Miscellaneous
Matthias Giesen is the Stiftskapellmeister and organist in the basilica of the St. Florian Monastery. He sits on the same bench that Bruckner himself once occupied and plays the great organ that Bruckner himself once played. Directly beneath that organ, the composer lies buried. According to Giesen there is a close relationship between Bruckner the organist and Bruckner the composer; many of Bruckner’s themes were conceived whilst improvising at the St. Florian organ. On that same spot, Giesen talks about his legendary predecessor, the great organ and the Fifth Symphony. Matthias Giesen is a graduate of the conservatories of Cologne and Stuttgart, specialising in organ, music theory, church music and music education. He was appointed Stiftsorganist of the Augustine monastery of St. Florian in 1999 and became Stiftskapellmeister in 2003. He leads the Schola Floriana, the monastery choir of St. Florian and he is the conductor of the Altomonte Orchestra. Dr. Giesen lectures at the Musik-Universität of Vienna and was appointed Artistic Director of the Brucknertage, the festival in St. Florian, in 2006.