Viktor Ullmann

Viktor Ullmann, born in 1898 in Teschen, Silesia, was a prodigious Austrian composer, conductor, and pianist whose life and work were tragically cut short by the Holocaust. Studying under the tutelage of Arnold Schoenberg and Alexander von Zemlinsky in Vienna, Ullmann developed a unique compositional style that blended expressionism and twelve-tone techniques. His career flourished in Prague, where he conducted at the city's opera houses and self-published several of his works. Ullmann's oeuvre, primarily consisting of chamber music, reflects his deep engagement with both Czech and German cultural traditions. Despite the horrors of his imprisonment in Theresienstadt and his eventual murder in Auschwitz in 1944, Ullmann continued to compose, leaving behind a legacy that honors his courage and artistic genius. His music, rediscovered and celebrated posthumously, stands as a testament to his enduring talent and the indomitable spirit of creativity in the face of adversity.