(born Vienna, 3 December 1883; died Mittersill, 15 September 1945).

Webern had a decisive influence on the development of modern music by transforming Schönberg’s twelve-tone music into a concentrated form. The sparing world of atonality and twelve-ton music are considered symptoms of an ‘intensified expression in the shortest form’ The abstract, very constructive technique coupled with a subtle use of timbres made it at first difficult for the listeners to approach his music.

1883: Born on 3rd December in Vienna.
1899: Webern writes his first compositions.
1904: Begins his studies with Arnold Schönberg.
1906: Doctoral degree for his dissertation; death of his mother, composes the Piano Quintet.
1908: completes his studies with Schönberg; substitute conductor at the theatre of Bad Ischl; world premiere of Passacaglia op. 1 in Vienna under Webern.
1910: conducting post in Teplitz; then substitute conductor in Danzig where Passacaglia is performed under Webern.
1913: Settles in Vienna; scandal at the world premiere of Six pieces for large orchestra op. 6 in Vienna; his daughter Maria is born.
1918: Settles in Mödling; helps to run the Society for Private Musical Performance.
1922: Webern conducts his Passacaglia at the ‘Düsseldorfer Tonkünstlerfest’. Five movements for string quartet op. 5 is performed at the International Chamber Music Festival in Salzburg; takes charge of the Vienna Workers’ Symphony; Conductor of the ‚Freien Typographia’ in Vienna.
1923: Guest concert under Webern in Berlin; conducts the ‚Wiener Arbeiter-Singvereins’ of the ‚Sozialdemokratischen Bildungsstelle’; Schönberg introduces his students into twelve-tone music.
1924: World premiere of Six bagatelles for string quartet op. 9 and Six Lieder for voice, clarinet, bass clarinet, violin and cello op. 14 in Donaueschingen; Great Music Prize of the City of Vienna.
1928: Composes Symphony op. 21; Webern suffers from stomach ulcers; Commission from the ‘League of Composers’.
1933: Concert in London; celebrates his 50th birthday in Vienna.
1936: Webern resigns as conductor at the IGNM Festival in Barcelona; Concert in Winterthur conducted by Webern.
1938: Commission from Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge for a String quartet; World premiere of the cantata Das Augenlicht in London.
1943: Last trip abroad to Switzerland; Webern turns 60 years.
1945: Peter Webern dies on 11th February; the Webern family flee to Mittersill; Anton Webern is mistakenly shot on 15th September by an American soldier.