Ernst Hinreiner was an influential Austrian conductor and music educator born on January 1, 1920, in Salzburg, Austria, where he also passed away on May 20, 1999. He studied at the Mozarteum University Salzburg under the guidance of Bernhard Paumgartner, focusing on conducting and organ. After World War II, Hinreiner led the music department at Radio Salzburg from 1946 to 1980 and served as a lecturer in oratorio and ensemble singing at the Mozarteum from 1956 to 1993.

In 1951, he founded the Salzburger Rundfunkchor, which became the Salzburger Rundfunk- und Mozarteumschor in 1952. He initiated the concert series "Gang durch den Advent" in 1963 and established the Konzertvereinigung Mozartchor Salzburg in 1966. Hinreiner was a prominent conductor at the Salzburg Festival, Salzburg Mozart Week, and other music festivals from 1950 to 1982. He also started the tradition of performing Mozart's Requiem annually on December 4, the eve of Mozart's death anniversary.

Hinreiner's discography includes numerous recordings of works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and other composers, often collaborating with the Camerata Academica Salzburg and the Mozarteum Orchestra. His contributions to music were recognized with several honors, including the Golden Medal of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria, awarded to him in 1979. He was also known as a "music ambassador" for Salzburg.