Classical music in Vienna

Every night in Vienna around 10,000 music fans are treated to live classical music, something that is simply unheard of in any other city in the world. Each year the Vienna concert schedule includes more than 15,000 events of various sizes and genres. Looking for the most magnificent concerts in Vienna? Here’s your ultimate overview. From the Wiener Musikverein, where the world-renowned New Year’s Concert takes place, to concerts that include dinners at Kursalon Hübner, we’ve got you covered.

  

Wiener Konzerthaus

Music lovers experience lively musical variety at the first-class music center that is the Wiener Konzerthaus. Leading performers of every genre are guests in the atmospheric Art Nouveau setting.

The musical range of the Wiener Konzerthaus covers not only the classical repertoire but also ranges from the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque to Jazz and World as well as the progressives sounds of the present day.

Vienna Boys' Choir

They thrill the concert-going public around the world, are described as Vienna’s youngest ambassadors, and make music with world class musicians: the Vienna Boys' Choir. In Vienna, they regularly appear in their own concert hall "MuTh" and in the Hofburg Chapel.

In Vienna, it is often possible to hear the Vienna Boy's Choir: regularly as part of the Vienna Hofmusikkapelle at the Holy Mass in the Hofburg Chapel on Sundays (September to June) and in the MuTh - that's their new concert hall in the Augarten, which opened in 2012. The name MuTh is an abbreviation of "Music and Theater" and its stage is home to daring music and theater productions. - A stage that offers a superb view for the 400 audience members and gives the actors almost as much space as the Vienna State Opera.

The MuTh is located right next to the Augartenpalais, where the Vienna Boys learn, live and sing. The new music center is a powerful cultural stimulus in the Augarten. The MuTh builds bridges: Between music and theater, tradition and experiment, great artists and - above all - the next generation.

Musikverein

The Musikverein is Vienna's most famous center for classical music. Going to a concert here is about getting to know Vienna as a city of music in a setting of the very finest quality. And musical greats such as the Vienna Philharmonic.

Millions of music lovers around the world know the Musikverein in Vienna as one of the most traditional concert houses there is, one that plays host to top-ranking artists. The building on Karlsplatz, not far from the magnificent Ringstrasse boulevard, is reminiscent of a temple, built according to a design by Theophil Hansen in 1807 in the historical style with columns, pediments and reliefs.

The Large Musikverein Hall, also called the "Golden Hall", is famous for its sumptuous decor. Apollo and the muses draw the eye to the ceiling, while the columns are designed as female figures of the ancient world. As incomparable as the look are the spatial acoustics - the sound experiences here are unique in the world. The New Year's Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic is broadcast to an international TV audience of millions from the Golden Hall each year. The Musikverein offers first-class concerts on the other 364 days of the year as well. However, it has long since ceased to be exclusively a temple of classical music.

  

  

Vienna. Theater an der Wien

  

Theater an der Wien specializes in the very finest of Baroque and classical operas and in modern aesthetics. As a seasonal opera house, there is a premiere almost every month as well as concertante operas and concerts.

The Theater an der Wien starts its thirteenth season with the 2018/19 season. This brings nine premieres to the house: first up is Handel's Alcina with Marlis Petersen in the leading role. Gioachino Rossini's opera Guillaume Tell from 1829 follows in October. In November, another work by Georg Friedrich Händel celebrates its premiere: Teseo. Great romantic opera is presented in December: Euryanthe by Carl Maria von Weber tests the loyalty of women.

From Handel to Weber

Henry Purcell's King Arthur starts the year 2019, followed in February by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy's oratorio Elias. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky has taken on Schiller's tragedy of the same name, Die Jungfrau von Orleans (The Maid of Orleans) - to be experienced in March. April is filled for the third time with a work by Handel: Orlando. The romantic fairy opera Oberon once again puts the composer Carl Maria von Weber in the spotlight. Mauro Peter sings Oberon, Annette Dasch sings Rezia.

Ten operas by Handel, Salieri and Tchaikovsky, for example, will be performed in concert; stars such as Vivica Genaux and Franco Fagioli will sing. Elisabeth Kulmán and seven top musicians will present her song recital La Femme c'est Moi on November 20.

The Young Ensemble of the Theater an der Wien can be experienced in the Kammeroper, the second performance venue of Theater an der Wien.

 

Vienna. New Year's Eve Concerts

In Vienna, Johann Strauss' operetta "Die Fledermaus" belongs to New Year's Eve like the New Year's Concert of the Philharmonic belongs to the first day of the year. The change of year can also be musically shaped with romantic opera, Beethoven or musical sounds.

