History of Music in Luxembourg

Music of Luxembourg is a significant part of the country’s cultural life. The respected modern philharmonic show hall provides an excellent scene for orchestral shows while opera is frequently presented in the theatres. Pop jazz and rock are also renowned with a number of successful artists. The extensive general interest in the music and musical events in Luxembourg can be seen from the membership of the Union Grand-Duc Adolphe, the national music federation for choral societies, music schools, brass bands, folklores association, instrumental groups and theatrical societies. There are 340 music groups and associations with over 17,000 individual members are presently represented by the organization.

source of picture: en.wikipedia.org

Music, which is now the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, has a record extending back to the Gallo-Roman era. The 3^rd century Roman mosaic from Vichten presents the excellent representations of the muses Euterpe with her flutes and Erato playing the lyre, attesting to an early interest in music. The 6^th century Latin poet, Venantius Fortunatus tells how he was impressed by the music he heard in the area. From the 8^th century, Abbey of Echternach became a significant point for church music. Approximately the year 900, the Abbey released the Officium Sancti Willibrordi document which is one of the first instances of the musical notation from Luxembourg.

Grand Duchy was created in 1815, the interest in music slowly created over all the country, firstly patriotic music played by the military bands. In 1842 the Luxembourg army bands refer as the Musique militaire grand-ducale was created in Echternach with some 25 artists from the battalion stationed there. In 1852, the Societe philharmonique was initiated in Ettelbruck by the local priest J.B. Victor Mullendorf with the aim of helping all forms of vocal and instrumental music. During the occasion of the first train from Luxembourg to Thionville in 4 October 1859, the national poet Michel Lentz wrote the words and music for De Feierwon which is a patriotic song with the popular line, ‘Mir welle bleiwe wat mir sin (which mean we want to remain as we are)’.

During the mid of the 19^th century, music and singing societies became highly renowned. A number of local composers wrote the vocal music and light pieces to be performed by the brass bands and choirs who were also appearing everywhere. This group included Louis Beicht, Emile Boeres, Joseph Alexandre Muller as well as Gustave Kahnt and Pol Albrecht who part from being creative composer, were bandmasters from the Luxembourg army band.

Luxembourg inherits their music and culture from Germanic. The national music federation is the Union Grand-Duc Adolphe (UGDA); another significant institution is the Luxembourg conservatory of music with 2,600 students in each year. The annual music festival include the Echternach music festival and the rock um Knuedler in Luxembourg City. The country national radio station, which is radio Luxembourg, is listened to all over Europe. The new Luxembourg is a home to a collection of artists, classical, folk and pop, as well as rock, hip hop and other genres such as hardstyle, jumpstyle and hardcore.