Franz Karl Neuhofer (* 8 September 1870 in Freistadt, Upper Austria; † 15 November 1949 in Linz) was an Austrian composer, music teacher, choir director and cathedral organist.
In his youth Franz Neuhofer learned violin, cello and piano from his father Josef Neuhofer (1828-1906). He attended the teacher training college in Linz from 1885 to 1889, during which time he met Anton Bruckner. After his school days in Freistadt, he became an elementary school teacher in 1889 and music professor at the local grammar school in 1895. Between 1889 and 1903 he was choirmaster of the Freistadt Men's Choral Society and also founded his own student orchestra.
In 1903 he moved to Linz, where he became a grammar school professor and worked as cathedral organist between 1905 and 1930. Furthermore, Neuhofer was a teacher at the teacher training college in Linz between 1912 and 1933. For the 60th anniversary of the Freistadt Gymnasium (1927) he composed the Missa academica, which was premiered under his direction in the Liebfrauenkirche.
In 1919 a Neuhofer congregation was formed in Linz, which promoted the dissemination of Neuhofer's works through performances and printing until the end of the Second World War.
As a composer, Neuhofer was a successor to Anton Bruckner and as such remained committed to the style of the High Romanticism. He wrote mainly church music and masses. In addition, he also set texts by contemporary writers to music, in particular by the Freetown composer Edward Samhaber, and was engaged in the musical history of Upper Austria.
Neuhofer was awarded honorary citizenship of the city of Freistadt. He was buried in a grave of honour in the St. Barbara cemetery in Linz.
