Concert hall complex of the International Mozarteum Foundation at Schwarzstraße 26, right bank near Mirabell Palace. Built 1910-1914. Paid entry for concerts; garden free.
The Story
The Mozarteum's origins go back to 1841, when Salzburg citizens founded a Cathedral Music Society on the 50th anniversary of Mozart's death. The society grew into the International Mozarteum Foundation, which by 1870 had split off as a dedicated institution with a mandate to run concerts, maintain archives, and build a proper performance venue.
The current building was designed by Munich architect Richard Berndl, who won the 1909 competition with a plan that separated the public concert halls from the teaching and archival functions. The foundation stone was laid on 6 August 1910. The building opened on 14 September 1914, weeks after the First World War began. The Großer Saal's interior mixes late-Historicist structure with neoclassical detailing: white walls, gold leaf on balustrades, and green velvet seating. The 1914 organ in the hall was replaced in 2010 by a 51-stop instrument by Hermann Eule.
The Foundation holds the world's largest collection of Mozart primary sources, including autograph manuscripts, letters, and instruments, accumulated partly through the 1844 bequest of Franz Xaver Mozart (Wolfgang's son).
In the garden stands the Zauberflötenhäuschen, a small wooden summerhouse where Mozart is said to have worked on Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) in Vienna in 1791. The structure was moved from Vienna to Salzburg in 1875 and placed in the garden here. It is visible from the garden path but not open to the public. Whether Mozart actually used it is part of Mozarteum mythology that the foundation's own guides openly acknowledge as unverified.
The adjoining Universität Mozarteum is one of the leading music conservatories in the German-speaking world. Bernhard Paumgartner shaped the institution's identity for decades as director.
Visiting
- Hours: concert schedule varies; check mozarteum.at for the current calendar
- Cost: EUR 20-80 per concert depending on programme; Mozartwoche (January) tickets can be higher
- Duration: 1.5-2.5 hours per concert
- Getting there: Schwarzstraße 26, right bank; walking distance from Mirabell Palace or Mirabellplatz
- Book ahead: recommended for Mozartwoche and Salzburg Festival events; regular season often available without advance booking
- Combine with: Salzburger Landestheater, Mirabell Palace, Mozarts Residence
- Tips: the Mozartwoche each January is one of Salzburg's most concentrated Mozart events, less crowded and more focused than the summer Festival