City of Classical Music Vienna has always been synonymous with music. Some of the greatest musical figures in history lived and worked in Vienna: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss, Gustav Mahler, Arnold Schönberg, Alban Berg to name a few of them. Writing to his father in 1781, Mozart said: “Vienna is the best place in the world for my profession.” Because of the importance of these musicians the tradition is maintained in Vienna by regular concert events and festivals. Attractive concerts are held every day of the year. But Vienna is also the capital of the waltz. The Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert is the most famous classical concert in the world. It takes place every year on 1 January at the Musikverein and always ends with the Blue Danube waltz by Johann Strauss Junior. Another fixed attraction in Austrian musical life is the Vienna Boys Choir, one of the oldest boys’ choirs in the world. For nearly five hundred years they have been a symbol of Austria. And, as ever, every Sunday the Vienna Boys’ Choir sing solemn mass in Vienna’s Hofburg chapel, continuing a tradition unbroken since 1498.
CLASSICAL CONCERTS 12.03 19:30 » LEIF OVE ANDSNES
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The New York Times described Leif Ove Andsnes as “a pianist of masterful elegance, strength and insight” and the Wall Street Journal called him “one of the most talented musicians of this generation”. With his impressive technique and penetrating interpretations, the acclaimed Norwegian pianist, who has given recitals and concerts in the world’s leading concert halls and with the world’s most outstanding orchestras, has received worldwide acclaim. QC‑3, Konzerthaus, Lothringerstrasse 20, MStadtpark, tel. +43 1 24 20 02, €20-62, www.konzerthaus.at.
12.03 19:30 » RENÉE FLEMING
The US-American singer Renée Fleming is one of the most sought-after sopranos in the world. She made her debut in 1986 as Konstanze in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Die Entführung aus dem Serail” at the Salzburg Landestheater. Fleming made her breakthrough in 1988 as Countess in Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro” at the Houston Grand Opera. Fleming has appeared at the Vienna State Opera, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, La Scala in Milan, the Opéra Bastille in Paris and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Until 2008 alone she sang 51 different roles.QB‑3, Musikverein, Bösendorferstrasse 12, MKarlsplatz, tel. +43 1 505 81 90, €7-99, www.musikverein.at. 1010 Vienna | Domgasse 5 www.mozarthausvienna.at
18 Vienna In Your Pocket
17.03 19:30 » LANG LANG
A childhood prodigy, Lang Lang is now an international superstar and a household name, an iconic pianist with an army of fans from here to Shenyang, northern China. Lang is one of the few classical stars to have transcended over into pop culture, so expect a diverse audience in Vienna this spring. QC‑3, Konzerthaus, Lothringerstrasse 20, MStadtpark, tel. +43 1 24 20 02, €31-180, www. konzerthaus.at. vienna.inyourpocket.com