The Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg focuses on Mozart's life and work. The International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg is a non-profit organization that is concerned with the works and life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Concerts, the Mozart museums and related research are the most important areas of the foundation’s activity.

The foundation has its roots in the Cathedral Music Association and Mozarteum which was founded in 1841. In 1856, Mozart’s 100^th birthday was celebrated with a first Mozart Exhibition in his birthplace at Getreidegasse No. 9. In 1880, the Mozarteum Foundation was officially founded. Already in this year, a museum on the third floor of Mozart’s birthplace was established and in 1917, the foundation managed to acquire the entire building. In 1922, the foundation’s music school became a state conservatory following the economic crisis. Today, it is known as the Mozarteum University. The Central Institute for Mozart research was founded in 1931.

In 1910, construction of the foundation’s building in the style of late historicism began. The impressive building is located right next to the Mirabell Gardens. The complex houses the Mozart library, the administration and two important concert halls: the Viennese Hall and the Great Hall.

In 2005, the artist Sylvie Fleury installed an inscription made from neon tubes directly beneath the cornice of the main building. The lettering in Mozart’s original handwriting is a quote of his and reads “Ich möchte alles haben, was gut, ächt und schön ist!” (“I would like to have everything that is good, genuine and beautiful!”)

Since 1956, every year, the Mozarteum Foundation has been organizing the festival Mozart Week around Mozart’s birthday at the end of January. As part of the Mozart Week, numerous orchestra and chamber concerts, opera performances, children’s concerts, etc. take place all around Salzburg. Among the venues are the Mozarteum’s concert halls, the House for Mozart, the State Theatre and the Large Festival Hall.

Great and famous names of the classical music scene take part in the Mozart Week again and again, for example the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, or the Hagen Quartet. Since 2017, star tenor Rolando Villazón organizes the Mozart Week.

The International Mozart Foundation owns and manages the two Mozart museums in Salzburg.

Mozart Birthplace

Already in 1880, the Mozarteum Foundation established a museum in the house in Getreidegasse where Mozart was born in 1756. Today, the museum illustrates Mozart’s life and work on three stories. Focus is put on the composer’s social life and his youth, family, friends and benefactors. Visitors are awaited by many exhibits worth seeing, for example the violin Mozart played as a child or famous family portraits.

From 1773, the Mozart family lived in the so-called “Dance Master’s House” at Makart Square. In World War II, two thirds of the building were destroyed in an air raid. In the 1990s, the house was reconstructed according to detailed, original plans.

The Mozart Residence museum offers interesting insights into Mozart’s musical work, his milieu in Salzburg and individual family members. The famous family portrait and Mozart’s original pianoforte are also showcased here.