honorary senator by the BrucknerUni in 2024. In a grateful memory of the legacy of Reinhart von Gutzzeit, Rector Martin Rummel continues:
“This appointment not only recognized his services to our institution, but also the deep connection that he has lived with the university and many of us personally for many years. I will miss his clever voice, his generosity in dialogue and his tireless efforts for strong, value -based music education. My thoughts are with his wife and great family, which he loved so much.”
Governor Mag. Thomas Stelzer joins the appreciation of the deceased and the memory of a visionary of our time:
“Reinhart von Gutzeit was an outstanding personality for musical training in Upper Austria. With his visionary force, he led the Bruckner Conservatory on the way to today’s Anton Bruckner private university – as a place of excellence, openness and international charisma. His work remains part of our cultural memory, Upper Austria and the Austrian music landscape.”
The Anton Bruckner private university will always keep an honorable memory of the personality and the work of its founding rector.
Press photo: https://cloud.bruckneruni.at/index.php/s/zpcsy3fnekr3fox
Image description: LH ad Dr. Josef Pühringer, Rector Martin Rummel, founding rector Univ. Prof. i. R. Reinhart von Gutzeit, LH Mag. Thomas Stelzer
Credit: © Reinhard Winkler