Norbert Trawöger Appointed Artistic Director of Brucknerhaus Operator

Norbert Trawöger, the current artistic director of the Bruckner Orchestra, has been appointed as the Artistic Director of the Linzer Veranstaltungsgesellschaft (LIVA). The position of Executive Director has been awarded to Kai Liczewski, who is presently overseeing finance and information management at the Salzburg Festival. Mayor Dietmar Prammer confirmed on Friday that he followed the unanimous recommendation of the selection committee.

The new leadership team will officially begin their roles on August 18. Meinhard Lukas, chairman of the LIVA supervisory board, stated in a press conference that they sought two outstanding personalities to complement each other as leaders. Although Trawöger and Liczewski were previously unfamiliar with one another, Lukas noted that a spark ignited during their initial meeting this week, leading him to believe that significant and innovative developments could arise at the Brucknerhaus and throughout the LIVA network.

Trawöger will step down from his role as the artistic director of the donauFESTWOCHEN, a position he assumed in 2024, after the current festival concludes. It has been emphasized that it is completely out of the question for the 53-year-old to maintain his role at the Bruckner Orchestra upon starting with LIVA.

Liczewski, who hails from Munich, played a pivotal role in the complete restructuring of accounting and controlling at the Salzburg Festival. Lukas views the 39-year-old as a stabilizing force for LIVA's financial operations, describing him as a business economist with a deep passion for both sports and culture.

Upcoming contract negotiations will focus on secondary employment and presence in the offices, particularly in light of past controversies that led to the search for a new leadership team. The Brucknerhaus scandal involved issues surrounding the delayed appointment and side jobs of the former artistic director, which also resulted in the resignation of Mayor Klaus Luger in August 2024. Subsequently, the employment relationship with the financial director was mutually dissolved. A financial review uncovered a deficit of 1.68 million euros, prompting the city to approve a special grant of up to 1.8 million euros to avert a potential crisis for LIVA.

Out of 58 candidates who applied for both positions, seven were invited to an interview in Linz earlier this week. Gundi Wentner, a recruitment consultant specializing in cultural and event management, provided the selection committee with her initial evaluations. Voting members included Lukas as chairman, Linz's finance director Christian Schmid, and cultural director Julius Stieber, along with experts like Christian Kircher, former president of the Salzburg Festival Helga Rabl-Stadler, FM4 program director Doroteja Gradistanac, and conductor Franz Welser-Möst.

Interim director Johanna Möslinger, who took on the artistic leadership role in November 2024, was also a candidate. Although she was not selected, she will continue in her position until September 15, as she is still responsible for this year's Brucknerfest and Klangwolke. Afterward, she will remain available to LIVA in an advisory capacity.

Green Party city councilor Eva Schobesberger congratulated the new executives and expressed her support, while also voicing her frustration that, following a woman's temporary leadership and restructuring efforts, two men are now taking over.

Michael Raml from the Freedom Party (FPÖ) emphasized the need to discuss the new leadership regarding the programming of cultural offerings aimed at engaging a broad audience in Linz, as well as ensuring the financial stability of LIVA. He stressed that while culture comes at a cost, it should not become a bottomless pit. Furthermore, he highlighted the necessity for a comprehensive overhaul of internal control mechanisms.

Cultural councilor Doris Lang-Mayerhofer from the People's Party (ÖVP) regarded the dual full-time appointments at the helm as a positive development, noting that it fulfills one of the key recommendations from the audit office regarding internal controls.