Armin Kircher

Austrian composer and conductor Armin Kircher was born in Kufstein on 6 December 1966, grew up in Breitenbach am Inn and studied in Salzburg, where he studied church music at the Mozarteum University and later led the church music department of the Archdiocese of Salzburg.

From 1992 until 2015 he ran the annual summer work week of sacred music. He conducted at the Collegiate Church of St Peter and was organist at the Kajetanerkirche, both in Salzburg.

He wrote many sacred compositions, and edited several editions of choral music for the Catholic liturgy, which have become standard works. He was particularly interested in liturgical music, in the music of the Viennese classical period, and in particular the works of Michael Haydn.

Armin Kircher died of heart failure, unexpectedly, whilst travelling by train from Salzburg to Vienna, on 12 October 2015, aged forty-eight.