The Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien (English: Society of Music Friends in Vienna / Society of Music Lovers in Vienna, also known as the Musikverein, English: Music Association), was founded in 1812 by Joseph von Sonnleithner, general secretary of the Court Theatre, Vienna, Austria. Its official charter, drafted in 1814, states that the purpose of the Society was to promote music in all its facets. The Society accomplished its goals by sponsoring concerts, founding the Vienna Conservatory in 1819, founding the Wiener Singverein in 1858, constructing the Musikverein building in 1870, and by systematically collecting and archiving noteworthy music-history documents. It is now one of the world's leading music archives.

The first music director was Anton Rubinstein (appointed in 1871), who was followed in 1872 by Johannes Brahms. Other notable music directors include Wilhelm Furtwängler and Herbert von Karajan. Membership in the Gesellschaft has included a who's who of notable 19th- and 20th-century musical figures, including composers, conductors, and instrumentalists.

In early 1818, Franz Schubert was rejected for membership in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, something that might have furthered his musical career.

[edit] External links

• Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde official website
• Webseite Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde archives

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This article incorporates information from the revision as of 2008 of the equivalent article on the German Wikipedia.