Erwin Horn, born in Würzburg in 1940, studied theology, education, music theory and church music in his home town, as well as Gregorian chant in Essen. From 1971 to 1977 he was the first regional cantor of the diocese of Würzburg, from 1977 to 1980 a lecturer in organ and music theory at the Regensburg Church Music School, from 1980 to 1997 a lecturer in music theory and from 1997 to 2001 director of the Hermann Zilcher Conservatory in the city of Würzburg. After its incorporation into the Würzburg University of Music, he worked there as press officer. From his work as a music teacher, Erwin Horn developed and published music-theoretical explanations of modal and baroque compositional techniques. With the publication of the Catholic standardised hymnal "Gotteslob", he led the publication of the accompanying organ book and edited "Orgelstücke zum Gotteslob". In addition to research, lectures and publications on Johannes Brahms, Franz Schubert, Franz Schmidt, Richard Wagner, Girolamo Frescobaldi and Hans Rott, he is particularly dedicated to the life and work of Anton Bruckner. The Würzburg Bruckner Festivals (1993, 1996, 1999, 2002) were not least due to his initiative. In 2002, he organised the founding of the International Hans Rott Society Vienna in Würzburg. His in-depth preoccupation with orchestral sound structures on the one hand and with the romantic sound possibilities of the organ on the other is manifested in a variety of transcriptions and CD recordings of symphonic movements by Anton Bruckner and other Romantic composers, as well as in organ versions of extensive opera parts by Richard Wagner. Erwin Horn presents their realisation in CD recordings. In 2010, he was awarded the Golden Bruckner Medal by the Upper Austrian Bruckner Association for his services to Bruckner research. Erwin Horn died on 11 July 2025 in Würzburg.

Bertold Hummel dedicated the work "In memoriam Anton Bruckner" for organ op. 91a to Erwin Horn.