JAM MUSIC LAB mourns the sudden loss of Dr Peter Pichler

It is with utter shock that the executive team of JAM MUSIC LAB GmbH mourns the sudden loss of Dr Peter Pichler, owner’s representative of Berndorf-Privatstiftung and himself a shareholder of our company.

As the longstanding chairman of the board of Berndorf AG, Vice President of the Industrial Chamber of Lower Austria and as a passionate musician, Dr Pichler was a strong supporter of the arts, education and research.

As a shareholder, Dr Pichler passionately contributed to the development of JAM MUSIC LAB since its foundation, particularly as an advisor to the management, always displaying his unique combination of grandezza and a boyish charm. For him, a dedicated saxophonist, the internet opened endless possibilities for the expansion of learning and enriching musical experiences through e-learning and distance teaching, and he followed our initiatives closely. His curiosity about people and their stories was as touching as it was catching: Whenever he came to our offices, he drew students into conversations.

In 2016, when he was part of the “Teach for Austria” initiative, its report read: “The man with the saxophone is […] chairman of the board of a company with an annual turnover of more than 500 million Euros. […] Peter Pichler, CEO of Berndorf AG, taught music and mathematics together with Fellow Katrin Bernhardt. The students were enthusiastic.”

Our thoughts are with his family and friends – Dr Pichler has contributed to our company and particularly the development of the university with tireless energy, knowhow and empathy. On 2 November 2020, at the age of only 62, he suddenly lost consciousness and was not to wake up again until his death a week later. Dr Peter Pichler leaves a gap that we will not be able to fill. We have lost a partner, mentor and friend.

Marcus Ratka I Rector/Director  &  Martin Rummel I Chief Executive