Vienna State Opera

The Vienna State Opera is one of the top opera addresses in the world – where you can enjoy the very best in first-class productions.

  

This famous stage offers a different program every day, with over 60 operas and ballet works on around 300 days per season.

150 years of the Vienna State Opera

The repertoire of the State Opera ranges from the Baroque to the 21st century, with a focus on the 19th century. The 2018/19 season is marked by a big anniversary: The Vienna State Opera celebrates "150 years of the Opera House on the Ring". On 25 May, 2019 there will be a ceremony and the premiere of Richard Strauss' Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman without a Shadow). This opera premiered here 100 years ago; Camilla Nylund, Nina Stemme, Evelyn Herlitzius, Stephen Gould and Wolfgang Koch now shine in the new production conducted by Christian Thielemann.

On May 26, everyone is invited to join in the celebration - at a festival on the square in front of the Opera House. In addition, there are two exhibitions (at the opera and in the Theatre Museum), streamings and a few other surprises.

Another five opera premieres are highlights of the season:

• Les Troyens / Hector Berlioz
• Die Weiden /Johannes Maria Staud (music), Durs Grünbein (text) – world premiere
• Lucia di Lammermoor / Gaetano Donizetti
• Orest / Manfred Trojahn
• Otello / Giuseppe Verdi

Audience members can individually switch on subtitles – in German, English, Italian, French, Russian and Japanese. The 2,021 displays at the seats also offer information about the cast and contents of the performance (German or English). By the way: The subtitles can be integrated manually by clicking a button, since all performances have different pacing.

Vienna Opera Ball: High point of the ball season

At the Vienna Opera Ball, the Vienna State Opera is transformed into the world’s most famous ballroom. The committee, consisting of approximately 150 pairs of young men and women in white ball gowns and tails, ensures a glamorous opening of the Opera Ball.

Opera live outdoors

In April, May, June, September and December, more than 80 opera and ballet performances will be screened live on Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz in front of the opera building on a 50 m² screen - it's classical enjoyment for free!

  

Vienna. Symphoniker Open-Air

Come enjoy the Wiener Symphoniker free of charge in open-air concerts in Vienna on May 8 and 31 at the Festival of Joy on Heldenplatz and at the MuseumsQuartier Open Air.

  

The Wiener Symphoniker, one of Vienna’s best orchestras, are treating the Viennese and their guests to no less than two free open-air concerts in May. Both the Festival of Joy and the MuseumsQuartier Open Air are already regular fixtures on the annual concert calendar.

May 8: Festival of Joy

This year Heldenplatz hosts the seventh Festival of Joy: It marks the anniversary of the 1945 surrender by the Nazi regime. In addition to commemorating the day of liberation, the 2019 Festival of Joy is also dedicated to Europe and human rights.

The Wiener Symphoniker, led by Finnish conductor Eva Ollikainen, and Mauthausen Committee Austria invite guests to a concert to be held at Vienna's historic Heldenplatz. Host Katharina Stemberger leads through the program, which also includes speeches and the broadcast of video messages. The highlight of the ceremony will be a speech by concentration camp survivor Shaul Spielmann.

The program spans a musical arc from the pre-war period to the horror of dictatorship and the joy unleashed by humanity's triumph.

  

May 31, MuseumsQuartier Open Air

By now a tradition, the Wiener Symphoniker will give another free open-air concert on Friday, May 31: The MuseumsQuartier's main courtyard will be transformed into Vienna's finest open-air concert hall. Conductor Speranza Scappucci leads a resounding program inspired by sunny Italy and Mediterranean passion, featuring works by Rossini, Verdi and Johann Strauss, among others.

Vienna. 39th International Musical Festival

The Wiener Konzerthaus invites you to the International Music Festival: with 66 events ranging from classical and jazz to contemporary music. Among the performers are Elīna Garanča, Hélène Grimaud and Diana Damrau as well as the Vienna Philharmonic.

