Gerhard Wimberger was born on 30 August 1923 in Vienna and died on 13 October 2016. From 1940-7 (interrupted by Labour and Military Service), he studied composition with Cesar Bresgen and Johann Nepumuk David and conducting with Clemens Krauss and Bernhard Paumgartner at the Mozarteum Salzburg. From 1947-51 he was répétiteur at the Vienna Volksoper and the Salzburg Landestheater. He worked at the Salzburg Festival from 1949-53, and from 1953-81 he was director of the conducting class at the Akademie Mozarteum (called the Hochschule from 1970). There, he also directed a composition class from 1968-91. From 1971-91 he was a member of the board of directors of the Salzburg Festival. Wimberger has been a corresponding member of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts in Munich since 1977. From 1990-98 he was president of AKM, the Austrian collecting society for authors, composers and music publishers. He is also busy internationally as a conductor and jury member.