The Mozart of the Salzkammergut—Johann Michael Schmalnauer

With the Schmalnauer concert in Hallstatt, the music of a Hallstatt-born composer returns to its place of origin. On Friday, October 23, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., the Catholic Parish and Pilgrimage Church in Hallstatt will host a performance of works by Johann Michael Schmalnauer, who was born in Hallstatt in 1771 and is sometimes referred to today as the “Mozart of the Salzkammergut.”

Schmalnauer Concert in Hallstatt with the St. Florian Boys' Choir

Johann Michael Schmalnauer had close ties to Hallstatt and the Salzkammergut. His primary occupation was in the salt industry, first in Hallstatt and later in Bad Ischl. At the same time, he was a trained musician and composer. His musical legacy is remarkable: in addition to more than 600 surviving dances from the Salzkammergut, Schmalnauer also composed sacred music. Several of his works are directly connected to the parish church in Hallstatt.

A special highlight of this concert evening is the performance of Schmalnauer’s Christmas Eve Mass from 1800. The program is rounded out by additional songs for the Advent and Christmas seasons. Thus, after more than two centuries, the music of a Hallstatt native comes to life once again in the very place with which his life and work are inextricably linked.

Schmalnauer’s significance is still felt in Hallstatt today. His music has never truly fallen silent: especially during the Advent and Christmas seasons, songs from his musical legacy are still sung—both in the church and in the tavern. These include, for example, the well-known “Ach wiederum ein Jahr verschwunden,” which is sung in Hallstatt at the turn of the year, or the shepherds’ song “Ihr Hirten erwacht.” Many of these songs have been passed down through generations and have become part of the local tradition.

Exceptional performers will provide the musical program for the evening: The St. Florian Boys’ Choir, conducted by Franz Farnberger, and Ars Antiqua Austria—Ensemble for New Baroque Music, under the overall direction of Gunar Letzbor, will perform Schmalnauer’s works in the special atmosphere of the Hallstatt parish church.

The concert is a joint project of the market town of Hallstatt and the Catholic Parish of Hallstatt.