  

Keeping the tradition alive and juxtaposing the new with the tried and tested – this was the idea of director Egon Seefehlner, who founded the International Music Festival of the Wiener Konzerthaus Society in 1947. In line with this mission, the festival will once again feature exquisite world stars this year. This year's music festival at the Konzerthaus will be opened on May 11 by the Vienna Philharmonic under the direction of Franz Welser-Möst with Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8. Between then and the final concert with superstar Diana Krall on July 1, a wide range of guest performances by international orchestras and musical performances by leading soloists will be presented.

Musical diversity

In addition to the diverse forms of performance such as musical theater and video opera, the range of genres represented in the festival is once again extensive. It includes a performance by the Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča and piano recitals with Hélène Grimaud, a song recital with Diana Damrau, and major choral works such as Benjamin Britten's "War Requiem" with the Orchestre de Paris conducted by Daniel Harding.

Chamber music can also be experienced in all its diversity: the Philharmonix can be heard, as can the Artemis Quartet. The overall program

is rounded off by a whole series of jazz and world concerts as well as literature and film events in the best tradition of the Konzerthaus. Throughout the festival, sound installations by Hilario Isola and Enrico Ascoli will make the festival a unique experience on the main staircase in the Grand Foyer.

  

Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert

The Vienna Philharmonic, piano virtuoso Yuja Wang and conductor Gustavo Dudamel invite you to be their guest at Schönbrunn Palace on June 20 for an evening full of musical delight. Admission is free!

  

At the Summer Night Concert, the Vienna Philharmonic play open-air in Schönbrunn Palace park and to the familiar high standard. What is unusual is that they play this concert, held each year since 2004, with free admission: it is a way for the famous ensemble to give around 100,000 visitors and the global TV audience a special experience.

Musical guests

Like every year, the guest conductor and soloists grace the concert with their participation. Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel takes charge of the baton at the Summer Night Concert 2019. And at his side: the captivating virtuoso pianist Yuja Wang.

Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert Schönbrunn 2019

June 20, 2019, 20:45
Place: Schönbrunn Palace park, between Schönbrunn Palace and the Neptune Fountain. The stage is set up in front of the palace, access is solely via Hietzinger Tor or Meidlinger Tor. The main entrance via the Ehrenhof cannot be used by visitors. If the permitted amount of visitors has been reached, the park gates might be closed early.

  

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. Welcome to the ball season

Each year more than 450 balls take place in Vienna. The city of waltzes exuberantly celebrates Carnival in January and February. The three-quarter rhythm is supplemented by more contemporary sounds, offering enjoyable dancing for every taste.

  

The best time of the year begins for ball-goers and dance fans on 11 November. The Vienna ball season starts punctually at the beginning of Carnival with public dancing of the waltz in the city center. In Vienna, the ball season reaches its peak in January and February. The old tradition of carnival balls continues to thrive in the city. While some dancers enjoy following the three-quarter time of the waltzes, others may prefer letting loose to a disco beat.

Vienna's ball season offers more than 2000 hours of dancing.

The ball season kicks off with the Vienna Red Cross Ball at City Hall (30 November 2018). On New Year’s Eve, guests dance into the new year in a magnificent setting at the New Year’s Eve Ball at the Hofburg Vienna (Imperial Palace).

Numerous other famous ball events are held here as well, such as the Hunters' Ball - Jägerball (28 January 2019), the Doctors' Ball (26 January 2019) and the Lawyers' Ball (2 March 2019). The Coffee-house Owners' Ball (22 February 2019) is one of the most atmospheric. Each year it brings about 6,000 visitors to Vienna's Imperial Palace and into the Redoutensäle.

The Opera Ball (28 February 2019) at the Vienna State Opera is legendary. On this one day, visitors have the unique opportunity to see the famous opera house on Ringstrasse not only from the spectators' seats but actually experience it "backstage" surrounded by many music celebrities.

