Dr. Victor Urbancic or Viktor Ernest Johann von Urbantschitsch (9 August 1903 – 4 April 1958) was an Austrian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Music * Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra. * ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas * Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...

, teacher and music scholar from Vienna. He emigrated to Iceland in 1938. His wife, Melitta, came from a Jewish family. Urbancic stayed for the second half of his life in Iceland and had a big influence on the music development in the country at the time. Urbancic worked as teacher and director of the opera studio at the Conservatory of

Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...

before he came to Iceland in 1938. He also was lecturer of musicology of the University of Graz. In Iceland he was very important for the music-life. He became music director of the Icelandic National Theater in Reykjavík.Rudolf Habringer: Emigration an den Rand der Welt. Die Geschichte des Musikers Victor Urbancic, in: Zwischenwelt. Literatur, Widerstand, Exil, Jg. 20, H. 2, Wien: 2003, S. 33-41. He conducted the first opera in Iceland which was Rigoletto by

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...

in 1951. He taught at the Reykjavík College of Music. He was organist and choir director of the Landakotskirkja in Reykjavík. Urbancic died on

Good Friday Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...

in 1958 in Reykjavík. He is the grandson of

Viktor Urbantschitsch Viktor Urbantschitsch (10 September 1847, in Vienna – 17 June 1921, in Vienna) was an Austrian otologist. He was the son of Alois Urbantschitsch and Wilhelmine. He studied at the University of Vienna, receiving his medical doctorate in 1870 and ...

through his father, Dr. Ernst Urbantschitsch, and related to

Christoph Waltz Christoph Waltz (; born 4 October 1956) is an Austrian-German actor. Since 2009 he has been primarily active in the United States. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two British Academy Film Awards and two Sc ...

through the latter's mother Elisabeth Urbancic.

Selected works

* ''Caprices mignons'' for piano, Op. 1 * Sonatina in G major for piano, Op. 2 * Sonata No. 1 in F minor for violin and piano, Op. 3 * Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano, Op. 5 * ''Vier Lieder'' (4 Songs), Op. 6 * ''Partita'' for cello and piano, Op. 7 * ''Elizabeth'' for voice and piano, Op. 8 * ''Fantasie und Fuge'' for viola and piano, Op. 9 (1937) * ''Orchesterkonzert'' (Concerto for Orchestra), Op. 11 * ''Fimm Þættir'' (5 Factors) for 2 trumpets, horn, 2 trombones and piano, Op. 12 * Concertino for 3 saxophones and string orchestra, Op. 13 * ''Ballade'' for violin and piano * ''Gamanforleikur'' (Festive Prelude) in C major for orchestra * ''Konzertrondo'' (Concert Rondo) for 2 pianos * ''Mouvement de valse'' for piano * ''Ouvertüre zu einer Komödie'' (Overture to a Comedy) for orchestra (1952) * Sonata in G major for cello and piano

Selected recordings

*''Vorahnung'' Lieder

Gramola Gramola is an Austrian music company founded in 1924, an offshoot of the British-Czech record producer of the same name. The Austrian Gramola focuses on classical music. It initially focused on Austrian composers such as Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Am ...

2023.

Notes

1903 births 1958 deaths Austrian male composers Austrian composers Male conductors (music) Icelandic people of Austrian descent 20th-century Austrian conductors (music) 20th-century Austrian male musicians 20th-century Austrian composers {{Austria-composer-stub