  

Two opera houses perform the popular operetta "Die Fledermaus" over the New Year period: The Volksoper (December 31 and January 1) and the Vienna State Opera (December 31, January 1, 3 and 5). Annette Dasch, Olga Bezsmertna, Herbert Lippert and Adrian Eröd sing here in alternation; Burgtheater actor Peter Simonischek plays the role of Frosch. The best: The State Opera Fledermaus will be screened live on Karajan Platz on the video wall in front of the Opera House from 7.00 pm, where it can be watched for free. From 2.00 pm and after the Fledermaus, an opera potpourri will be shown until 2.00 am in the morning. The performance is also available on the livestreaming channelof the Vienna State Opera.

At Theater an der Wien, opera fans can ring out the year with the grand romantic opera Euryanthe by Carl Maria von Weber from 1823. The exciting production is by Christof Loy.

Beethoven and Strauss at the Konzerthaus

The Wiener Konzerthaus presents a packed musical New Year's program: The Wiener Symphoniker brings the year to a close with Beethoven's 9th Symphony conducted by Andres Oroczo-Estrada (December 30 and 31, January 1). In addition to this festive program, things continue in buoyant mood in the Grand Hall with Waltz of the World, the New Year's Gala of the Wiener KammerOrchester, Aleksey Igudesman and other guests on December 31.

The Strauss Festival Orchestra performs Viennese sound paintings by Josef Lanner, Franz von Suppé, Johann, Josef and Eduard Strauss, Carl Michael Ziehrer and Johann Schrammel on the topic of "Art and Nature" (December 28 and 29, January 1).

Not just classical

Musical variety, mixed with a big dose of comedy, is promised by the New Year's Eve evening at the MuTh – Concert Hall of the Vienna Boys' Choir: The best to finish with: The Flying Schnörtzenbrekkers. Three gentlemen with voice, double bass, violin and accordion mercilessly target Ivica Strauss - an invented member of the Strauss dynasty.

The musicals Bodyguard and I am from Austria offer New Year's Eve guests an entertaining program for the change of year.

Those seeking a combination of music and party simply have to follow the New Year's Eve Trailthrough the Old City.

 

Venna. New Year's Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic

The Vienna Philharmonic gives its annual New Year's Concert in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein. The whole world looks on and joins in the celebrations of the first day of the new year.

  

Fascinating Strauss sounds

The New Year's Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic combines the best of the best: The cheerfully lively, but also somewhat reflective program of music with compositions by the Strauss dynasty and its contemporaries, ensures a good start to the still young year. The most Viennese music ever written is performed, from the waltz to the polka, interpreted with artistically value.

Program (Jan. 1, 2019)

• Carl Michael Ziehrer: Schönfeld March, op. 422
• Josef Strauss: Transactionen (Transactions). Walzer, op.184
• Josef Hellmesberger, Jr.: Elfenreigen (Dance of the Elves)
• Johann Strauss Jr.: Express. Polka schnell, op. 311, Nordseebilder (North Sea Pictures). Walzer, op. 390
• Eduard Strauss: Mit Extrapost (Special Delivery). Polka schnell, op. 259

- break -

• Johann Strauss Jr.: Ouvertüre zur Operette "Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron)"
• Josef Strauss: Die Tänzerin (The Dancer). Polka française, op. 227
• Johann Strauss Jr.: Künstlerleben (An Artist’s Life). Walzer, op. 316, Die Bajadere (The Bayadere). Polka schnell, op. 351
• Eduard Strauss: Opern-Soiree (Opera Soirée). Polka française, op. 162
• Johann Strauss Jr.: Eva-Walzer (Eva Waltz). Nach Motiven aus "Ritter Pásmán", Csárdás aus "Ritter Pásmán", op. 441, Egyptischer Marsch (Egyptian March), op. 335
• Josef Hellmesberger, Jr.: Entr'acte Valse
• Johann Strauss Jr.: Lob der Frauen (In Praise of Women). Polka mazur, op. 315
• Josef Strauss: Sphärenklänge (Music of the Spheres). Walzer, op. 235

Musical ambassadors of Austria

The musicians play right at the top of the league of leading international orchestras - they are the Vienna Philharmonic. The conductors are also amongst the best in the world. A different conductor is invited each year, including Mariss Jansons (2016), Gustavo Dudamel (2017), Riccardo Muti (2018) and Christian Thielemann (2019).

The New Year's Concert is held in the Musikverein, the center of classical music for music fans in Vienna. The Grand Hall is also called the Golden Hall. It is considered to be not only one of the most beautiful halls in the world, but also one of the best in terms of acoustics. For the New Year's Concert, the hall, which is built in the historical style based on the model of antiquity, is decorated with wonderful flower arrangements. Columns, caryatids and gable reliefs create the impression that a temple of music has been created here.