The Vienna Philarmonic (24 January 2019) opens the doors to its ball at the Vienna Musikverein. However, at this event the musicians of this world-famous orchestra can only be found with their instruments during the introduction. Because even the performers of the Vienna Philarmonic want to shake a leg now and then.

The sweetest ball is the Bonbon Ball (1 March 2019) at the Wiener Konzerthaus. This ball is known for its fun and informal ambiance. The Strauss Brothers once celebrated their greatest accomplishments at the Vienna Kursalon - where visitors can now dance to the tune of waltzes at the Johann Strauss Ball (16 February 2019).

For the Flower Ball (18 January 2019), City Hall transforms into a unique sea of flowers. Also being held in City Hall is the Viennese Ball of the Sciences (26 January 2019), which represents Vienna’s entire research and higher education landscape in all its diversity, internationality and excellence.

This year’s Ball of the Vienna Boys' Choir (March 29 2019) will be held outside the traditional ball season in Palais Coburg. The spring ball is opened by the Boys' Choir and is thematically dedicated to a different country each year. This time, the focus is on Japan.

 

Vienna. Experience design & gourmet

Big name architects including Adolf Loos, Eichinger oder Knechtl, Sir Terence Conran, Anne Lacaton and Jean Philippe Vassal have created bars and restaurants in Vienna that are well worth a visit thanks to their design alone!

  

Vienna has a long tradition of bars and restaurants with unusual interior designs. The Loos Bar is a classic example. A century ago Viennese architect and modernist pioneer Adolf Loos created a timeless atmosphere with his compact American Bar.

The British star designer Sir Terence Conran is responsible for the interior design of the Brasserie & Bakery in The Guesthouse Vienna, where he has emphasized the décor to be found in traditional Austrian establishments of the early part of the 20^th century. The restaurant’s armchairs were made according to designs by the famous post-war architect Oswald Haerdtl. All of the brass items, including the coat stands, come from the Carl Auböck Workshop in Vienna.

Given its location at the Architekturzentrum Wien in the MuseumsQuartier, quality architecture is must for Café Restaurant Corbaci. French architects Anne Lacaton and Jean Philippe Vassal have based their philosophy around the intelligent treatment of a minimalist approach to using materials, and this is plain to see at Corbaci. The mosaic ceiling work from Turkish artist Asiye Kolbai-Kafalier provides a suitable contrast to the minimalist architecture elsewhere.

Eichinger oder Knechtl have also produced a convincing solution for Unger und Klein, a cross between a wine store and bar. A long, curved wine shelf dominates the bar, clearly showing that the wine is the central attraction, and helps with orientation and storage. Here, aesthetics and culinary enjoyment go hand in hand.

The Viennese architecture office BEHF has already made its mark on a large number of restaurants in the city. At the refined Japanese restaurant Shiki, the architects from BEHF have included many individual details – from the hand-made and hand-painted Japanese paper ceiling in the brasserie to the wall painted with piano lacquer in the fine dining room.

Restaurant Steirereck is not only one of the best restaurants in the world but also plays every visual trick there is. The team of architects from PPAG opened up the restaurant towards the Stadtpark. The park is reflected in the metal external façades, the windows can be opened outward and upward in fine weather. That creates a feeling of modern airiness inside, as do the floor made from Danube pebbles and the light oak paneling.

The stylish interior of the Asian restaurant Market near Naschmarkt is by Birgit Eschenlor. A central eye-catcher is the giant flower lamp by the artist Robert Thierry. The architect masterfully places colored accents using textile artworks.

 

 

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.

 

New Year’s Eve 2018/19 in Vienna

  

At the change of year, the whole of Vienna is given over to partying and dancing. The New Year’s Eve Trail in the Old City is the highlight. A great ambience can be enjoyed as much at a gala dinner or festive ball as it can at a concert, the opera, in a hip club or a sophisticated bar.

