The conductor of the Salzburg Military Music, Colonel Professor Ernst Herzog, took his well-deserved retirement at the end of April after 44 years of service. Herzog was born on August 4, 1959 in Saalfelden in Salzburg’s Pinzgau region and began learning the tuba at the Salzburg Music School at a young age. He soon became a member of the Bürgermusik Saalfelden.
Herzog’s military career began in 1978, when he was called up to join the military band of the Salzburg Military Command. After training as a music sergeant, he was assigned as a section leader for the ensemble. In 1992, he took over the direction of the dance orchestra of the Salzburg Military Music, in which he also played the keyboard. He completed his music studies at the then University of Music and Performing Arts in Salzburg during his time in the military band and graduated in 1994 with a diploma in tuba. At the same time, he completed his conducting training with Emil Rieder. Herzog then began his training as a military bandmaster, which he completed with the military bandmaster examination in February 1998. In May 1999, he took over the direction of military music in Vorarlberg and was promoted to lieutenant. In 2000, he also took over the Tyrolean Military Band. Ernst Herzog has been Kapellmeister of the Military Music of the Salzburg Military Command since January 1, 2001. At the end of 2016, Herzog was awarded the title of “Professor” in recognition of his achievements.
The military bandmaster is the commander and musical director of a military band. His area of responsibility includes the entire management and control of a military band with regard to the official music missions, including the necessary rehearsals, the selection of music, the planning and implementation of the training and further education of the cadre soldiers and those on military service. He is primarily responsible for the appearance of military music in public and for the musical standard of its music. The military bandmaster is also the link to all civilian musical institutions such as music schools, professional orchestras, the brass band association and many other cultural institutions in public life. Military music is particularly concerned with the cultivation of works by local composers and the performance of original wind band works. The achievements of the Salzburg Military Music have been recognized by invitations to perform at prestigious events in Germany, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. Since its foundation, 4,750 musical performances have been carried out. The last major highlights were the military music meeting on May 20, 2005 in the European Championship stadium in Wals-Siezenheim, the “Hamina Tattoo” in Finland (2006), the framing of the “Crew Evening” at Airpower 2011, a concert tour to Bonn with the Bundeswehr Music Corps from Berlin (2011), participation in the “Military Tattoo” in St. Gallen (2012), the military music festival in the Salzburgarena (2018) and the annual charity gala concert in the “Großes Festspielhaus” in Salzburg. Ernst Herzog on his farewell: “After 44 years in the Armed Forces, there are many things to look back on. One of my fondest memories is March 2011, when the new music building was opened in the Schwarzenberg barracks. It offers military musicians a solid and modern training facility. In addition to the large rehearsal hall for all the music, there are other rooms for register rehearsals and bunks for individual rehearsals.”