Superb exhibitions and a dazzling array of events, concerts, operas, operettas and the hit musicals "Bodyguard" and "I am from Austria" promise a New Year's Eve program brimming with excitement throughout the day and night.

On December 31, Vienna's old city center transforms into a giant party zone: From 2 p.m. in the afternoon to 2 a.m. the following morning, top entertainment is guaranteed by the New Year's Eve Trail in the city center, at City Hall Square and in the Prater. Along the New Year's Eve Trail, dozens of gastronomes serve you punch and culinary treats. Numerous areas provided entertainment with show programs, waltzes, operetta, rock, pop, DJ lines and hit music. The classical area on Graben is a popular fixture. Vienna's dance schools offer crash waltz dancing courses here during the afternoon and transform Graben into an idyllic open-air ballroom. A large firework display will be held on City Hall Square and in the Prater at midnight.

A unique New Year's atmosphere can also be enjoyed on a boat trip along the Danube, at the New Year’s Eve Ball at the Hofburg Vienna (Imperial Palace) and at New Year galas held in City Hall and the city's leading hotels. The "Majestic Imperator", a a luxurious imperial, invites everyone to go on an exclusive ride into the new year, while "Die Fledermaus" by Johann Strauss is performed in time-honored tradition at the Vienna State Opera and also broadcast live on the outdoor screen.

New Year's Day in Vienna will be greeted in classic fashion with a morning "hangover cure" brunch - featuring a live broadcast of the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert on a big screen - in front of City Hall (from 10 a.m.)

 

 

Vienna, the City of Music

Welcome to the world’s music capital! More famous composers have lived here than in any other city – in Vienna, music is literally in the air: Waltzes and operettas have their home here, and so do musicals "made in Vienna," which have conquered international audiences.

The city’s concert halls and stages offer the whole range from classical to progressive sounds with end-to-end festivals the whole year through. Opera fans will meet international stars here and jazz lovers will find a pulsating jazz scene. Pop and rock concerts provide unforgettable live music experiences.

Vienna State Opera

The Vienna State Opera is one of the top opera addresses in the world – where you can enjoy the very best in first-class productions.

This famous stage offers a different program every day, with over 60 operas and ballet works on around 300 days per season.

150 years of the Vienna State Opera

The repertoire of the State Opera ranges from the Baroque to the 21st century, with a focus on the 19th century. The 2018/19 season is marked by a big anniversary: The Vienna State Opera celebrates "150 years of the Opera House on the Ring". On 25 May, 2019 there will be a ceremony and the premiere of Richard Strauss' Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman without a Shadow). This opera premiered here 100 years ago; Camilla Nylund, Nina Stemme, Evelyn Herlitzius, Stephen Gould and Wolfgang Koch now shine in the new production conducted by Christian Thielemann.

On May 26, everyone is invited to join in the celebration - at a festival on the square in front of the Opera House. In addition, there are two exhibitions (at the opera and in the Theatre Museum), streamings and a few other surprises.

Another five opera premieres are highlights of the season:

• Les Troyens / Hector Berlioz
• Die Weiden /Johannes Maria Staud (music), Durs Grünbein (text) – world premiere
• Lucia di Lammermoor / Gaetano Donizetti
• Orest / Manfred Trojahn
• Otello / Giuseppe Verdi

Audience members can individually switch on subtitles – in German, English, Italian, French, Russian and Japanese. The 2,021 displays at the seats also offer information about the cast and contents of the performance (German or English). By the way: The subtitles can be integrated manually by clicking a button, since all performances have different pacing.

Vienna Opera Ball: High point of the ball season

At the Vienna Opera Ball, the Vienna State Opera is transformed into the world’s most famous ballroom. The committee, consisting of approximately 150 pairs of young men and women in white ball gowns and tails, ensures a glamorous opening of the Opera Ball.

Opera live outdoors

In April, May, June, September and December, more than 80 opera and ballet performances will be screened live on Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz in front of the opera building on a 50 m² screen - it's classical enjoyment for free!